Empowering Children throught Art and Expression ─ Culturally Sensitive Ways of Healing Trauma and Grief

St. Thomas, a practicing art therapist, and Johnson, a licensed clinical social worker, explore ways to use different expressive arts, including play, myth, drama, and visual arts, to help traumatized children express and resolve their feelings. Focus is on immigrant children who have experienced war, terrorism, and relocation, with detailed case studies of approaches used with children at three programs: the Multicultural Program at the Center for Grieving Children, America's Camp, and Creating New Identities in the Work Place. Illustrated with b&w photos of children's creations, the case studies demonstrate that traumatized children have the potential to lead the healing process, and that creative healing can be best accomplished in community. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Bruce St Thomas has an Ed.D in Counselling Psychology from the University of Maine at Orono, along with over 30 years of clinical consultation experience with children, families, therapeutic groups, community programs and educational organizations. He has published numerous articles, programs and audiotapes on guided imagery, therapeutic work with trauma and art therapy. Paul Johnson has a DSW and is a licensed clinical social worker in the State of Maine. He is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Southern Maine. He has over 20 years' experience in social work in both the UK and the US. He has published a number of articles on children, trauma and loss.