Our Publications
Our publications
Caroline Penney (2018 )
The Parenting Toolkit : Simple Steps to Happy and Confident Children.
Hawthorn Press
THE parenting manual everyone should have
Many parents tell me that they wish that had been given an instruction manual when they had a baby. Many of us felt completely unprepared for parenthood at first and had to ‘make it up as we go along.’ The Parents’ Toolkit is that manual we all wish we’d had.
The Parents’ Toolkit is based on how I have helped hundreds of families in my practice as a family therapist, on the latest research in the area, and on my own experience as the mother of three children. It is about becoming a reflective parent instead of just reacting to situations as they happen. It is about making the often-small changes in how you relate to your child, that can result in dramatic transformations in your family life.
The book is illustrated throughout with beautiful pictures by the painter, printer and illustrator Kate Hajducka.
Buy your copy now
The Parenting Toolkit is available as a fully illustrated, easy to read, hardback book. The sturdy design means you will be able to keep it for years and you will find yourself referring to it over and over again as your children and grandchildren develop.
The Parenting Toolkit can be purchased direct online from:
and from Blackwells book shops.
The Parenting Toolkit uses the secrets that family therapists know to get underneath problems and unlock what is causing them … In clear, simple and friendly language, she helps you understand, and overcome, these hurdles.’ —Steve Biddulph, author of “Raising Boys” and “10 Things Girls Need Most”
‘An out of the ordinary parenting book which combines practical know-how with deep psychological knowledge. Writing with a deceptive lightness of touch, Caroline Penney helps us to understand the reasons why both parents and children behave as they do. A very welcome book.’ — Dr Sue Gerhardt, author of “Why Love Matters”
Deirdre Dowling (2019)
An Independent Practitioner's Introduction to Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Playing with Ideas. Routledge, London
An Independent Practitioner's Introduction to Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Playing with Ideas
is a comprehensive guide to child and adolescent psychotherapy, taking the practitioner from the initial meeting through the therapeutic process with young people of different ages, to the ending of psychotherapy. It includes approaches to working with parents and the family, introduces theoretical ideas simply and provides references for further learning.
Part of the popular Independent Psychoanalytic Approaches series, this book is written from an Independent perspective, but it is also an account of Deirdre Dowling’s approach, developed from her considerable experience of working in the NHS and now as a private practitioner.
An Independent Practitioner's Introduction to Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy will be an indispensable guide for child psychotherapists (especially trainees), colleagues working in child and family mental health settings, play therapists, counsellors and support staff in schools and child care professionals working therapeutically in residential and community settings.
"This is a remarkable book, describing the process of child and adolescent psychotherapy in clear and vivid detail, and is compelling to read. At a time when manuals on various kinds of therapy are required, this book is essential, enriched with compassion, patience and humour. The title ‘Playing with Ideas’ shows Deirdre Dowling’s own way of making a creative space with patients, but play is not trivial, it includes dealing with ‘the complexity of the body and mind, and our natural resistance to exploring painful issues and facing change’; the painful feelings of both therapist and patient and how these are managed are described. The book is rich in examples of the history of child and adolescent psychotherapy, in vignettes from stories and films illustrating emotions, and in moving case examples from patients.
Deirdre Dowling is honest and generous in describing her own emotions in working with distressed children and young people. This book should be read by anyone who wants to work as a therapist with such children- it is realistic about the effort, but inspiring about its effect. Teachers, social workers and doctors will also feel they understand better the children and young people in their care."
Dilys Daws, Honorary Consultant Child Psychotherapist, Tavistock Clinic, Adviser to the Association for Infant Mental Health-UK, Author of ‘Through the Night: helping parents and sleepless infants’ (1993) and ‘Finding Your Way With Your Baby: the emotional life of parents and babies’ with Alexandria de Rementeria (2015)
