Attachment based interventions and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are often viewed as distinct or even contradictory due to their differing theoretical foundations. CBT emphasizes cognitive restructuring and present-focused skills training, while attachment-based interventions delve into relational history and emotional healing. This divergence often leads to debates about their compatibility and can create tension among clinicians. Clinicians who ascribe to one theoretical orientation may be reluctant to recognize the value of the other. Those who identify as “eclectic” may not know how to effectively integrate the two theories.
In this workshop, I demonstrate that the two theoretical approaches have much in common and that they can be integrated effectively in therapy for various clinical presentations. The workshop will highlight intersections of CBT and Attachment-based interventions in terms of their underlying drivers of distress, mechanisms of change, value of therapeutic relationship, and even strategies. Attendees will learn to draw on the strength of both theories to develop a comprehensive case conceptualization and use integrated strategies to address both symptomatic distress and deeply rooted attachment wounds.
Attendees will walk away with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to support their clients with strategies that emphasize cognitions and interpersonal connections equally.
Workshops: