

Bonding over books
There is much positive press on the beneficial effects that reading to children can have on language development, cognition and social-emotional development. I have posted articles before on this blog regarding the use of bibliotherapy in helping children express their emotions but have not yet touched on what the seemingly simple act of reading can provide for a child and caregiver. Among the chaos, fear and uncertainty that accompanies an unexpected crisis such as hospitali


Book Nook: Healing Days
According to the American Psychological Association, a significant number of children in American society are exposed to traumatic life events. Traumatic events include sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, community and school violence, medical trauma, motor vehicle accidents, acts of terrorism, war experiences, natural and human-made disasters, suicides, and other traumatic losses. With an emphasis on taking the blame off the child, the book "Healing Days: A Guid


Sad, Glad, Scared and Mad!
Children can express, or repress, a range of emotions when they are facing new experiences. Using books in your practice is a great way to help children deal with their fears or emotions from a safe distance. Following are a few books I love to use to help validate feelings and start conversations. WHY DO YOU CRY?: How many times have you heard a caregiver or staff member tell a child "don't cry" when they are having something painful or frightening done to them? It is import


Book Nook: All Families Are Special
In our work with children we meet many different types of families. This book shows us that each persons family is unique and special and could be used as a conversation starter with a child to explore the topic of diversity. #diversity #family #bibliotherapy #book