Attachment-Focused Family Therapy
Although Attachment-Focused Family Therapy is a model that was originally developed in working with children with attachment disorders, it is a model that I find useful given its reliance on research and theory based on our current knowledge of healthy child development and attachment. Thus, I utilize many of its components with most families even when the focus of treatment is not an identified attachment disorder.
In attachment-focused family therapy, the child and his/her symptoms are the identified focus of treatment, however, symptom improvement is achieved, in great part, through attending to the relationship between child and caregiver(s). Please be aware that attachment-focused therapy relies heavily on caregiver participation and cannot be successful without your ability to maintain an empathic, curious and understanding stance towards your child. In fact, parents/caregivers are an integral part of my treatment approach.
Thus, in attending to this relationship, I will assist you in learning to regulate your own and your child's affect while exploring and paying acute attention to the inner world of your child with the sole intent to understand and give meaning to his/her behaviors while validating your child's worth. We will work together to integrate relationship-focused strategies so that they are a good fit for your family.
It is recommended that treatment proceed through a series of phases in order to avoid overloading your child and your family. Although many caregivers bring their child to treatment with many serious symptoms, not adhering to a paced, thoughtful treatment regimen can ultimately hinder progress.
In addition to the behavioral/symptom based objectives that will be individually developed during the course of treatment, attachment-focused therapy has the following objectives:
In addition, other clinical and evaluative services may be recommended based on your child's history and symptom status and/or response to treatment. These services may include but are not limited to:
If needed I can refer you to a provider who can assist you in a needed service.
In attachment-focused family therapy, the child and his/her symptoms are the identified focus of treatment, however, symptom improvement is achieved, in great part, through attending to the relationship between child and caregiver(s). Please be aware that attachment-focused therapy relies heavily on caregiver participation and cannot be successful without your ability to maintain an empathic, curious and understanding stance towards your child. In fact, parents/caregivers are an integral part of my treatment approach.
Thus, in attending to this relationship, I will assist you in learning to regulate your own and your child's affect while exploring and paying acute attention to the inner world of your child with the sole intent to understand and give meaning to his/her behaviors while validating your child's worth. We will work together to integrate relationship-focused strategies so that they are a good fit for your family.
It is recommended that treatment proceed through a series of phases in order to avoid overloading your child and your family. Although many caregivers bring their child to treatment with many serious symptoms, not adhering to a paced, thoughtful treatment regimen can ultimately hinder progress.
In addition to the behavioral/symptom based objectives that will be individually developed during the course of treatment, attachment-focused therapy has the following objectives:
- Safety – Create a home, school and community environment in which your child can feel safe and cared for.
- Self-regulation – Increasing your child's capacity to modulate arousal and restored equilibrium following dysregulation of emotion, behavior, thinking, interpersonal relatedness and self-awareness
- Self-reflective information processing – Help your child construct self-narratives, reflect on past and present experience and develop skills to planning and decision making.
- Traumatic experience integration – Assist your child to transform or resolve traumatic reminders and memories using such therapeutic strategies as meaning-making, traumatic memory containment or process, remembrance and mourning of loss, symptom management and developing coping strategies while cultivating present-oriented thinking and behaving
- Relational engagement – Teaching your child to form appropriate attachments and to apply this knowledge to current interpersonal relationships
- Positive emotional enhancement – Enhancing your child's sense of self-worth, esteem and positive self-appraisal.
In addition, other clinical and evaluative services may be recommended based on your child's history and symptom status and/or response to treatment. These services may include but are not limited to:
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management by qualified medical professional
- Psychological/Neurospsychological testing
- Occupational therapy evaluation and treatment
If needed I can refer you to a provider who can assist you in a needed service.