‘Brilliant, compassionate, and wise beyond measure, therapists Marchiano, Ayad, and O'Malley provided a haven of understanding and calm support for me after my child announced a trans identity. Their insights helped me regain my parental footing and helped our family stay connected through a very challenging time. What a gift to have their insight and expertise available!' - Kate Parker, parent and library director Being the parent of a gender-questioning child is confusing. There is a lot of advice out there, but much of it goes against what many parents feel instinctively is the right approach. And the stakes are very high if you get it wrong. There have been many books written for parents who are facilitating a child’s gender transition, but almost none for parents who decide that social or medical transition is not the best option for their child. Written by three professionals working in the field – Sasha Ayad, Lisa Marchiano and Stella O’Malley – Is My Child Trans? is explicitly a resource for parents who want their children to flourish, but do not believe that hasty medicalisation is the best way to ensure long-term health and well-being. Parents who have successfully helped their children navigate gender distress without resorting to surgery and hormones have done so by actively taking the reins, not waiting until they found the right therapist or doctor. Is My Child Trans? will tell you all you need to know, and will give you the confidence to trust your own instincts.

We can't always be there to protect our kids as they make their way in the world. What we can do is equip them with the tools they need to ensure they have a positive social experience. Based on many years' experience counselling bullies and targets, Stella O'Malley offers concrete strategies to empower children and teenagers to deal confidently with bullying and dominant characters. She identifies effective ways for families to cope when bullying occurs, including approaching the school authorities, communicating with the bully's parents and tips to tackle cyberbullying. Stella's common-sense approach will help your child, tween or teen to develop their emotional intelligence and will provide relief for families navigating the rapidly changing social environment, both online and in school.

Leading psychotherapist Stella O'Malley understands difficult teenagers: not only does she work with them in her therapy practice, but she was one herself. Here she offers indispensable and judgment-free advice on dealing with the often volatile and difficult teenage years. This invaluable resource is full of tips on how to handle your adolescent's feelings, ways to help them negotiate the sometimes rocky path to adulthood, and practical information on how to support them through mental health problems, eating disorders, alcohol and drug use and friendship challenges. Here you will find: * Ways to talk so your teen will listen, and how to listen so they will talk * Advice on dealing with issues around technology * Tips on helping your teen overcome perfectionism, body confidence concerns and coming to terms with their emerging sexuality * Approaches to establishing boundaries and positive family dynamics This is an essential resource manual for parents who want to be able to tune into what their teenager is really trying to tell them and work with them to create an enjoyable family atmosphere for everyone. Above all it is a book about connection and the ways in which parents can maintain that crucial link with their teens.

We can't always be there to protect our kids as they make their way in the world. What we can do is equip them with the tools they need to ensure they have a positive social experience. Based on many years' experience counselling bullies and targets, Stella O'Malley offers concrete strategies to empower children and teenagers to deal confidently with bullying and dominant characters. She identifies effective ways for families to cope when bullying occurs, including approaching the school authorities, communicating with the bully's parents and tips to tackle cyberbullying. Stella's common-sense approach will help your child, tween or teen to develop their emotional intelligence and will provide relief for families navigating the rapidly changing social environment, both online and in school. 'Bully-Proof Kids is the handbook for Irish parents to deal with bullying and exclusion.' DR MARY O'KANE, EARLY YEARS 'A vital life raft for parents, teachers and children being bullied' Jennifer O'Connell

Stella O'Malley is the author of Cotton Wool Kids and Bully-Proof Kids. This new book moves beyond parenting books to general self-help and explores the reasons why so many people feel more anxious, overwhelmed and stressed than ever. The way that we are encouraged to emphasise our emotions, often causing more harm than good, and how we are misreading mental health messages is also scrutinised. With a particular interest in the rising levels of anxiety, she shows us how our increasingly perfectionist and materialistic society has created a society shallow and toxic that is high on expectation and low on satisfaction. After examining why and how we feel so overwhelmed and anxious, the second half of the book focuses on tapping into our inner strength so that we can learn to stop giving our power away. More than anything, this book, with a series of simple thinking tools, helps the reader to move forward to a place where they can experience challenges to their mental health and yet feel adequately empowered to address their issues. 'This will speak to a lot of people out there' - Dr Ciara Kelly, Lunchtime Live, Newstalk