New Book by Patricia Wilcox
“It is not often that I read a book that is both extremely informative and extremely inspiring at the same time!”
Russ Carlton, LPC, LMFT | Clinical Administrator, Grafton Integrated Health Network
Available for purchase at NEARI Press
Author Patricia Wilcox has written the essential guide to trauma-informed care with at-risk youth. Wilcox provides a foundational understanding of trauma’s impact on the developing brain, then details its implications for treatment, the promotion of pro-social behaviors, and improving the culture among clients and staff. Incorporating the key concepts of compassionate understanding, validation, skill teaching, and the primacy of trustworthy relationships for healing trauma and rebuilding connections in the child’s brain, Wilcox tackles some of the most difficult challenges in treatment settings with practical approaches grounded in theory and research. This book is an invaluable resource for parents, social workers, childcare staff, therapists, agency administrators, and anyone who cares about how kids are treated when they need skillful, trauma-informed care.
“Pat Wilcox has written a book full of compassion and common sense. She integrates the restorative approach with a trauma-informed one, enriching both in the process. Her vast experience with children, youth, and their families is fully apparent here, as is her creative way of thinking about and working with them. Pat tells important stories about young people and their traumas, about their responses to being traumatized, and about how a particular kind of setting with a particular set of staff behaviors might be most helpful. Her bulleted lists of ideas are priceless and the volume’s valuable appendices are an additional highlight. Pat’s deep caring for children and youth, their families, and the staff who serve them is evident throughout this important, new work.”
Roger D. Fallot, Ph.D. Director of Research and Evaluation; Community Connections; Washington, DC
“Trauma-Informed Care: The Restorative Approach is a solid contribution to clinical work with children and youth in congregate care and their families. Patricia Wilcox offers a smart relational approach grounded in trauma theory and brain-behavior research. She presents the theoretical basis for the restorative approach, describes the approach clearly and succinctly, and illustrates its application lavishly with clinical examples. Her style is conversational and collaborative. Wilcox’s vast experience with this population shines through in both the examples and the comfortable way she raises and addresses potential objections to using the restorative approach. It is a must-read for trainees and workers new to this field and a wonderful resource for administrators, families, policy makers, and staff at all levels of experience. . It is a must-read for trainees and workers new to this field and a wonderful resource for administrators, families, policy makers, and staff at all levels of experience. Anyone who works with this population or who is treating or raising kids can benefit from reading this fine volume.”
Laurie Anne Pearlman, Ph.D. Co-author, Risking Connection: A Training Curriculum for Working with Survivors of Childhood Abuse
“Pat Wilcox conveys the accumulated wisdom of her years working with children too often overlooked by others in this remarkable and inspiring book. The Restorative Approach has the potential to radically change child mental health treatment (and parenting) for children with challenging behaviors and histories of trauma. Integrating current research on trauma and treatment with practicality, compassion, and ethics, Wilcox presents a compelling case for the Restorative Approach as a best practice in trauma-informed child treatment. The book is exceptional in its many detailed clinical examples of effective interventions making it immediately accessible and useful to all staff. Wilcox’s full exploration of all objections to the Restorative Approach convinces the reader of her complete understanding of the real conditions under which most child mental health settings function. Ultimately this book is inspirational; it offers hope for children, their families, and mental health professionals working with them. It should be required reading for all staff working with children in mental health systems.”
Karen W. Saakvitne, PhD, Author Trauma and the Therapist, Transforming the Pain, and Risking Connection; President, TREATI
