(A project funded by Fairer Fife)

 

 Training Opportunity:

Dr Bjarne Holmes on

Attachment in Theory and Practice

 

Dr Bjarne Holmes is an established international researcher with a focus on attachment and family relationships. He is currently working on a series of research projects in collaboration with NHS Fife aimed at creating a quick, easy to use, pen and paper tool which can be used to aid Health Visitors and Midwives in identifying mothers who are at risk of developing bonding and attachment problems with their infants.

 

Course Details : The course lasts five weeks and each week consists of a two hour session with suggested readings provided. There are 20 places for the course and it will be taking place at Lynebank Hospital, Psychology Base, Seminar room. Please contact Harriet Waugh at HarrietWaugh@nhs.net for an application form if you are interested in taking part, there are no costs to individuals.

 

Course Aims: The aim of this five week course is to allow professionals to gain a clear and comprehensive understanding of attachment and how it applies to family relationships within a professional setting. It is aimed at professionals who are working with families whose issues may be set within a relational context. It is hoped that through this course you will gain the required knowledge to successfully apply attachment based theory to your work.

 

The Goal and Content: By the end of this course you will be able to critically and intelligently think about the implications of positive human bonding for the well-being of individuals, families, and society. You will be challenged to think about how to strategically apply attachment theory to your own practice. The course takes a bio-psycho-social approach to human bonding. You will have the pleasure of reading specially selected chapters from key theoreticians, researchers, and clinicians, which will be supplemented with class exercises relevant to practice and policy. The module has a focus on the development of attachment in infancy but links in with childhood, adolescence, and adulthood outcomes. There is a particular emphasis on the relationship between early attachment and mental health outcome from a practice and public-health standpoint.


Course Texts:

Article and Chapter Handouts.

 

Week 1 Wednesday 28 th april 2010 4.00-6.00pm

Hour 1: Introduction to the module goals, using the power of the group to learn, History of attachment in theory and practice

 

Hour 2: Normative Development; Evolutionary & Biological Perspectives

Reading: Articles handed out (Gunnar & Cheatham; Carlson & Earls)

Week 2 wednesday 5 th may 2010 4.00-6.00pm

Hour 1: Attachment In Infancy and Childhood

Reading: Article hand-out (Main Chapter)

 

Hour 2: Attachment In Adolescence and Adulthood

Reading: Making and Breaking; Chapter 7

 

Week 3 wednesday 12 th may 2010 4.00-6.00pm

Hour 1: Attachment and Well-Being across the Lifespan I

Reading: “Hidden Trauma” Chapter

 

Hour 2: Attachment and Well-Being across the Lifespan II

Reading: Hennighausen et al Chapter

 

Week 4 wednesday 19 th may 2010 4.00-6.00pm

Hour 1: Attachment and Well-Being across the Lifespan III

-Article hand-out (Gervai et al; Gunderson & Lyons-Ruth)

Hour 2: Interventions, Therapies, and Policy I

Article Hand-Out (Cicchetti et al)

 

Week 5 wednesday 26 th may 2010 4.00-6.00pm

Hour 1: Interventions, Therapies, and Policy II

Article Hand-Out (Holmes et al)

Hour 2: Interventions, Therapies, and Policy III; Course Summary and the Future.