An individual’s attachment style develops in early childhood and continues throughout the lifespan as a working model for the relationships that we may establish in the future. Such attachment style influences how we maintain a relationship because often, it is what impacts the way we may perceive or react to a current situation or how we pursue our needs. In this training, we will briefly explore the four attachment styles and their impact on how an individual develops and manages interpersonal relationships.
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Define core characteristics of Secure Attachment and its role in relationship development
- Define core characteristics of Ambivalent Attachment and its role in relationship development
- Define core characteristics of Avoidant Attachment and its role in relationship development
- Define core characteristics of Anxious Attachment and its role in relationship development
- Identify strategies for helping clients identify destructive attachments and develop effective interpersonal relationships.
Syllabus:
Objective #1: Foundations of Attachment Theory
- Historical context: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth’s contributions
- Evolutionary purpose of attachment behaviors in children
- The “Strange Situation” experiment and development of attachment classifications
- Bowlby’s concept of the internal working model and the attachment system’s core question
Objective #2: Secure Attachment: Characteristics and Clinical Relevance
- Conditions that foster secure attachment in early childhood
- Behaviors and traits of securely attached adults
- Impact of secure attachment on emotional regulation, communication, and trust
- Strategies to support secure functioning in therapeutic relationships
Objective #3: Avoidant Attachment: Patterns and Implications
- Developmental origins: emotionally distant or non-responsive caregivers
- Suppression of emotional expression in childhood
- Adult patterns of withdrawal, discomfort with intimacy, and superficial connections
- Journaling and therapeutic prompts to explore fear of closeness
Objective #4: Anxious Attachment: Traits and Therapeutic Focus
- Origin in inconsistent caregiver responsiveness
- Characteristics: fear of abandonment, need for reassurance, low self-worth
- Emotional hypersensitivity and overdependence in adult relationships
- Techniques for developing self-soothing and relational security
Objective #5: Ambivalent (Disorganized) Attachment: Trauma and Complexity
- Ties to abuse, neglect, and unpredictable caregiving
- Dual need for closeness and fear of intimacy
- Disorganized relational behaviors and internal conflict
- Challenges in establishing trust and emotional safety
Objective #6: Clinical Interventions and Attachment Repair
- Role of mindfulness and body awareness in therapy
- Prompts for recognizing and restructuring attachment narratives
- Addressing client-therapist attachment dynamics in session
- Supporting secure attachment behaviors through communication skills, boundary-setting, and self-reflection
Objective #7: Tools for Assessment and Growth
- Use of Adult Attachment Interview questions
- Reflective exercises for identifying unmet childhood needs
- Relationship exploration prompts for clients and couples
- Strategies to increase emotional resilience and trust in relationships
Resources and Continued Learning
- Recommended reading on attachment theory in practice
- Journaling exercises and body-based awareness techniques
- Further training opportunities and video demonstrations
Social workers completing this course receive 2 Clinical asynchronous continuing education credits.
For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 2 Clinical continuing education training.
Instructor: Dreya Blume, LCSW
Recording Date: 6/16/2024
CEUS On-Demand, LLC, provider #2274, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/7/2026 - 08/6/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 2hrs Clinical continuing education credits.
CEUs On-Demand, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7091. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CEUs On-Demand, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
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Request for Special Accommodations: Learners can request special accommodations by contacting the administrative team at admin@ceus-ondemand.com