A WESTON-based author has written a book designed to help parents and their adoptive children come to terms with their emotions.
Nikki Linfield, a DDP therapist, saw her book being published in July 2022 and hopes that it will help families learn how to talk about emotions, as well as give parents and other therapists an insight into how challenging behaviours can often be a mask for underlying trauma.
The story follows the narration of a little grey fox, who has to move home and change families.
He finds his red fox family, who makes him feel accepted and helps him move through his feelings of shame from not belonging.
Nikki says: "The idea for this book took root when I was asked by an adoptive mum where she could find a 'feelings' story to read with her child to help with intense feelings of shame."
When Nikki approached her DDP consultant for advice, he told her to consider writing one.
Nikki continues: "I recalled how this particular child had an interest in nature, and how he once talked about seeing a fox in the garden.
"My hope grew that parent-child dyads could see in a fox story how to identify big feelings and co-regulate them at home with PACE, much as we do in sessions.
"A talented young artist friend (Bettine Harris) from Axbridge Somerset who is currently training with the British sailing team in Spain visualized the story magnificently, and we had a finished book."
Robert Spottswood, a USA-based consultant in DDP, reviewed the book. He said: "It is written from the heart, using many DDP lessons about the shame young children can feel during their ego-centred early life, when both good things and bad things seem certain to be caused by their own existence.
"When Little Grey Fox is adopted into another fox-family best able to care for him, he still has no emotional vocabulary. He still has had no modelling of story-telling, or how to express his inner thoughts and feelings.
"Little Grey Fox finds his words, shares his feelings directly, hears new meanings, and relaxes into being cared for - a successfully dependent little fox kit at last!"
Please Contact Nikki on nikkilinfield@yahoo.co.uk to purchase the book.
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