Bibliography for Resources in Trauma-Responsive Practice
Books and Articles:
Aguilar, Elena (2018). The Onward Workbook: Daily Activities to Cultivate Your Emotional Resilience and Thrive. Jossey-Bass.
Self-care is vital for educators and caregivers and currently a recurring theme in many trainings and seminars. In this extensive guide, the author answers the questions: What does this look like? Do I have time for this? and gives many practical ideas so that those with even the least amount of margin in their lives can begin this all-important practice.
Bailey, Becky A., Ph. D. (2014). Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms. Loving Guidance, Inc.
Although this is the textbook for a ten session Conscious Discipline course for the classroom, it can stand alone, providing excellent training in a proven, brain-based, social-emotional learning model that begins with transforming the adult. After an introduction into the Brain States Model, Dr. Bailey uses the three main sections of Safety, Connection, and Problem Solving to empower educators to be proactively conscious in their encounters with children and to provide the skills to be effective in every opportunity for discipline.
Bailey, Becky A., Ph.D. (2000). Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline. Harper Collins.
Although written for families, this work is a thorough introduction into Dr. Bailey’s approach to discipline which is built on the premise that “only by learning to discipline yourself will you be able to successfully guide your child’s behavior” (pp. 1-2). Practical strategies and solutions that anyone can implement, and that are also applicable for the classroom, culminate in a challenge to go from conflict to cooperation in seven weeks by using the Loving Guidance model.
Bath, Howard (2008 and 2015)
https://www.hope.ms.gov/sites/mccj/files/Hope%20training%20January%202021/read_3%20Pillars%20of%20TIC.pdf
https://www.traumebevisst.no/kompetanseutvikling/filer/23_4_Bath3pillars.pdf
Howard Bath’s articles above (copy and paste into search engine to view) and entitled The Three Pillars of Trauma-Informed Care, first published in the journal of Reclaiming Children and Youth, Fall 2008, Vol. 17, No. 3, and The Three Pillars of TraumaWise Care: Healing in the Other 23 Hours, Winter 2015, Vol. 23, No. 4 were extremely helpful to me.
Brown, Brene, Ph. D., LMSW (2015). Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. Random House.
This bestseller introduces ideas surrounding the concepts of empathy, compassion, boundaries, and generosity that are worthwhile for all of humanity to consider. Even if the reader’s beliefs do not align exactly with all of the author’s theorizations, self-reflection during reading will undoubtedly help with personal growth. Parents, teachers, social workers, and anyone who wants to live BIG and with whole-heartedness—this is a good place to begin.
Curtis, Deb (2017). Really Seeing Children. Redleaf Press.
What a beautiful book—in both the conceptual and the physical sense. IIn full glossy photographic detail along with one anecdote after another, Deb Curtis takes us on a journey through some of her varied experiences as a teacher and a classroom coach, relaying in a comfortable and conversational way what she learned from children when she took the time to really look at them. This work inspired me to slow down and pay more attention to children’s flow-state and less to my adult agenda.
Delahooke, Mona (2019). Beyond Behaviors. PESI Publishing and Media.
Using the latest brain science, Dr. Delahooke helps educators rid themselves of the “one size fits all” method of classroom management by encouraging them to look “under the iceberg” of the behavior to find the basis of it. Many checklists and graphics are included to assist adults in understanding the differences between intentional misbehavior and a stress response to trauma or environmental stimuli, and strategies are offered to help children experiencing behavioral challenges.
Desautels, Lori L., Ph. D. (2020). Connections Over Compliance: Rewiring Our Perceptions of Discipline. Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing.
So incredibly spot on and helpful, a must read for any teacher wanting to be trauma-responsive in their teaching. This book is not simply an intellectual exercise, although brain science and research is addressed, but is also full of practical applications for the classroom and for accommodations and modifications to help children. There is also the all-important focus on the work beginning with us, the adults.
Faber, Adele and Elaine Mazlish (1995). How to Talk So Kids Can Learn At Home and in School. Scribner.
This is a solid book that gives many examples in scripted cartoon form of how to address issues at school and home in respectful, connected ways. Addressing emotions, problem solving, and modeling are brought into real life situations, and although there is still a whiff every now and again of behaviorism and compliance-oriented responses, just being able to use the anecdotes to change ingrained approaches is valuable. Especially important, I found, was the chapter on “how to free a child who is locked in a role,” as I often hear comments about students that pigeonhole them and may change how they view themselves.
Forbes, Heather T., LCSW ((2012). Help for Billy: A Beyond Consequences Approach to Helping Challenging Children in the Classroom. Beyond Consequences Institute, LLC.
“Students, especially students like Billy, need their teachers and caregivers to go beyond consequences, logic, and control” (p. 77). This book is an essential read for all teachers who truly want to recognize the signs and effects of ACEs and trauma in their students, and who want to help those children impacted by trauma to succeed. The author first helps the reader understand, and then effectively respond (not react) to, those students who are considered “disruptive” and who are not well served by traditional classroom management techniques.
Greene, Ross W. (2014). Lost at School: Why Our Kids with Behavioral Challenges Are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them. Simon and Schuster.
The author of The Explosive Child and Raising Human Beings focuses his expertise on the classroom by demonstrating how his Collaborative and Proactive Solutions model works in the school setting. By changing their “lens” and using empathy and two-way communication, teachers can reach even those students that may be considered the “most difficult.” This work is the definitive handbook for how to view children as “doing well if they can” and for using the ALSUP (Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems) and the alternative Plans B and C in the classroom.
Markham, Laura, Ph. D. (2012). Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting. Penguin Group.
Using her clinical experience as a psychologist, Dr. Markham helps parents and educators alike with her developmental, relationship-based approach. On the foundation of “Three Big Ideas” (regulating yourself, fostering connection, and coaching instead of controlling), the author helps adults to transform their interactions with the children in their lives. In the context of building skills and strategies in emotion coaching, loving guidance, and supporting mastery, the end result becomes joyful interactions, increased self-esteem, and self-regulation in the home or classroom.
Menakem, Resmaa, MSW, LICSW (2017). My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts. Central Recovery Press.
While making research about the sympathetic/para-sympathetic nervous systems and the vagus nerve (which he calls the “soul nerve”) understandable and accessible to his readers, the author demonstrates how racial and intergenerational trauma is held in the body and passed down to future generations through damage on a cellular level. He provides multiple practices for mindfulness and awareness to allow for healing in the body and not just the rational brain, an explanation of dirty pain vs. clean pain and how to tell the difference, and ultimately a plan for cultural harmony through individual efforts in “settling” and healing one’s own nervous system.
Nicholson, Julie, Linda Perez and Julie Kurtz (2019). Trauma-Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators: Relationship Based Approaches that Support Healing and Build Resilience in Young Children. Routledge.
A bible of facts and foundations needed to provide trauma-informed care in early learning environments, including information on neurobiology, challenging behaviors, teacher self-care and strategies. Case studies are used to demonstrate the process in action and provide further training.
Searcy, Angela, Ed. D. (2019). Push Past It! A Postive Approach to Challenging Classroom Behaviors. Gryphon House.
Go beyond typical “behavior management” to some real solutions for helping children overcome their challenging behaviors.
Shanker, Stuart, D. Phil. (2016). Self-Reg: How to Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage with Life. Penguin Books.
For those that want to better understand how stress affects the developing brain and impacts behavior, this book breaks down the research and provides anecdotal accounts to help parents and teachers bring children to a place that they are able to self-regulate.
Siegel, Daniel J., M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph. D. (2011). The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind. Random House.
As the title suggests, in this work the authors outline and go into detail about twelve strategies that are easily implemented, especially given the many situational graphic illustrations that demonstrate “instead of this, do that,” and the summarized chart by age in the back of the book. Clear and simplified brain science is included along with suggestions about how to help children increase their own emotional intelligence.
Sperry, Rachel Wager, MSW (2011). FLIP IT! Transforming Challenging Behavior.
This is a great book that is included in the body of work by the Devereaux Center for Resilient Children that adults can use to support children when they're having big feelings and problems. The reader gets a description of each of the steps (Feelings, Limits, Inquiries, Prompts), with plenty of anecdotes and opportunities to put the process into practice with provided scenarios.
Van Der Kolk, Bessel, M.D. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin House.
Based on the author’s own decades-long research and work with trauma survivors, this volume is the Bible for understanding how trauma reshapes both body and brain and what treatments besides drugs and talk-therapy have been effective in healing. It is a highly academic work, but chapters 1-10 would be especially helpful to any educators working with children who have experienced trauma.
Websites and Blogs:
http://www.HeartStrongInternational.com
Explore all things HEART-STRONG International and sign up for Sandi Lerman’s blog and trainings. Do not miss the excellent article What Kids With Trauma Need In School (11/13/17).
https://www.beyondconsequences.com/schools
Heather T. Forbes, LCSW, provides a roadmap to becoming trauma informed in the classroom, including training and resources. Also, sign up for her Daily Reflections to be delivered to your inbox.
Founder Debbie Steinberg Kuntz, LMFT, brings revolutionary insight through expert blogs to help parents and educators understand the overwhelm and misbehaviors in twice-exceptional children and to help them overcome their executive functioning challenges by building on their strengths and interests. A yearly summit with many professional speakers is offered.
https://centerforresilientchildren.org/
The Devereux Center for Resilient Children has a mission to “promote social and emotional development, foster resilience, and build skills for school and life success in children birth through preschool, as well as to promote the resilience of the adults who care for them.” This is an excellent place to go for professional development opportunities, newsletters and blogs, information about the DECA assessment tool, and a variety of other information regarding infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
https://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/
The website for the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations supports educators in building social and emotional competencies in young children through webinars, conferences, and a resource library.
https://consciousdiscipline.com/
A myriad of free resources for educators ready to delve into Dr. Becky Bailey’s transformational method of teaching social-emotional learning and handling classroom management, as well as professional development courses offered for those wishing to go deeper.
https://www.attachmenttraumanetwork.org/creating-trauma-sensitive-schools/
Professional development for educators seeking to learn more about trauma-sensitive reform in their own settings.
Self-described as a national resource center “focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5” by “disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country.” This is the place to go to learn more about the transformative Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children.
www.developingchild.harvard.edu
A website dedicated to dissemination information regarding the latest scientific innovations that impact young children and to providing intervention strategies and opportunities for community-based discussion leading to global transformation.
www.drdansiegel.com and www.mindsightinstitute.com
Access Dr. Siegel’s books and resources on his ideas of interpersonal neurobiology and mindsight.
Dr. Lynetta Willis, located in Athens, GA, has a therapy and coaching organization designed to help us create a life that is “filled with less stable misery and more joy and harmony.” Discover your unhealthy patterns and your triggers and start your own personal transformation with her program.
Dr. Ross Greene provides a hub of free resources on Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, including the ALSUP, the Problem-Solving Plan, and the Drilling and Plan B cheat sheets. The Walking Tour for Educators is also free but invaluable.
Sign up for Dr. Delahooke’s blog, take a course to supplement the book Beyond Behaviors, and read articles relating to helping children with behavioral challenges. A good place to begin is the article How Teachers Can Take a More Compassionate Approach to Behaviors (12/3/19).
The National Association for the Education of Young Children has resources, research, training and much more to promote high quality early education.
https://neufeldinstitute.org/#
The Neufeld Institute Foundation is built on the life’s work of Dr. Gordon Neufeld, a clinical psychiatrist who studies and practices centered on creating an attachment based, developmental approach to caring for children as an alternative to the cognitive-behavioral strategies and “medical disorder “ approaches so often used in schools. There are excellent and informative blogs and articles under the “Editorials” tab of this website.
https://www.optimalbrainintegration.com/
The Center for Optimal Brain Integration focuses on growing “human(e) beings” and offers coaching and consultation for trauma-informed care. This is also where one can get more information on the Trigger Stop: Sensory and Emotional Checkin app.
https://paradigmshifteducation.com/category/podcasts/
Learn more about the paradigm shift to trauma-informed practice through the podcast of Matthew Portell as he speaks to other leaders in the field.
http://revelationsineducation.com/
Free resources from Dr. Lori DeSautels to help build social and emotionally competencies and to align classroom management practices with brain science. Educator Brain and Body Wellness Practices and Racial and Social Equity Resources are just two examples of what is included.
Alyssa Blask Campbell, M. Ed., is the founder of Seed and Sew and the co- creator with Lauren Stauble of the incredible Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP) system. She is dedicated to helping people raise emotionally intelligent human beings. She is a sleep expert, an emotional development expert, and a podcaster who makes a difference for parents and teachers. Her Voices of Your Village Podcast is a must-listen for any adults who live or work with “tiny humans.”
https://self-reg.ca/educators/
Free resources and access to fee-based courses based on Dr. Stuart Shanker’s revolutionary work on self-regulation.
“Starr Commonwealth is driven to empower professionals to build resilience in children families, and communities across the world through online education, in-person training and coaching, and direct behavioral health services.” This is a great resource for continuing education and certifications.
https://www.transformchallengingbehavior.com/home
Early childhood resources from Barb O’Neill, Ed. D., including a blog and a free yearly online conference that gathers many professionals together over a few days to provide exactly the kind of support and training that teachers need in classroom management.
On the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence website, read about research on social-emotional learning and emotion science, access training, and learn more about the RULER approach for developing five skills of emotional intelligence.