The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook -- What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love, and Healing

Bruce D Perry · Maia Szalavitz

Aug 2017 · Sold by Basic Books

About this ebook

In this classic work of developmental psychology, renowned psychiatrist and the coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller What Happened to You? reveals how trauma affects children—and outlines the path to recovery

"Fascinating and upbeat...Dr. Perry is both a world-class creative scientist and a compassionate therapist."—Mary Pipher, PhD, author of Reviving Ophelia

How does trauma affect a child's mind—and how can that mind recover?

Child psychiatrist Dr. Bruce D. Perry has helped children faced with unimaginable horror: genocide survivors, murder witnesses, kidnapped teenagers, and victims of family violence. In the classic The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, Dr. Perry tells their stories of trauma and transformation and shares their lessons of courage, humanity, and hope. Deftly combining unforgettable case histories with his own compassionate, insightful strategies for rehabilitation, Perry explains what happens to children’s brains when they are exposed to extreme stress—and reveals the unexpected measures that can be taken to ease such pain and help them grow into healthy adults. Only when we understand the science of the mind and the power of love and nurturing can we hope to heal the spirit of even the most wounded child.

Ratings and reviews

This book was by far the best book I have ever read about trauma and child psychology. I enjoyed reading each child's story and how Dr. Perry gained insight from these children. I love how he explains the biological changes in the brain and how it plays a role in childhood trauma. Highly recommend!!!

Highly recommend the book. For those working with the homeless, incarcerated and addicted - it is a must-read about the long term effects of childhood trauma and the necessity of relationship(s) as a healing modality.

This is an amazing book. Sometimes it is very difficult to read, but it's extremely insightful and informative. Every parent should read to better understand how a child's brain grows and develops.

About the author

Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, is the senior fellow of The ChildTrauma Academy, a not-for-profit organization based in Houston, TX, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is also the coauthor of What Happened to You?, with Oprah Winfrey.
 
Maia Szalavitz is an award-winning journalist who specializes in neuroscience. She is the author of Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction and Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts. She lives in New York City.