During my thirty-three years as a teacher educator, I often said, "If you take the time to understand a child, their behavior will make sense." The child I wanted to understand most lived inside of me. She went by the name of Jeannie until she turned ten. She was the bravest, spunkiest, most resilient of children!
I was an enigma to most adults, but precocious and likable. Maybe if they had understood the effects of trauma I would have made sense.
The help I have received during the past four years was not possible as a child-but it is possible now and that is why I wrote this book. No one could have possibly understood my needs, but now we have the necessary knowledge and skills to help traumatized children.
Helping hurting children requires a paradigm shift. Strategies are most effective when we understand the child;s perspective. That is what Jeannie brings to every reader! If you have read BRAVE: A Personal Story of Healing Childhood Trauma; the style of this book will not disappoint; no one writes books quite like I do! They almost defy description, but the following gives a glimpse! (Click on the cover to preorder! Available January 7, 2019.)
DESCRIPTION:
Jeannie, the resourceful and resilient child self of author Janyne McConnaughey takes center stage in this companion book to BRAVE: A personal Story of Healing Childhood Trauma. This second psychological memoir offers a literary adventure bringing insights into both child behavior and paths to healing. The author uses parts of her own story, her early-childhood expertise, storytelling ability, and the creative interweaving of her beloved childhood books to provide a lens for viewing behaviors of all children - but especially those who have suffered attachment wounding and trauma.
Jeannie's Brave Childhood will give hope to those who care for children who have experienced relational trauma and/or the deep wounds of broken attachment. The work involved in re-framing Jeannie's incorrect internalized childhood messages provides a path to healing, behavior change, forgiveness, growing faith, and rediscovering simple joys for both children and adults. The healing relationship between the author and her child self, Jeannie (a composite of several dissociated child selves), illustrates the dedication, trials, and triumphs inherent in developing the attachment relationship necessary for full healing.
PRAISE for JEANNIE'S BRAVE CHILDHOOD:
Janyne has a gift for taking us into her rabbit hole and helping us understand the challenges of healing from trauma. I strongly recommend this book to educators who wish to understand their students who may be dissociating in their class. Dissociation is a complicated and complex concept. Thanks to Janyne's transparent telling of her own story, dissociation can be understood without needing a psychology degree.
~Dr. Melissa Sadin, Executive Director of Ducks & Lions, Program Director of Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools, and Author: Teachers Guide to Trauma.