Richard Bryant-Jefferies

Alive and Cutting takes you into the world of self-harming behaviour. Katie had a difficult childhood. Neglected and alone she spent much of her time consoling herself as best she could with her doll and teddy bear. Taken into care and fostered, she was then bullied at school. Later in childhood she learned to fight back. Now, aged nineteen, Katie is depressed, binge-drinks and regularly cuts herself, in part to find release from emotional build up, but also to cut her way out of depression and despair.

Katie has referred herself for couselling where she sees Keith, a Youth Counsellor. The therapy process unfolds with dramatic memories emerging and being lived out in the therapy room. Katie's cutting becomes more damaging as she connects more deeply with her past.

You will find yourself, like Keith, a companion on Katie's journey as she tries to make sense of her past and her present. You will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the emotional and psychological landscape of self-harm.

Alive and Cutting is the second in a series of titles being written by the author to address a range of contemporary issues in a therapeutic context.