Childhood Psychology

Raising empathetic and unselfish young people in today’s “all about me” world might seem impossible, but parents can take meaningful action to protect children from these harmful influences. Written by a psychologist with decades of clinical experience, Childhood Narcissism: Strategies to Raise Unselfish, Unentitled, and Empathetic Children explains how selfish, entitled behavior can take root in a child and shows parents how to stop it before it’s too late.

Time doesn’t heal trauma — it buries it alive. If you’ve ever felt hypervigilant no matter how safe you are, battled an inner critic that never sleeps, or longed for intimacy yet found it unsafe — you are not broken. These patterns aren’t weakness or flaws. They are survival strategies that once protected you but now keep you trapped. You don’t need more surface fixes — you need a full-system reset. Most recovery approaches treat only one layer.

In Free to Learn, developmental psychologist Peter Gray argues that in order to foster children who will thrive in today’s constantly changing world, we must entrust them to steer their own learning and development. Drawing on evidence from anthropology, psychology, and history, he demonstrates that free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers, and become emotionally resilient.

This enduring classic of educational thought offers teachers and parents deep, original insight into the nature of early learning. John Holt was the first to make clear that, for small children, "learning is as natural as breathing." In this delightful yet profound book, he looks at how we learn to talk, to read, to count, and to reason, and how we can nurture and encourage these natural abilities in our children.

If you’re struggling with unresolved childhood trauma, reconnecting with your vulnerable inner child can unlock profound healing and set the stage for profound personal growth. Written by an expert in childhood trauma, this gentle guide presents an integrative approach that merges inner child work with self-compassion techniques to help you “reparent” the wounded aspects of yourself that were lost, frozen in time, or traumatized—so you can start moving toward the life you were meant to live.

Two-thirds of us have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, or ACE, such as abuse, neglect, parental substance dependence, or mental illness. Even though these events may have occurred long ago, they have the power to haunt us long into adulthood, and now we have found that they may even contribute to lifelong illness. Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, the founder/CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness and recipient of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award, expands on similar topics as in her popular TED talk.

An essential guide for parents and caregivers, this book offers insights, strategies, and understanding to navigate middle childhood (ages 6-12). Dr. Sheryl Gonzalez Ziegler, a seasoned clinical psychologist and mother, highlights ways to foster resilience, encourage open communication, and build lasting connections during this crucial period.

Growing up in a home where there is addiction or relationship trauma puts a child at great risk for long-term, post-traumatic stress effects that adversely compromise adult relationships. Best-selling author, psychologist, and psychodramatist Tian Dayton examines this trauma through an exploration of the way the brain and body process frightening or painful emotions and experiences in childhood.

Few of us are immune to the ideas we absorbed as children. We learned how to get approval or disapproval by creating the kinds of selves who would fit in and succeed with the "right" jobs, relationships, possessions, and so on. Even if we rebel against these ingrained notions by going in the opposite direction, we are still controlled by them. Either way, as adults we are often left feeling anxious or depressed because who we really are has been ignored.

Les parents sont souvent dépourvus dans leur quotidien pour intégrer le respect dans la relation éducative. Écrit par une spécialiste du sujet qui est également mère de 5 enfants, ce livre apporte une vision nouvelle, réaliste et applicable de la relation parent-enfant et propose des moyens concrets pour vivre une relation de plaisir, d'amour, de paix et de respect réciproque avec les jeunes.

My latest book is a guide for psychotherapists and other helpers to learn my multidimensional approach to effectively treating the childhood trauma that is commonly at the roots of Complex PTSD. It can deeply aid therapists to mend the damage and arrested development that survivors experienced as traumatized children in the "care" of abusive and/or neglectful parents or other caretakers.

Childhood adversity that is severe enough to be harmful throughout life is one of the biggest public health issues of our time, yet health care systems struggle to even acknowledge the problem. In Damaged, Dr. Robert Maunder and Dr. Jonathan Hunter call for a radical change, arguing that the medical system needs to be not only more compassionate but more effective at recognizing that trauma impacts everybody's health, from patient to practitioner.

The difference that being female makes to the diagnosis, life and experiences of an autistic person is hugely significant. In this second edition, Sarah Hendrickx combines the latest research with personal stories from girls and women on the autism spectrum to present a picture of their feelings, thoughts and experiences at each stage of their lives. Outlining the likely impact will be for autistic women and girls throughout their lifespan, Hendrickx surveys everything from diagnosis, childhood, education, adolescence, friendships and sexuality, to employment, pregnancy, parenting, and aging.

The NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) is an integrated mind-body framework that focuses on relational, attachment, developmental, cultural, and intergenerational trauma. NARM helps clients resolve C-PTSD, recover from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and facilitate post-traumatic growth.

Community leaders and activists Gómez and Arroyo worked with children, teenagers, and parents - both the victims and the bullies - to put together this searing anthology of original essays, poetry, plays, and commentary on how bullying has affected their lives.

Are You Still Carrying the Pain of a Wounded Childhood? It’s Time to Set Yourself Free. Healing Your Inner Child isn’t another feel-good self-help book that promises quick fixes. It’s a proven roadmap to emotional freedom for adults who are exhausted from carrying childhood wounds into every relationship, career decision, and moment of self-doubt. Richard Banks has guided countless people through this transformation, and now he’s sharing 15 years of breakthrough inner child work into a system that actually works.

The path to the future is connected to the past. Only when you heal, your hurts will you be able to move forward and connect with your true self. If you struggle with self-doubt or anxiety and find it difficult to embrace new experiences, there’s a high chance that your inner child is crying out for help. That child is no stranger. That child is you, and their experiences are still shaping the ones you have today.

Shame is one of the most destructive of human emotions. If you suffered childhood physical or sexual abuse, you may experience such intense feelings of shame that it almost seems to define you as a person. In order to begin healing, it's important for you to know that it wasn't your fault. In this gentle guide, therapist and childhood abuse expert Beverly Engel presents a mindfulness and compassion-based therapeutic approach to help you overcome the debilitating shame that keeps you tied to the past.

Edward M. Hallowell, MD, father of three and a clinical psychiatrist, has thought long and hard about what makes children feel good about themselves and the world they live in. Now, in The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness, he shares his findings with all of us who care about children. We don't need statistical studies or complicated expert opinions to raise children. What we do need is love, wonder, and the confidence to trust our instincts.

Con claridad y comprensión Anamar Orihuela define las heridas que nos mortifican y agobian mientras crecemos. También nos enseña a sanarlas, tener seguridad y vivir en confianza y armonía. De Anamar Orihuela, autora del bestseller Hambre de hombre. Un libro que despeja el camino para lograr una vida feliz, plena, sin culpas ni complejos. La clave: aliviar el dolor de nuestro niño interior y sanar las heridas que nuestros padres y las circunstancias dejaron en nuestra vida.