Bonding & Attachment Therapy

Bonding and Attachment Therapy serves families with children who are experiencing emotional and behavioral problems due to difficulty in developing appropriate attachment in parent-child relationships.

Attachment is the basis for the healthy development of children. Children who have difficulty in developing healthy attachment may demonstrate the following behaviors:
 

Aggression
 
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 Clingy, whiny, demanding of affection
 
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 Inability to seek or accept comfort from adults
 
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 Inappropriate body boundaries
 
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 Too friendly with - or too frightened of - strangers
 
Excessive anger when limits are set
 
Difficulty interacting appropriately with peers and adults


 

Bonding and Attachment Therapy recreates the kinds of playful, interactive and fun activities that are essential to healthy emotional development in children. The goals of therapy are to:

Assist parents and children in developing a positive relationship based on appropriate nurturing and limits
Increase positive behavior in children
Encourage development of trust
Assist children in developing images of themselves as lovable and adults as responsible and safe, while decreasing the feelings of shame
Teach parents how to use and generalize new skills in a playful way
Teach the child to identify and express emotions safely while building empathy towards others

Causes of Attachment issues may include:

A history of abuse, neglect or trauma
Multiple caregivers or prolonged separation from primary caregiver
Parental depression or substance abuse