Attachment Based Family Therapy - ABFT International Training Institute

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Attachment Based Family Therapy - ABFT International Training Institute

For inquiries about training, please email Suzanne at info@abftinternational.com ABFT is a flexible yet programmatic approach to facilitating these processes.

Attachment-Based Family Therapy is an empirically supported treatment approach for working with depressed and suicidal adolescents. The model grows out of the Structural Family Therapy tradition (Minuchin, 1974) but is informed by more contemporary systemic approaches such as Multidimensional Family Therapy (Liddle, 1999) and Emotionally-focused therapy (Greenberg and Johnson, 1988). An initial randomized clinical trial has demonstrated its effectiveness, and several process studies have explored the proposed mechanisms of change (Diamond G.S., Siqueland, L., & Diamond, G.M., 2003). Two large clinical trials are currently underway; one with suicidal adolescents presenting in primary care as well as a multi-site, primary care study with depressed adolescents. Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969) provides the over-arching framework for understanding and intervening in the clinical process. Without ignoring biological factors, ABFT therapists presume that family conflict, detachment, harsh criticism, or more insidious family traumas (e.g., abandonment, neglect abuse) can cause, maintain, and/or exacerbate depression in adolescents. The impact of these family processes is compounded when parents fail to comfort, support, and help their adolescent identify, discuss, and work through these disturbing experiences. Conversely, when adolescents perceive their parents as caring, protective, and autonomy-granting, the family provides a secure base helping the adolescent to withstand and grow from life's stressors. ABFT aims to repair ruptures in the attachment relationship, and establish or resuscitate the secure base so important for adolescent development. "Re-attachment" occurs by first helping family members to access their longing for greater closeness and adopt the idea of rebuilding trust. Then adolescents, in individual sessions, are helped to identify and articulate their perceived experiences of attachment failures, and commit to a discussion of these experiences with their parents. Then parents, also in individual sessions, are encouraged to consider how their own intergenerational legacies affect their parenting style - which typically leads to their developing greater empathy for their adolescent's experiences. When adolescents and parents are ready, the therapist brings them back together to discuss the adolescent's concerns. As adolescents get these thoughts, feelings and memories "off their chests" and receive acknowledgement and empathy from their parents, they become more willing to consider their own contributions to family conflict. Although not all issues are necessarily addressed or resolved, this mutually respectful and often emotionally-laden dialogue serves as a "corrective attachment experience" that can set in motion a renewed sense of trust and commitment. As tension and conflict diffuse at home, therapists encourage adolescents to pursue pro-social activities outside the home that will promote competency and autonomy. Parents serve as the secure base from which adolescents seek comfort, advice, support, and encouragement in exploring these new opportunities. Although not prescriptive, the treatment manual provides a clear 'road map' of how to accomplish this "shuttle diplomacy" thereby allowing these profound and reparative conversations to occur quickly in therapy. Therapists are taught to rapidly focus on core family conflicts, relational failure, vulnerable emotions, and the instinctual desire for giving and receiving attachment security.

06/16/2025

Check out this 1 hour webinar on ABFT with Guy Diamond, Ph.D.

The ABCT Parenting and Families Special Interest Group webinar for professionals held on June 13, 2025. Guy Diamond, PhD is Professor Emeritus at the Univers...

03/07/2025

Don't miss your chance to learn about ABFT! Spots are filling up fast for our Spring Introductory Workshop. Spaces remain in Track 2 only! https://courses.abftinternational.com/index.php/abft-introductory-workshop/

02/25/2025

Ever want to explain the 3 fundamental pillars of Attachment-Based Family Therapy in less than 3 minutes? Catch our latest video:

02/20/2025

Our latest installment in our Reflections on ABFT Supervision Series

02/18/2025

Join us for our next Two-Part Introductory Workshop! Don't miss out on your opportunity to learn more about Attachment-Based Family Therapy!

https://courses.abftinternational.com/index.php/abft-introductory-workshop/

02/13/2025

You can now find ABFT on TikTok! Follow us there!

.international 12 Followers, 1 Following, 21 Likes - Watch awesome short videos created by ABFT International

02/10/2025

Our latest video installment - To be or not to be directive in therapy?

02/05/2025

Check out our latest video - Empowering Youth to be a Part of Treatment

02/03/2025

Well we are doing things a little backwards here...but here's an introduction to our new video series!

01/28/2025

Checkout our new "Reflections from Attachment-Based Family Therapy Supervision" Playlist on Youtube! Our first short video is all about making the process of the session, the content of the session.https://youtu.be/D5tuAqMh1vE

01/07/2025

Have you attended our Two-Part Introductory Workshop? If so - don't miss out next Advanced Workshop in 2025!

ABFT Advanced Workshop (Spring 2025) TRAINING DATES: February 20-21, 27-28 & March 6-7, 2025(6 half-days) TIME: 10:30am-2:15pm Eastern Time The ABFT Advanced Workshop is appropriate for those who have previously attended the full ABFT Introductory Workshop. The Advanced Workshop will further develop...

11/05/2024

Don't miss out on hearing Guy Diamond talk about ABFT at the Therapeutic Frameworks for Depressed and Suicidal Teens, Young Adults and their Parents online workshop!

https://www.pcfine.org/event-5915943

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