Treating Self-Injury, First Edition: A Practical Guide [Paperback]

"Finally there is a book that integrates the most current research in the field of self-injury with useful clinical approaches. Walsh's expertise as a researcher and clinician shines in his sensible approach to an often misunderstood and difficult topic. Through the use of case examples, research, and practical exercises, this book provides professionals with a thorough understanding of self-injury and its treatment."--Tracy Alderman, PhD, adjunct instructor, Chapman University-San Diego; author of The Scarred Soul: Understanding and Ending Self-Inflicted Violence

"Comprehensive and highly readable, this book provides what has long been needed--a thorough, compassionate, and practical guide to understanding, evaluating, and treating the complex and multifaceted behavior that is self-injury. Walsh's book is sure to become an invaluable and indispensable resource, required reading for anyone working with those who self-injure."--Caroline Kettlewell, author of Skin Game: A Memoir

"A pioneer in the field, Dr. Walsh has created a comprehensive guide to understanding and treating self-injury. His compilation of current research and his discussion of available treatment models are unparalleled. The steady rise in self-injurious behaviors makes it imperative that all clinicians be prepared to work with clients who utilize these unhealthy coping strategies. This book will be invaluable toward that end."--Wendy Lader, PhD, and Karen Conterio, Founders, S.A.F.E. Alternatives; authors of Bodily Harm: The Breakthrough Treatment Program for Self-Injurers

“Self-injury is an increasing challenge for schools and communities across the United States. Behaviors such as self-inflicted cutting, scratching, burning, hitting and excoriation of wounds are becoming a regular part of middle school, high school, and college life. Walsh provides a scholarly summary of what is known and what needs to be known to address this intense social challenge. Offering a needed perspective, the text integrates current definitions and assessment practices and summarizes the array of clinical strategies being used to address self-injury.”--Robert H. Horner, PhD, Area of Special Education, University of Oregon

"This is one of the first books to describe a cognitive-behavioral perspective on deliberate self-injury. Setting the standard for other texts that might follow, it covers an important and challenging area for clinicians. Graduate students and front-line mental health professionals will profit greatly from the compassionate approach offered by Walsh in this book."--Dean McKay, PhD, Department of Psychology, Fordham University

"Treating Self-Injury offers mental health practitioners the ultimate practice guidelines for giving competent care to those who engage in these extreme coping behaviors. This is no band-aid treatise: Walsh delivers a wise and thoughtful set of directives for reaching those who self-harm. He clearly defines their dynamics and constructs an assessment and treatment strategy that is sound and empirically based. This book deserves every clinician’s attention."--Alan L. Berman, PhD, Executive Director, American Association of Suicidology

"Walsh's book will be both in my reading list for students and in practical material I distribute....Through a range of case studies as well as sections on defining and contextualizing self-injury, assessment and treatment, and specialized topics ('contagion,' school-based injuring, and major self-injury relating to severe mental illness), Walsh provides a set of therapeutic tools useful for any clinician encountering self-injury."--Journal of Mental Health

"For many reasons, this is a welcome addition to the literature on the management of self-injurious behaviors (SIB). Most compellingly, it delivers what it says on the book cover: it is a practical guide. The voice of a wise and experienced clinician is apparent throughout, and this will be particularly reassuring to, and welcomed by, practitioners who are relatively inexperienced in working with self-injury....Walsh's writing is particularly fluent and he has made a sometimes repellant subject engaging and readable, while never appearing voyeuristic or sensational. He manages never to present information in such a shocking way as to alienate the reader and seems sensitive to his audience's capacity to tolerate horror and respectful of patients whom he discusses....this text will be invaluable for any practitioner who works with patients who self-injure; the novice will be informed of key issues to guide his practice and the more experienced practitioner is sure to learn from the wealth of experience and knowledge that Walsh shares. I am glad to have read it and would confidently recommend it to others."--Journal of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy