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From: Elen-Marie Silverman
Date: 19 Oct 2004
Time: 10:39:33 -0500
Remote Name: 152.163.100.198
Dear Janet, Thank you for your powerful sharing. I learned as a transactional analysis trainee, and I believe that it is true, that suicide threats should be taken very seriously. Obviously, your interaction with the 10-year-old boy provided some immediate relief for him and felt good to you. You didn't mention whether or not you alerted other appropriate helpers, such as a school counselor, school psychologist, teacher...Unless you are qualified as a counselor to deal with suicide threats, it is imperative to bring to the situation those who are. You asked where you could locate a copy of Jason's Secret: Local bookstores should be able to special order it for you if it is not already in stock. It is available through Amazon.com, Borders.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and through my company website, www.thespeechsource.com. It is not, to my knowledge, available through SFA since they are not the publisher. By the way, Jason, the main character, is also 10. You also asked about the use of drawing/painting. I feel it is a wonderful way for clients, young and old, with a variety of communication problems to express themselves and to learn more about themselves, even if they are quite verbal. I, for example, in returning to the basics of drawing this summer to improve my painting, rediscovered that in realistic drawing, you need to draw what you actually see. Not what you think you see. Or want to see. But what you actually see. I also was reminded of the importance of negative space. So, I learned or re-learned very important perceptual-psychological-philosophical truths by refreshing and building my pencil drawing skills. Thanks, again for your sharing, and best of luck to you and your 10-year-old client. Ellen-Marie Silverman