I have been impressed by Richard Bromfield's Doing Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. In chapter one, the way he encourages the new therapist to keep an open mind, a flexible mind, to take in every clue that they observe and feel, was inspiring to me. It also made me want to read Frederick Allen's chapter about the importance of first meetings of children and parents in Child Psychology, a book edited by Mary Haworth that includes writings of Anna Freud, Melanie Klein and other luminaries.
I also really enjoyed reading Kendall's chapter one on CBT for children. It had lots of ideas which I feel could be equally useful for adults. From working with adults with substance misuse, I could see how so many who had high ACEs had social learning deficits from a lack of proper parenting in childhood. I don't feel so comfortable with the overuse of "treating children's disorders". I feel that trauma should always be explored. There is too much emphasis on the child's personality and not the pain that results in the disorder.
That said I relished the video of Nadine Burke Harris and her description of her book, The Deepest Well. It is so refreshing to hear expertise on ACEs and her suggestions of interrupting them. I was fascinated by the studies she mentions. I appreciated her humility in sharing that she herself has experienced ACEs and her specific remedies: meditation, mindfulness, a healthy diet, exercise and connection, not to mention nurturing relationships. I look forward to reading her book.