Press reviews for: A Safe Place for Caleb
ChildrenNow
A Safe Place for Caleb is a comprehensive and richly illustrated resource for individuals of all ages who are dealing with attachment problems. This book is an imaginative guide for professionals and parents, and is easily accessible for readers of all ages, even young children.
ChildRight
A Safe Place for Caleb is an interactive book with rich illustrations for all ages. It aims to help people who are dealing with attachment problems and aid understanding into such conditions. The book is split into two halves: the first is an interactive story following the experiences of a young boy named Caleb as he encounters difficulties forming healthy relationships and the second half presents current scientific thoughts and research on the issue. This is a unique and imaginative publication, which would be of use to professionals as well as individuals.
Adoption-Net, Aug 2005
As an adoptive parent whose daughter had the potential to develop attachment problems I was very pleased to be given this book to review. The book provides a framework for addressing issues with attachment, grief and loss of early trauma, or Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). The method that the book describes is a well thought through and to a layperson with limited knowledge such as me, seems a very practical way of dealing with these problems. The story of Caleb takes the reader through the acknowledgement of Hurting Beliefs and Behaviours and how to turn them into Healing Beliefs and Behaviours using a set of tools such as the Safe Tree House. Hurting Beliefs can be illustrated by examples such as "this all happened because I am unlovable, bad, evil" which presents itself as a child who "doesn't show care and love to others". Many examples are then provided of Healing Beliefs such as "I am a good kid" and Healing Behaviours such as "I do to others as I would have them do to me". These ideas are not new or revolutionary but by putting them in a framework they become straightforward way of making lives better.
0-19 Magazine
The activities sections were...user-friendly and well-presented. There are many examples throughout the book, making it a good manual for any practitioner. The activities could be adapted to suit any age group, particularly the use of imagery and other cognitive techniques. The resource section would also be of use to professionals and others.
Children Now
This book, by Kathleen A Chara and Paul J Chara Jr, and illustrated by J M Berns, is aimed at professionals and parents who are dealing with children who have attachment problems. The first half of the book follows the experiences of a young boy, Caleb, who finds it difficult to form and sustain healthy relationships, and shows strategies that helps him to cope. The second half highlights attachment disorders, tools to assess them, and helpful organisations.