Janis Whitlock, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University, and is the founder and director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery. Dedicated to linking cutting edge science with on-the-ground efforts to support and enhance the lives of youth and their families, her research focuses on adolescent and young adult social and emotional health and wellbeing, sexual violence prevention, and the role of social media in health and development. She is best known for her work on non-suicidal self-injury. In addition to conducting research in these areas, she is dedicated to making research accessible and useful to those best positioned to make a difference in the lives of youth, such as parents and youth-serving professionals.

Elizabeth E. Lloyd-Richardson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with specialized training in adolescent health risk behaviors. She began conducting research on and interviewing teens who self-injure nearly two decades ago, and has extensive experience in developing and running research programs that aim to promote healthful behaviors in adolescents and young adults. She has authored over 60 papers and book chapters in the areas of non-suicidal self-injury, weight management, and substance use and abuse.

"Whitlock and Lloyd-Richardson have produced a book that is rigorous, accessible, engaging and full of practical guidance. They lay out a clear and comprehensive foundation to help families understand how self-injury develops, what it means, how it can be treated, and finally-and maybe most important-how young people and families can emerge from this problem with more insight and inner strength, and with stronger connections. I highly recommend this work for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this complex and vexing phenomenon." -- Victor Schwartz, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, and Chief Medical Officer, The Jed Foundation

"Drs. Whitlock and Lloyd-Richardson, experts in the field of self-injury, have produced a book that is equal parts evidence-based, empathic, and actionable. Self-injury need not be more frightening and confusing than other problems facing adolescents. I highly recommend this guide to parents seeking to better understand and help with their children's self-injury." -- E. David Klonsky, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia

"A must-read for anyone who knows a self-injuring teen! This beautifully-written and extraordinarily well-informed guide offers comfort, explanations, and a detailed plan for parents of adolescents suffering from one of today's most troubling and dangerous risky behaviors. Whitlock and Lloyd-Richardson are national experts on self-injury who have translated the science into a remarkably accessible and essential resource!" -- Mitch Prinstein, PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, author of Popular: Finding Happiness and Success in a World That Cares Too Much About the Wrong Kinds of Relationships