06/05/2026
Family Relations Institute 🎓
I recently attended an advanced training in the UK led by Patricia M. Crittenden, PhD - one of the world's leading experts in attachment, who worked on creating the Dynamic Maturation Model (DMM).
The course built on the previous studies of the Adult Attachment Interview programme, which focused more on the normative population.
This is learning to hear not just what people say, but how they say it, and what that reveals about how they've learned to protect themselves and relate to others.
For those outside the field: the Adult Attachment Interview is a structured conversation about early life experiences. The way someone tells their story - the words they choose, the gaps, the emotion - carries information that goes far beyond the content itself. This advanced course focused on recognising those patterns in the clinical conditions.
The discussions with fellow participants are something I'll carry with me for a long time. Everyone brought their own experience working with clients, and learning alongside people who are equally committed to this work is its own kind of gift.
On a personal note, this was the first time I left my little one for an extended trip. Honestly, it was harder than I expected. Balancing family and professional growth is something many of us navigate quietly, and I won't pretend it's always easy. I'm deeply grateful for my husband's support, who continually invests in our family, so that our little one, while missing me loads, still had another secure attachment figure present with her.
This work matters. And sometimes it asks something of us personally to keep doing it. 🧡
