Self-Soothing: Coping with Everyday and Extraordinary Stress

Stress is a major factor in many of our lives, and can be present throughout the life span. The ability to self-soothe, to clear one's mind and relax, is vital to our emotional well-being and to the developmental well-being of children. This versatile manual provides a range of techniques and exercises that can be used by anyone, from children who have experienced trauma or unstable home lives to the parents struggling to care for them, and from members of the emergency services to any...
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Stress is a major factor in many of our lives, and can be present throughout the life span. The ability to self-soothe, to clear one's mind and relax, is vital to our emotional well-being and to the developmental well-being of children. This versatile manual provides a range of techniques and exercises that can be used by anyone, from children who have experienced trauma or unstable home lives to the parents struggling to care for them, and from members of the emergency services to any workers at risk of experiencing secondary post-traumatic stress disorder. Each chapter provides background information to enable the trainer to enhance participants' understanding of the nature of stress and how these techniques can help. The book explores a range of exercises that can be used at any time to induce relaxation and avoid the consequences, both physiological and psychological, of chronic stress. Research suggests that children respond better when they are taught by a primary caregiver rather than by a professional, and, when trying to reach this vulnerable group, the manual is designed for use with parents, foster parents or adoptive parents, who can then pass on the knowledge they have gained to the children in their care, teaching them vital relaxation skills that may serve them for the rest of their lives.