Praise for Healing the Brain"Provides comfort and learning to the reader. Flows easily from one topic to the next and knits tidbits of information together in a unifying mosaic. Easy to read. Difficult to put down." --Michael J. Colucciello, Jr., New York State Dept. of Mental Health researcher, retired."An invaluable resource for those working in the trenches with LGBTQ youth in foster/adoptive care but equally important serves as a primer for those in the community at large who are largely unaware of this subset in our population who are in such desperate need!" --Dr. Ray Werking, professor, GLSEN educator and host, WRPI RadioA review, in layman's terms, of the effects caused by both physical and emotional trauma to youth, in particular lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. To mitigate the social, emotional, and physical damage suffered by these youth, we must understand the effects of stress and trauma on their brains.Order here: https: //www.createspace.com/6379262Gay youth in foster/adoptive care, a very over-represented population, suffer the highest rates of substance abuse, depression, and suicide. Understanding the harm to their brain development holds a key to helping them heal and grow into healthy adults. Topics include Gay Minority Stress, Coping in a Heterosexist Culture, How Long-Term Stress Damages the Body, Substance Abuse, PTSD in Youth, The Developing Brain. Includes a glossary of brain-related terms, an annotated bibliography Great Brain Book and books for LGBT/Q youth, parents, and allies
David Balog is chief information officer for A Thousand Moms: Building Community Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Foster/Adoptive Care. He was a science/medical writer at the Dana Foundation in New York City, where he created, wrote and edited the Dana Sourcebook of Brain Science through four editions. More than 50,000 copies of this widely acclaimed book was distributed to teachers, students, and professionals in all 50 states and numerous other countries.
