A Proactive "LIfe Book" Technique for Children.
by Vijai P. Sharma, PhD.

The child section of "My Book" is like having three books rolled into one: a storybook, a workbook, and a playbook or a scrapbook, if you will. In the story, we have not used the name, "Harry" on purpose so that your child-client has the opportunity to choose names for the characters involved in the story. The story is always on the left side of the book. The workbook is for your child-client to use in working on his or her own story or to write his or her answers to abuse related questions. The scrapbook is to provide a child with another medium, that is, pictures, photographs, drawings, etc. to express his or her related feelings, so each story and work book segment is followed by a two-page creative section. Suggest that your child-client color, paste pictures, draw, and/or express anything he/she prefers.

The workbook is intended to be used as a treatment tool to help a child heal who has experienced sex-abuse trauma. The recommended age group is roughly school age to adolescence, with appropriate accommodation for a child's mental age. My Book is not a tool for abuse investigation or validation. Provide appropriate material for a child who needs sex-abuse education to protect him or her against future victimization. Read the Disclaimer section for further cautions.