Adolescent Self-Injury: A Comprehensive Guide for Counselors and Health Care Professionals

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 7
Preface......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 19
Part I. The Nature and Paradox of Self-Injury......Page 21
CH$CHAPTER 1 Introduction: Self-Injury on the Frontlines......Page 23
Self-Injury: A New Symptom for Our Time......Page 25
Self-Injury in the Public Eye......Page 28
The Problem for Frontline Professionals......Page 30
Summary and Conclusion......Page 36
A Working Definition......Page 39
What Constitutes Self-Injury?......Page 41
Sociocultural Contributing Factors......Page 50
The Voice of Pain......Page 54
Summary and Conclusion......Page 56
CH$CHAPTER 3 The Experience of Trauma and the Foundations for Self-Injury......Page 59
Trauma as the Developmental Cornerstone for Self-Injury......Page 61
Rethinking the Notion of Trauma......Page 64
Summary and Conclusion......Page 76
CH$CHAPTER 4 The Developmental Effects of Complex Trauma......Page 77
Trauma and Self Injury......Page 78
Biology......Page 81
Affect Regulation......Page 82
Dissociation......Page 83
Behavioral Control......Page 84
Cognition......Page 88
Self-Concept......Page 89
Summary and Conclusion......Page 91
CH$CHAPTER 5 The Phenomenology of Self-Injury:\rThe Attempt to Turn Pain Into Self-Healing......Page 93
The Psychological Functions of Self-Injury......Page 95
Summary and Conclusion......Page 107
Part II. Engagement, Assessment, and Treatment......Page 109
CH$CHAPTER 6 Engaging the Self-Injurer: Making Contact\rWith the Person Behind the Behavior......Page 111
Roles for the Frontline Responder......Page 113
The Primacy of Relationship......Page 116
Appreciating the Wisdom of Resistance......Page 121
What to Expect When Engaging Self-Injurers......Page 124
Establishing and Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries......Page 129
Avoiding Unhelpful Responses and Developing\ra Posture of Care......Page 132
Summary and Conclusion......Page 138
CH$CHAPTER 7 Assessing Self-Injury and the Self-Injurious\rAdolescent......Page 139
Making First Contact......Page 142
Conducting a Comprehensive Assessment......Page 148
Summary and Conclusion......Page 165
CH$CHAPTER 8 From Self-Injury to Health: An Overview\rof the Treatment Process......Page 167
Developmentally Responsive Treatment......Page 170
The Intangibles of Treatment......Page 191
Summary and Conclusion......Page 192
Part III. Creating Pathways to Care......Page 195
CH$CHAPTER 9 Managing Self-Injury in the School and on the College Campus......Page 197
Self-Injurers’ Pathways to Care......Page 198
Core Components of Response Protocols for Self-Injury......Page 201
The Problem of Contagion......Page 211
On the Necessity of Teamwork......Page 214
Summary and Conclusion......Page 215
CH$CHAPTER 10 Epilogue: A Voice of Hope in the Face of Suffering......Page 217
Appendix I: Bill of Rights for People Who Self-Harm......Page 221
Appendix II: Recommended Further Reading......Page 224
Appendix III: Internet Resources......Page 226
References......Page 227
Index......Page 237