Abstract

Caleb invites you on a journey to learn about attachment and trauma in this interactive story and workbook intended for children and the adults who support them.

Caleb shares his own story about healing from his difficult early experiences, and encourages readers to join him in sharing their stories and completing the healing activities included in the book. Caleb's Healing Story identifies the common challenges that children who have experienced attachment or trauma issues will encounter and offers easy to use interventions in the form of activities and worksheets.

Fully illustrated, it is suitable for children aged 5-14, as well as their family, friends and those working with children who present with these issues. It is the ideal companion to A Safe Place for Caleb, by the same author, which outlines theories, definitions and strategies for addressing attachment and trauma-related disorders.

I like the personal stories of the children and how they responded to difficult life stresses. I like how Chara and Lehner incorporated the practical hands-on ways of working out the child's pain and grief. Both Chara and Lehner have a special gift with children.
Jeanette Vought, PhD, LP, LMFT, LICSW, Author
Caleb's Healing Story is a helpful book for therapists helping children who have been adopted or are in foster care to recover from abuse and strained attachment. Through narrative approaches and visual strategies, Chara and Lehner have created a book that makes difficult-to-understand concepts clear and understandable, allowing children to better express themselves and make meaning of their own healing narrative. This book brings value, using it from cover to cover or pulling select chapters and worksheets to tailor treatment approaches as needed.
Sara Ranssi, LICSW, Mental Health Therapist
As a child therapist, I am often looking for resources when working with children with attachment struggles and disorders. This book by Dr. Chara and Ms. Lehner is a gift for therapists working with this population. The book is narrated by Caleb, an adult looking back and reflecting on his story and experiences as a child. He encourages the child reader and therapist-guide to join him in bearing witness to his own experiences and then having the child identify his or her own experiences. This gentle and healing approach will be appreciated by therapists and their child clients. I'm grateful for this resource to enhance the healing work that I've been invited to do.
Alexis Greeves, LPCC, RPT-S, Vice President, Minnesota Association for Play Therapy
Caleb's Healing Story is a heart-warming and thought-provoking book. It follows a 'typical day' for Caleb and gently discusses issues such as lying, stealing, anger and stress, in an easy-to-understand way and from a child's perspective. When completed at the appropriate time in a child's journey, this book and associated activities could prove to be extremely helpful.
Jennifer Jones, Inspired Foundations, www.inspiredfoundations.co.uk

Kathleen A. Chara Ph.D. has a doctorate in family psychology, teaches full-time for Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA, and maintains a private psychological practice. She has experience working with children and families in therapeutic and forensic settings. She has been a licensed professional since 1991.
Tasha A. Lehner M.A. has a master's degree in Counseling and Psychological Services. She has experience working with children, teens, adults, and families with trauma related issues. She specializes in Experiential Play Therapy for younger children with severe trauma experiences.

Children that arrive in the adoptive family with early "hurts" need help healing. These youngsters fair better when they have the opportunity to process their experiences and their grief. Caleb, who we had the opportunity to meet in A Safe Place for Caleb, returns in Caleb's Healing Story to share the types of topics and interventions that helped him deal with his losses and join his adoptive family, the Smiths. We learn how Caleb's loss of birth family affects his day-to-day life. We gain the insight needed to initiate conversation about difficult stuff! An abundance of worksheets and activities are interwoven with the content of Caleb's story! So, we are also given practical tools to help boys and girls - like Caleb - cope and flourish! If you seek ideas about helping children to develop positive self-talk, manage triggers, improve their behavior, express their feelings, see their successes, see themselves as happier kids at home and at school - and much more - this is the workbook for you! Ideas to help parents balance the challenges a traumatized adoptee can present with their own emotional well-being conclude the workbook. Thus, the book becomes a complete resource for facilitating strong connections among all members of the adoptive family! I do recommend reading and using this workbook to help facilitate attachment in adoptive families!
Arleta M. James, LPCC, Founder and Director, Adoption & Attachment Therapy Partners LLC