Psychotherapy of Abused and Neglected Children

“There is a thorough overview of attachment principles and the research literature to date....Pearce and Pezzot-Pearce present detailed, comprehensive parental and family assessment outlines as well as detailed child assessment formats that include a play assessment, psychological testing protocols, a child mental status exam, and a child attachment interview. Formulation of treatment plans, analysis of the treatment process, and termination principles are discussed in depth.”

—Families in Society


“This is an important, thorough and comprehensive book, a valuable addition to the literature on the treatment of abused and neglected children. Due to the rigor and quality of its bibliography and citations, this is also a valuable text for use in any graduate child psychopathology course where issues of abuse and neglect are part of the curriculum. Both graduate departments of psychology, and those psychiatric residency programs that promote psychotherapeutic as well as pharmacological treatment of children, will find this book very useful.”

—Child and Family Behavior Therapy


“This detailed volume is an important contribution for clinicians who find themselves trying to cope with the strong feelings and complex demands evoked by children who have been mistreated. As these youngsters continue to fill clinics, treatment centers, and psychiatric hospitals, this book will become an invaluable resource for those called on to treat them.”

—Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic (on previous edition)


“This revised edition provides a much-needed resource for the classroom. Practical strategies for assessing and intervening with children who have experienced maltreatment are based on a sound theoretical framework. The authors' depth of clinical experience is communicated with clear, credible examples. This book is particularly valuable for master's-level students, and also is an important resource for practitioners already in the field.”

—Caroline L. Burry, PhD, University of Maryland, Baltimore


“This second edition provides an exceptionally insightful integration of the conceptual foundations and practical strategies for clinical work with abused children and their families. The authors translate the concepts and research findings of developmental psychopathology into rich case formulations and comprehensive guidelines for clinical practice. Grounded in attachment theory, the book provides an up-to-date, detailed roadmap for addressing the multiple challenges and systems involved in psychotherapy with maltreated children. This book will be of high interest to both beginning and experienced therapists across a wide range of disciplines. There is no book that better combines the knowledge base underlying maltreatment with the nuts and bolts of clinical practice.”

—Eric J. Mash, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University; Department of Psychology (Emeritus), University of Calgary, Canada


“This is a highly intelligent book, densely packed with everything a therapist needs to know to understand and care for maltreated children. It’s got it all: the research, the theory, and the most up-to-date treatment recommendations. If you were going to buy only one book on therapy for child abuse, this would be the one. If you have a whole study full of books, this one belongs on your center shelf, because it’s the one you’ll be consulting the most. For all its substantial intellectual wisdom, this remains an extremely human book. Case histories and quotes from maltreated children and their families are generously spread throughout the chapters. I will absolutely use this book in graduate classes on trauma and child abuse.”

—Lisa Fontes, PhD, Senior Lecturer II, University Without Walls at the University of Massachusetts Amherst