Authentic Dialogue with Persons Who Are Developmentally Disabled : Sad Without Tears
ISBN: 9781846429521
Platform/Publisher: Ebook Central / Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Digital rights: Users: Unlimited; Printing: Limited; Download: 7 Days at a Time
Subjects: Social Science; Health;

It has often been assumed that people with developmental disabilities are incapable of expressing or acquiring the level of emotional insight and sensitivity necessary to engage in any kind of therapy. Authentic Dialogue with Persons who are Developmentally Disabled explodes this myth, challenging mental health professionals and families to engage in genuine dialogue with people who are developmentally disabled.

Rather than avoiding painful topics, such as awareness of the loss of a normal life, this book shows it is possible to confront these difficult and emotive issues within a therapeutic environment. The author, Jennifer Hill, follows the progress of several developmentally disabled individuals who participated in her group psychotherapy sessions over the course of several months and were able to discuss their feelings of sorrow, grief, jealousy and joy with the group. Offering rare insight into what it means to have a developmental disability from the perspective of those with the condition, Hill suggests a hopeful alternative to many of the programs currently on offer to the developmentally disabled.

Thought-provoking and refreshing, this book will be of interest to social workers, psychologists, and educators in the fields of developmental disability and mental health, as well as families of individuals with developmental disabilities.

Jennifer Hill worked in the field of developmental disabilities for over 20 years before going on to work in aboriginal communities with trauma victims and establishing a private psychotherapy practice. She is currently completing a PhD in Sociology at the University of British Columbia. She has received two awards from the university for outstanding scholarship: the Jean Jure Scholarship and the Henry Maas Memorial Scholarship. Jennifer is also a director for the Who Minds the Child? Media Education Society which promotes the healthy development of children. She lives in the Okanagan Valley in Kelowna in British Columbia, Canada with her husband, Marc Brillinger, and cat, Sylvester.

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