---

---

“The book has a rich collection of black-and-white sketches that are worth the price of the book on its own merit. They speak when words fail....The book has good reference information, organized by chapters.”

—Illness, Crisis and Loss (on the first edition)


“I would recommend this well-researched and well-informed book to therapists working in schools with children of displaced, disenfranchised survivors of war and disaster and those working with families around the world who are struggling to make sense of their traumatizing experiences....This book is packed with suggested activities for therapists to help restore the child's sense of safety and ability to function creatively and spontaneously.”

—Child and Adolescent Mental Health (on the first edition)


“The book is well structured and each chapter offers the reader a deeper understanding of specific creative applications and useful interventions for working with traumatized children, families, and groups....I found Malchiodi's presentation of the neurobiological effects of trauma to be an exciting introduction to new ways of looking at trauma work with children. It serves as a foundation for the important and moving work described by the contributing authors and sets the tone for the book.”

—Art Therapy (on the first edition)


“Malchiodi and her colleagues understand the needs of traumatized children and how to respond to them. In this book of wide-ranging creative therapeutic interventions, contributors report on techniques grounded in the latest psychophysiological and developmental research. They describe expressive/experiential/body-based creative arts techniques that help traumatized children address and process the effects of their traumatic experiences. Among the many strengths of this book are its focus on flexibly adapting the various strategies to the specific needs and context of each child and its emphasis on strengths and resiliency.”

—Christine A. Courtois, PhD, ABPP, private practice (retired), Washington, DC; consultant and trainer, trauma psychology and treatment, Bethany Beach, Delaware


“Another exceptional book from a highly regarded clinician, author, and speaker! Malchiodi has assembled a group of experts to present the beautifully written and illustrated second edition of this important volume. The book includes cutting-edge creative interventions and updated discussions of practice issues, research, and multicultural applications. Like the first edition, this comprehensive and highly accessible work contains a wealth of practical information and is a 'must read' for both professionals and students to guide their work with children.”

—Sue C. Bratton, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, Professor and Director, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas


“Malchiodi has once again delivered a volume that beautifully blends theory, science, and technique with clinically sound strategies for helping traumatized children. Whether your interest is art, play, sandtray, drama, music, or movement therapy, you will find valuable information and fresh clinical insights to inform your practice. Newer therapists will receive a solid grounding in a trauma-informed approach to expressive therapies, and seasoned therapists will find creative interventions to expand their clinical repertoires. This second edition is a welcome addition to the libraries of those who practice developmentally sensitive trauma work with children.”

—Paris Goodyear-Brown, LCSW, RPT-S, Nurture House, Franklin, Tennessee


“As understanding has increased of neurobiology and sensory processes in trauma, so has the need for practitioners to develop skills in the use of creative arts and expressive therapies for treatment. This well-written volume offers both breadth and depth, while providing flexible and developmentally friendly treatment approaches that are client-focused and driven by individual and family needs relating to trauma. Compelling case examples bring these approaches to life. I highly recommend this work to all practitioners who work with children and families living with trauma in its many forms. It’s a wonderful book!”

—Risë VanFleet, PhD, RPT-S, CDBC, President, Family Enhancement and Play Therapy Center, Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania

---

Table of Contents

I. Creative Interventions and Children: Basics of Practice

1. Neurobiology, Creative Interventions, and Childhood Trauma, Cathy A. Malchiodi

2. Ethics, Evidence, Trauma-Informed Practice, and Cultural Sensitivity, Cathy A. Malchiodi

II. Applications with Children and Adolescents

3. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and Art Therapy with Traumatized Children, Madoka Takada Urhausen

4. Music and Grief Work with Children and Adolescents, Russell E. Hilliard

5. Art Therapy as an Intervention for Mass Terrorism and Violence, Laura V. Loumeau-May, Ellie Seibel-Nicol, Mary Pellicci Hamilton, & Cathy A. Malchiodi

6. Treating Dissociation in Traumatized Children with Body Maps, Bart Santen

7. Therapeutic Stories and Play in the Sandtray with Traumatized Children: The Moving Stories Method, Susanne Carroll Duffy

8. Dance/Movement Therapy with Refugee and Survivor Children: A Healing Pathway Is a Creative Process, Amber Elizabeth Gray

9. The Clay Field and Developmental Trauma in Children, Cornelia Elbrecht

III. Applications with Families and Groups

10. Creative Crisis Intervention Techniques with Children and Families, Lennis G. Echterling & Anne L. Stewart

11. Vanquishing Monsters: Group Drama Therapy for Treating Trauma, Craig Haen

12. Trauma-Informed Art Therapy and Group Intervention with Children from Violent Homes, Cathy A. Malchiodi

IV. Creative Interventions as Prevention

13. Bullying, Trauma, and Creative Art Interventions: Building Resilience and Supporting Prevention, Margaret M. McGuinness & Kathy J. Schnur

14. Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts Therapy and Mindfulness with Children and Adolescents, Laury Rappaport

15. Sounds of Strength: Music Therapy for Hospitalized Children at Risk for Traumatization, Claire M. Ghetti & Annette M. Whitehead-Pleaux

Appendix: Resources for Work with Traumatized Children

Bibliotherapy Recommendations

Trauma-Related Resources

---

About the Editor

Cathy A. Malchiodi, PhD, ATR-BC, LPCC, LPAT, REAT, is a psychologist, expressive arts therapist, and art therapist specializing in trauma recovery. She is the founder and executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, which trains mental health and health care practitioners in medical, educational, and community settings and assists in disaster relief and humanitarian efforts throughout the world. Dr. Malchiodi has given more than 500 presentations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, and has published numerous articles, chapters, and books, including Understanding Children’s Drawings and Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children, Second Edition. Dr. Malchiodi has received numerous awards for distinguished service, clinical contributions, and lifetime achievements, including honors from the Kennedy Center and Very Special Arts in Washington, DC. A passionate advocate for the role of the arts in health, she is a contributing writer for PsychologyToday.com.

• Author's website
• All titles by Cathy A. Malchiodi

---

Contributors

Susanne Carroll Duffy, PsyD, RPT-S, Pleasant Point Health Center, Eastport Health Care, Inc., and By The Sea Seminars, Perry, Maine

Lennis G. Echterling, PhD, Department of Graduate Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Cornelia Elbrecht, MA, AThR, School for Initiatic Art Therapy, Apollo Bay, Victoria, Australia

Claire M. Ghetti, PhD, LCAT, MT-BC, CCLS, Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, New York, New York; The Grieg Academy, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

Amber Elizabeth Gray, MPH, MA, LPCC, BC-DMT, NCC, Restorative Resources Training and Consulting, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Craig Haen, PhD, RDT, CGP, LCAT, FAGPA, private practice, White Plains, New York

Mary Pellicci Hamilton, MSAT, ATR-BC, LPC, Art for Therapy, LLC, Westport, Connecticut

Russell E. Hilliard, PhD, LCSW, LCAT, MT-BC, CHRC, Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care, Rosemont, Illinois

Laura V. Loumeau-May, MPS, ATR-BC, LPC, Journeys Program/Valley Home Care, Inc., Paramus, New Jersey; Art Therapy Graduate Program, Caldwell University, Caldwell, New Jersey; Contemporary Arts Division, Ramapo College, Mahwah, New Jersey

Cathy A. Malchiodi, PhD, ATR-BC, LPAT, LPCC, REAT, Trauma-Informed Practice and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, Louisville, Kentucky; Department of Expressive Therapies, Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Margaret M. McGuinness, MA, MEd, ATR-BC, private practice, Southfield, Michigan

Laury Rappaport, PhD, MFT, REAT, ATR-BC, Focusing and Expressive Arts Institute, Santa Rosa, California; Department of Psychology, Sonoma State University, Rhonert Park, California; and Integrative Psychotherapist, Sutter Health, Institute for Health and Healing Santa Rosa, California

Bart Santen, PsyD, Focusing Institute, New York, New York; Mental Health Care Group, Neurofeedback Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Kathy J. Schnur, MEd, RN, CTS, ATR-BC, private practice, Detroit, Michigan

Ellie Seibel-Nicol, MA, ATR-BC, Family Study Center, Danbury, Connecticut

Anne L. Stewart, PhD, Department of Graduate Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Madoka Takada Urhausen, MA, LMFT, ATR-BC, private practice and The Guidance Center, Long Beach, California

Annette M. Whitehead-Pleaux, MA, MT-BC, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, Massachusetts; St. Mary of-the-Woods College, St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana

---

Audience

Clinical and school psychologists; art, play, and other creative therapists; child psychiatrists; social workers; counselors; and any mental health professionals who work with trauma.

---

Course Use

May serve as a text in graduate-level art and play therapy courses, child counseling courses, and trauma intervention courses.

---

Previous editions published by Guilford:

First Edition, © 2008
ISBN: 9781593856151

---

New to this edition:

New to This Edition:
• Chapters on art therapy and EMDR, body maps and dissociation, sandtray play, resiliency-based movement therapy, work with clay, mindfulness, and stress reduction with music therapy.
• Updated and expanded discussions of trauma-informed therapy and the neurobiological basis for creative interventions.
• The mass violence chapter has been extensively rewritten with extensive new case material on the Sandy Hook school shooting.