An attachment-based program for parents of teens

Dave Pasalich, Marlene M. Moretti, Katherine A. O’Donnell

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

We begin this chapter with a brief discussion of the typical and atypical challenges that adolescence presents to parents and their growing children, both in contemporary and past societies. We do so with an emphasis on adolescence as a unique transitional period, one with important implications for the nature of the attachment relationship between parent and child. Next we describe Connect, an attachment-based intervention for parents and alternative caregivers of preteens and adolescents. We provide an overview of the program, including the attachment-related mechanisms and processes that are targeted during the intervention; key attachment principles that guide session content, reflection exercises, and role plays; and a model of therapeutic change. Training, implementation, and building capacity/sustainability across diverse communities are discussed, and the evidence of effectiveness is presented. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of knowledge translation in the field of attachment in expanding well-defined, feasible, and effective interventions to promote adolescent mental health and family functioning.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHandbook of attachment-based interventions
PublisherGuilford Press
Chapter17
Pages375–400
Number of pages25
ISBN (Print)9781462541102
Publication statusPublished - 2018

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