Attachment: What Every Teacher and Child Professional Needs to Know

This webinar explores the neuroscience and psychology of attachment, and why it matters that all child professionals are thoroughly grounded in this knowledge in terms of both prevention of mental ill-health and intervention.

We have come such a long way from the 1960s when Bowlby‘s attachment theory came into being. He didn’t have the neuroscience and the psychological research to back his profound model. We do now. This webinar is underpinned by over 100 research papers on attachment (all available at the back of the supporting webinar booklet). The webinar gives specific focus to the fact that when securely attached, the child develops effective stress regulatory systems in their brain and body so will be able to emotionally regulate well. However, with insecure attachment the child suppresses or represses their feelings, so stress regulatory systems are not established. This leaves them with all the fall out of mental/physical health symptoms which can manifest at any time but particularly in the teenage and adult years. That said, with an emotionally available adult, it is never too late for a person to move from insecure to secure attachment and in so doing establish effective stress regulatory systems.

Supported by powerful film footage, the presenter will also unpack what we mean by the emotional responsiveness needed to ensure secure attachment and how child professionals can provide this where this has not been possible in the home. Finally, Bowlby’s term, ‘internal working model’ will be explored in light of the fact that child professionals can bring such positive change to a child/young person’s negative views about self, others and the world.