This volume offers rich and detailed illustrations of the complex emotional needs of the children and parents in vulnerable families. The chapters also highlight the psychological toll that working with at risk groups takes on therapists and others charged with providing care for children and families whose internal worlds are often fragile and external worlds are often dangerous and chaotic. Above all, the contributions, whether taken together or individually make it abundantly clear that short-term solutions are simply not possible for adults or children who have been traumatized many times over. They also underscore the need for those working with traumatized groups to protect themselves from psychological exhaustion in order to maintain the emotional vitality that is necessary for effective work.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy.