Dr. Karen Treisman

Do you ever feel like the world is just a bit too much? Like you want to curl up in your shell and disappear for a while? Taya feels a similar way. Taya has lived through a lot of hurtful twists and turns, and she uses her shell and her big imagination to protect herself - locking herself away from the outside world. Luckily, Taya has a bunch of super-cool friends (including a camel who loves to paint and a hyena who's always up for a giggle) who help her to learn about big feelingsand those days when you just want to shout, "No!" to everything.  With the help of her friends, her spidey senses, and some clever skills, Taya discovers that it's okay to take things slow-and even she can find her sparkle again.  This book is a treasure map for children aged 5-10 to help you to feel braver, happier, and a little bit more YOU - let's go exploring together!

A Therapeutic Story with Creative Activities About Trauma and Dissociation for Children Aged 5-10, with Advice for Adults from Dr. Karen Treisman, award-winning specialist Clinical Psychologist, trainer, and bestselling author. We are used to identifying children who ask for attention, but what about children who need help, but stay silent or show their pain differently? They may survive by disconnecting, retreating, dissociating and internalising their hurt. These children are often overlooked, quieter, and misunderstood and therefore fall through the net. In the lush green Ethiopian mountains lives a tortoise called Taya, who loves basking in the sun and going to Baobab school to play with all her animal friends. But Taya has lived through some painful things. She copes and protects herself by retreating, disconnecting and going inwards. She keeps her feelings locked away, she finds it hard to share with others or to let them in-and this makes her feel even sadder and more alone than ever! How can Taya's friends and family hel? his activity book is a professional tool to help these children and the adults supporting them. At its heart are tools to help children heal, connect, trust, and express themselves. Combining trauma informed theory with practical and creative activities and worksheets, and a final section for adults supporting children, this activity book will help you to support children aged 5-10 to step out of their shells and into a brighter, more connected future.