Talk to My Brain: CBT Based Stories for Children by Dr. Parul Cedilnik
The fashion’s changed, the curriculum’s changed and the technology has certainly changed. But in the grand scheme of things, the youngest generation’s childhood experience isn’t so far off from our own. Think back — do you remember feeling overwhelmed at school? How about being embarrassed by a classmate’s cruel words? What about feeling frustrated when things didn’t go your way?
Whatever you struggled with in your own time, the kids of today are struggling with it, too. Luckily, there are new techniques to equip today’s children with the tools they need to self-regulate their emotions and feel comfortable, confident and self-assured. One such tool is Talk to My Brain: CBT Based Stories for Children by Dr. Parul Cedilnik, illustrated by Piara Breidinger. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, this book is packed full of relatable lessons that set kids up for success both in and out of the classroom.
A New Technique For Every Story
Shirley’s thoughts spiral when she comes across a new lesson she doesn’t understand. Kevin struggles with reading and feels too discouraged to try. Shina’s piano recital is coming up, but she keeps thinking that she’s a terrible piano player. Rinky is hyper-conscious of how her classmates perceive her. Miguel’s stubbornness can get him in trouble and make things difficult with his peers. Rishi can be hot-tempered when the people around him make mistakes.
What do all these kids have in common? They all have problems that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques can be applied to. With pared-down language that kids can absorb and relatable lessons they can easily follow, these methods are nonetheless effective for readers of any age. These six stories come together to create a model on how to deal with life’s problems effectively, thanks to tried-and-true methods from psychological studies.
Take it From a Professional
Readers are given the tools to succeeded not only within the narrative itself, but in supplementary materials as well. Each story is accompanied by a small discussion guide designed for parents, psychologists, counselors and social workers to use with the kids, to go over each lesson and method.
And when it comes to writing a children’s book based around CBT techniques, Dr. Parul Cedilnik, Ph.D, is more than qualified. She’s a clinical and child psychologist with 25 years of experience working in India, the USA and Germany. When teaching CBT to young children, she describes how she would use worksheets and videos but “always felt there were some gaps. It is easier to engage children with stories, so I started making up these fictional characters … I found these stories very helpful in delivering the message [of CBT], and helping young brains to retain the ideas over the years.”
In life, we can’t always control the circumstances around us, but we can control our reactions to them. Talk to My Brain shows us how to do just that, providing children with techniques that will aid them in becoming confident, adaptable and self-assured, ready to take on whatever comes their way.
Author:
I am a certified clinical and child psychologist. Studied and trained chiefly in India, I have since worked in India, the USA, and Germany in various positions and capacities. In my career of 25 years so far, I have worked with children and adults from more than 35 countries, and five different continents. Over the years, I have published several research papers and book chapters; the first one was published already before I was 21. It took however another 26 years to publish the first book, ‘Talk to My Brain: CBT-based Stories for Children.’
I currently work at Applied Psychology Services, Böblingen, Germany, as Lead Clinical Psychologist. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, painting, and gardening.
If you are a client and want to make an appointment or know more about my clinical work, please jump to the website of the practice, Applied Psychology Services-
https://www.psychologyservices.de/
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