Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress provides clinicians with the information and tools they need to assess and treat children and young people who have experienced trauma. When negative experiences outweigh positive ones, an individual's adaptive mechanisms, both biological and psychological, may be impaired, and this allostatic load has a physiological impact that results in the behaviors and emotional and cognitive challenges found in children who have been traumatized. The editor has assembled a roster of contributors who are not only experts in the field but also advocates for youthful survivors of trauma. The first half of the book focuses on assessment and treatment, emphasizing that the population with posttraumatic stress disorder is highly diverse in terms of presentation and target symptoms and that comorbidities are the norm rather than the exception. Current treatments are explored, from the mainstream, such as psychotherapy, to the alternative, such as mindfulness and yoga. Finally, associated clinical issues, such as substance use and sleep disorders, are addressed, and the book concludes with chapters addressing systems of care, including full-spectrum and integrated models.

Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress is a comprehensive and compassionate guide for mental health clinicians, primary care physicians, psychotherapists, teachers, and other professionals who care about the vulnerable and traumatized children and youth among us.

A cogent, caring, and comprehensive response to the reality that many children live lives of constant threat, fear, and confusion while lacking opportunities for positive social interactions, stimulation, and empowerment.