This book is an essential resource for anyone who has a supporting role or relationship with someone who hurts themself, whether in a professional or informal context. It is also a useful resource for people who self-injure, to help them to explore their experiences and to keep themselves safe. Based on interviews with people who self-injure and frontline practitioners and service managers who work with them, it explores why people self-injure, debunks myths and misconceptions about self-injury, explains self-injury in the contexts of human embodiment and a social model approach to distress and illness, and offers practical strategies for responding in meaningful ways, including using creative practices and harm-reduction. A final chapter offers guidance on how to write a harm-reduction policy for self-injury that can be used across any health, education and social services setting. This is an essential book that promotes better understanding and thus better responses to self-injury, brought to life with the words of people with first-hand experience of self-injury, for whom it is, or has been, an important coping mechanism.The book closes with a short account of Zest, a voluntary sector organisation in Northern Ireland, whose success with people who self-injure demonstrates what the guidance in this book looks like when put into practice, and that it really does work.

About the Author
Dr Kay Inckle is a course convener in the sociology of health and medicine at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She worked as a service provider in a range of health and social care contexts, supporting both adults and young people. From 2009-2012 she ran a self-injury training service delivering programmes based on a holistic and harm-reduction approach to self-injury. She has published widely in the field, including her previous book Flesh Wounds? New Ways of Understanding Self-Injury (PCCS Books, 2010).

Reviews
'This book is an excellent contemporary account of self-injury and approaches to supporting people who self-injure. The book will be an invaluable resource for anyone working in the field.' Hilary Lindsay, Director, Self-injury Support, Bristol; 'This is an immensely useful text that carefully combines sociological insights with practical advice on responding well to self-injury. The book provides a broad basis through which to develop a deeper understanding of the meanings self-injury has for diverse social groups, before going on to chart the similarly diverse ways that people who hurt themselves can be supported - or support themselves. Grounded in principles of social justice, this is a thoroughly refreshing guide that will be of use to anyone who encounters self-injury in their personal or professional lives.' Dr Amy Chandler, Chancellor's Fellow in Health, University of Edinburgh



Book Information
ISBN 9781910919163
Author Kay Inckle
Format Paperback
Page Count 274
Imprint PCCS Books
Publisher PCCS Books
Weight(grams) 430g
Dimensions(mm) 156mm * 234mm * 14mm