I Survived the APT Conference!

I went to the Association for Play Therapy Conference in Atlanta, GA last week. What a blast! I enjoyed several workshops, and lots of toy shopping. I even visited the Self Esteem Shop to find my book, Sam Feels Better Now: An Interactive Story for Children, sitting on the shelf. I met with colleagues, friends, and speakers. It reminded me of what I love about APT and play therapy.

Highlights of the conference included a plenary speaker, Dr. Eliana Gil who shared her journey to play therapy, the new Leadership Academy Graduates, and the presentation of the Key Awards, including, APT Service Award , Lifetime Achievement Award, Professional Education & Training Award , Public Education & Promotion Award, Research Award, and Student Research Award.

I was recently encouraged to check out by book, Sam Feels Better Now! An Interactive Story for Children, on Google Book Search. I found it adds a nice interactive component for my book. Check out the imbed at the bottom of my blog, and you can view an excerpt from my book!

Today's guest is Theresa Fraser, Author of "Billy Had to Move," a story about a boy in foster care who goes to therapy following the death of his grandmother. 

Theresa Fraser has worked in Children’s Mental Health in Canada since 1983. She has supported children in her role as a Child and Youth Worker, Therapeutic Foster Parent, Foster parent resource worker and now Therapist. She is the Manager of Clinical Services at Branching Out a Play therapy resource program in Ontario, Canada. www.branchingout1.com.

 She is a part time Professor at Mohawk College in a Child and Youth Worker Program.    Theresa’s first book is entitled Billy had to move and she hopes to publish other bibliotherapy books that will help children in the future. 

Theresa and her husband have fostered children over the last twenty years. They have six children ranging in age from 20 – 7 years of age.  

What age group is Billy had to move geared for?

Though Billy is seven in the story, this book is geared for children 7 and up who may have had or are experiencing loss, foster care or beginning therapy.

I have read Billy to older children who could relate to Billy’s worries about getting into trouble or knowing how to tie his shoes. Recently, I was present when a developmentally delayed 11 year old was told that she was moving into a new foster home and she loved receiving her own copy of Billy Had to Move.

Through her tears, she verbalized that he was scared too and “  it turned out good for Billy so maybe it will be ok for me”.

What inspired you to write it?

Billy was one of many stories that I have used with children during therapy to help normalize their feelings.  Many of these stories contain themes that are so common for children that I and many other Child Therapists work with.

How did you decide to pursue writing?

I have always expressed myself with words. As a child and teen I won poetry competitions and had poetry published in a national newspaper.

I knew I would write fiction as an adult however, to be honest I didn’t think of publishing my children’s stories until I received encouragement from a colleague at an International Play Therapy Study group.

What other projects have you written or are working on?

I am told that an article I submitted to a journal will be published in the fall. Though I have many other stories, I would like to have a story about adoption published in the future.

I also regularly contribute articles to a Canadian Play Therapy magazine entitled, Playground. This magazine is circulated three times a year to therapists across Canada.

How can therapists and caregivers use this book?

This book can be read in it’s entirety over a few reading opportunities or pieces that are applicable can be pulled out. It is not a quick read for sure and time should also be provided to help debrief with the child if any parts of the story were triggering or cathartic.

Given there are a few themes identified, it is a story that can support a child who has experienced disenfranchised loss arising from a missing parent or loss via death. Anxiety symptoms are also labeled which can be helpful for caregivers who have a child who is struggling with utilizing healthy coping strategies. It can also assist children who are beginning therapy as the concepts of confidentiality and treatment goals are introduced at the end of the story.

What advice do you have for therapists and caregivers who work with foster children?

I am not sure I would give advice to be honest. I think that generally foster parents know their foster children the best and can be the least acknowledged member of the treatment team.

Organizations like the Foster Family Treatment Association do much to provide treatment foster parents with:

·    training at a yearly conference

·    participate in national and local Child welfare coalitions and public policy committees

·    help to advocate to define the treatment foster care model and  for increased standards of care across the United States

I believe in foster care and have seen many success stories.

In North America there are also regular foster home placements and these foster families work hard to meet the day to day needs of children - often with less supports than treatment foster parents.

I have noted an internet link for the FFTA for your readers as I truly respect the work that they are contributing to support foster care service provision.

I have also noted a link that your readers could utilize to hear the stories of teens and young adults who have grown up in foster care as well as Foster care workers and foster parents. Their stories cannot be easily forgotten and are each less than three minutes long.

How does being a foster parent impact your clinical work?

My experiences impact my work every day whether I am working with a foster child, a foster family, bio or adopted family or facilitating a foster parent training.

I know what it is like to watch your foster child get over the top anxious about a visit and drive an hour to be stood up by their mom or dad. I also know how important it is to honor birth parents for children who may not even remember what they look like.

Also, it is important to remember that  no matter what has happened to disrupt that child being able to live or visit with their biological parents, it is important to honor their presence or past presence in the child’s life.

I also know how hard it is to be a foster parent. Your life, your home, your decisions are always under a microscope. You often fight the old prejudices that have occurred because there have been kids abused or neglected in foster care.

I like to refer to foster parents as the Primary Clinician,  and I think that if they are not supported to be in this role, we are wasting lots of therapeutic time that is spent with the child in  need on a daily basis. As a therapist I hope that I provide a healing space and opportunity for a child but I also want to support the person who is working with the child the most to develop a therapeutic rapport. They create many more therapeutic moments than I ever could in my one hour of service provision a week.

Understanding the challenges and gifts of being not only a foster parent but also a foster family helps we to be more mindful that I am only one part of the child’s treatment team and we all know the old adage, it takes a village to raise a child.

So I guess I would like to add that I believe the story of Billy reinforces this concept of teamwork by the way the many helpers in this story are not only introduced but also work together to help the child.

Thanks Jill for inviting me to participate in this interview.  Your readers are welcome to visit my web page or send me an email if they have any further questions or comments. I appreciate the opportunity to share my passion about my work and this book.

Coming soon! New guests including Robin Marvel, Dr. Barbara Sinor, Theresa Fraser,  Fr. Heyward B. Ewart, III, PhD. and more...

 About AnnaMarie

AnnaMarie Squailia homeschooled her children for eight years and made reading an important part of that process. She knew through reading her children’s eyes would be open to the classics, and would help her children develop strong communications skills. AnnaMarie served as a youth pastor, an associate pastor, and a Girl Scout Leader for several years. Through her experiences with both her own children and the children she mentored, she saw a need to create interactive books that gave children a safe haven to share their thoughts and challenges. The Hidden Swan is the first in a series of books that encourage communication and builds self-confidence.

 Synopsis of "The Hidden Swan"

By using the story of the Ugly Duckling The Hidden Swan weaves self-help material into the questions and activities in the Character Building Section. There are both easy and hard questions and low cost activities, which makes them perfect for a wide age range.

The Hidden Swan helps builds the foundation of communication which every parent wants when their children reaches those turbulent teenage years.

Like every other skill, it takes practice. The Hidden Swan help adults start conversations with the children they love, helping them develop effective communication skills. After the Character Building Section, there is a section of possible answers to the questions. This acts like a springboard to help adults dive into a conversation with their children. Tough times require strong communication skills for all of us. 

What age/population is appropriate for your book?

6-9 years old

 What kinds of activities and topics are discussed in the book?

The topics discussed in the book are; Overcoming Loneliness, Being Brave, Being Responsible, Preventing Bullying, Recognizing Differences in Others, Self-Acceptance, and Surviving Hardships.

Below are three activities I have in the book.

Blindfold your mother or father and then lead them around your house. How are you responsible for them? How would you feel if someone was leading you around blindfolded and let you run into something?

Trace your child’s hand on a piece of paper two times. For the first tracing, have all of the fingers and the thumb spread out. This will look more like a turkey.  For the second tracing have the fingers together and the thumb spread out. This will look more like a swan.   Have your child color the spread out tracing as ugly as possible.  Have your child color the second one beautifully. Talk about how both are the same hand, but one looks ugly and one looks beautiful.  Discuss that what is inside is the most important, not how people see the outside.

Make a large flower out of construction paper. On each petal, write down one thing that makes you unique and special. Ask your friends and family members what they think makes you special and unique, and add those things to the flower petals. Put the flower on your bedroom door to remind you how special your really are.

 What was your inspiration for writing this book?

While I was homeschooling, I always looked for books that I could teach life events with the story. Not finding them, I would make up questions to ask my children. People would comment on how wonderful they were and would ask me for my secret. It was building the lines of communication with them.

I had always wanted to write a book but was afraid. One day I thought I am just going to do it no matter how scary it is. It was easy after I decided to do it.

Do you have another job besides writing? What is it?

 For the last 13 years, I have worked fulltime at a casino. Right now, I am in the  games department. I know how to deal most of the games in the club. I have also had an on-call job as well for those 13 years. I worked my fulltime job at night when the kids were sleeping. Then would home school them during the days. I gave up being a Girl Scout Leader when I started writing The Hidden Swan. The kids chose to go to high school so now I am just working my two jobs, promoting The Hidden Swan, and working on another book. I am asked a lot how I do it because I have also been a single mom for those 13 years. I tell people you can do anything you choose to do.

What other books or projects are you working on?

 I am so close to finishing my second book. I am expecting it to be ready in two months. I am looking for someone to do the cover. This one will be the Character Building Section for any Cinderella book. I wanted to have one that was low cost. If I am not paying for illustrations or a hard cover I can offer it for a lower price. It will be like a self-help (Cliff Notes) for Cinderella.  

Today's Guest is Karen Cioffi, co-author of Days End Lullaby.

Make sure you stop by Karen's blog and read my guest post!

Tell us about yourself and background as a writer:

Karen Cioffi and Robyn Feltman are advocates of education, reading and the environment.  Two of their favorite sayings are:

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained”

“You must be the change you want to see in the world”

I am an author and freelance writer.  I am also the creator and manager of Virtual Book Tours as well as co-moderator of a children’s critique group. I have two grown daughters and two very young grandsons.  Much of my days are spent learning my craft, researching and writing, and managing Virtual Book Tours. I am a member of SCBWI, and the Children’s Writing Coaching Club, where I do some of that ‘learnin.’  I live with my husband, Donald Ventrice, in New York City.

Robyn Feltman holds a masters degree in Children’s Literature and is an elementary public school teacher.  She is an initiator of environmental and humanitarian projects in her school; one of the projects is the Oambassador Program.  Author Feltman lives in New York City and recently finished her 2^nd masters degree in Administration/Supervision degree.  

Days End Lullaby Synopsis:

 “Your day’s been long and full of fun.  But, now you’re much too tired to run,” sings the parent to the child in the lullaby.  Day’s End Lullaby has lyrical and rhyming phrases along with a rhythmic flow.

I composed the poem and music over 30 years ago to help my first born fall asleep and continued to use it for my second child.  I saw positive results in singing it and now I sing it to my two young grandsons.  I reassure them, “The sun has set, it’s out of view.  The moon’s now shining bright for you.”

You can hear a little of the lullaby at the my website: Children’s Books by Karen and Robyn. 
Click on the audio link button on the bottom of the “About the Book” page.

Robyn Feltman and I wrote and illustrated Day’s End Lullaby as a loving book to comfort little ones and provide a sense of security at bedtime.  The simple and colorful illustrations are intended to hold the child’s attention while the parent’s soothing voice helps the child gently drift off into a peaceful slumber.  Day's End Lullaby will be a perfect addition to every child's bedtime routine. 

1. Show, don’t tell. Use your imagination and picture your character going through motions – maybe he’s turning his lip up, or he’s cocking his head. Try to visualize it – this will help in showing rather than telling.
2. If your imagination went shopping for the day, do the motions yourself. I’ve found this helps a great deal.
3. When editing your manuscript, use the Find function in your word program and look for words you might have overused.

A bit of personal news: March 24, 2009 my son, Ashton was born at 8:10 pm. He was 7 lbs, 1 oz, and 21 inches long. All is well, isn't he the cutest?! 

I've gotten a lot of questions about my book, Sam Feels Better Now: An Interactive Story for Children. Mostly, who will it help? Who should use this book? Do I have to be a therapist to use it? While my original intention was for this book to be used with therapists mainly, parents may also find it useful tool to use with various fears children may face, from being afraid of the dark, to being scared of bees. A good example can be found on It's All About Play: Sam Feels Better Now Book Review. Here Sam Feels Better Now was used to help a child who was afraid of being alone. Read the review and see how this parent was able to help her child with this book.

I will be participating in a blog tour event organized by Red River Writer's facebook group. It will begin April 3, 2009. Visit the Blog Tour Event site for information about who will be participating. Stay tuned for dates, and sites!

Sam Feels Better Now: An Interactive Story for Children is the perfect tool for non-profit agencies, such as child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, mental health centers, and other counseling and social work agencies that have contact with children who have experienced trauma. 

This is off topic, but I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Jeff Chandler. He has recently signed a record contract with Tate Music Group. He is also a finalist for their Artist of the Year contest. I am so excited about this news. Anyone can vote daily through Monday, February 16 by clicking and going to the Tate Music Group voting page. The winner receives $15,000 plus other prizes, so go to the Tate Music Group voting page, listen to his song, and vote for Jeff Chandler! 

With a successful launch of "Sam Feels Better Now! An Interactive Story for Children" I am working on several new projects (along with juggling a full time job, hehe!). Two main projects are a children's picture book for children who have experienced divorce, and the second one is a manual for therapist on how to run a children's support group for domestic violence survivors. I am especially excited about the children's support group manual. I am hoping to use the material to start giving some workshops in the future. I can't wait to see it come together! 

I recently had a great opportunity for my book to be reviewed during a blog tour from Parent Reviewers, a website where parents review many different products. Click here to see the article of my book, and excerpts of the reviews. Thanks Parent Reviewers, and to the bloggers who gave many encouraging reviews of Sam Feels Better Now! An Interactive Story for Children.

I will be interviewed on Book Bites for Kids, Blog Talk Radio on Thursday October 2 at 2:00 pm Central Time. Listen, and call in! Also, if you miss that time, you can download and listen at a time convenient for you.

I had the privilege to be interviewed by Inside Scoop Live! Listen to learn more about my book, Sam Feels Better Now: An Interactive Story for Children, as well as play therapy, traumatology, and my professional background. You can even find my interview on iTunes, and download the MP3!

I recently had the privilege to be interviewed by Reader Views. Go to their website, and read more about my book, counseling children, and trauma. Click here to go to their site: Interview With Jill Osborne, Author of Sam Feels Better Now!

I just received a review of Sam Feels Better Now: An Interactive Story for Children from Reader Views. Read it here: Sam Feels Better Now: An Interactive Story for Children .

"Sam Feels Better Now! An Interactive Story for Children" is now released! Click on the widget on the right hand column of my page, and it will display several options to view and purchase the book. You can also go straight to its url on Amazon by clicking here.

The final cover for "Sam Feels Better Now! An Interactive Story for Children" is finished! Kevin Collier has done a beautiful job creating it. To see more of his work, click here visit his homepage.