Healing the Hurt Child by Deborah McIntyre, Denis M. Donovan (1990, Hardcover)

I decided to buy this book because I am a foster parent. We have a teen child living with us who struggles with some past hurts and problems. I have a social work back ground although it is more on the other end of the spectrum, I have mostly worked with the aged. So this child and experience is one I needed a little help in understanding. This book breaks down childhood pain, hurts, and abuse in a way that is much different than most text books have done. They have found a way to explain it in plainer English and in practical ways and have shown the reader how to apply it to any particular counseling session or in this case life lessons. I have found it quite helpful in understanding the layers of effect abuse and neglect or poor parenting have on a child and how the child expresses themself. Although I highly recommend this book to anyone in the psychosocial field doing work with kids, this is not a read for lay people without any training or back ground in either social work or counseling. It has been quite helpful to me, I recommend it for any student of the field as a wonderful insightful text.