Attachment theory has established itself as applicable to many types of relationships, encompassing caregiver-child, romantic, interpersonal, and psychotherapeutic interactions. This project sought to investigate the application of attachment theory to clinical supervision. Using suggestions put forth in previous work by Watkins and Riggs, this study examined the dyadic interactions inherent in both supervision and attachment. Using the working alliance as determination of the quality of supervision, attachment styles, leader-follower attachment, and attachment-based expectations were explored as predictors for supervisor-trainee dyad outcome in a training clinic for doctoral psychology students. The study design is longitudinal and prospective. Findings indicate the necessity of measurement of supervisory-specific attachment rather than general attachment, the stability of working alliance over time, and the large contribution of the leader-member attachment framework to the understanding of supervisory attachment. Implications include the importance of maintaining hierarchical, evaluative boundaries within supervisory relationship, consistent with a leader-follower dynamic.

Purpose: Thestudy's purpose is to with the help of interviews and conversations with children and teachers, examine the educational activities of the preschool on unsocial hours from a child's perspective, focusing on children's participation. Question at issue: How do children talk about their stay in the Ob-kindergarten? How does the teachers' responses relate to what the children tell? Method: Qualitative methods, interview, grounded theory Main theoretical connection: postmodernism, attachment theory. Conclusion:We have concluded that very little is known about the swedish preschool on unsocial hours(from now on uh-preschool). Based on the responses we received during our interviews, we see that children's attitudes and their willingness to be on uh-preschoolisvery much depending on the relationship between them and the teachers. We see that children who feel that they are being listened to and respected, is over all more favorable to reside inthe uh-preschool.

Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the educator’s thoughts and experiences regarding the term “attachment”. Similarly, we wanted to find out what strategies educators use to create comfortable and secure relationships for the younger children within the large groups of children. According to this purpose, we have formulated the following questions: What experience has educators in working with large groups of children? How do educators perceive the term attachment in relation to the younger children in preschool? Which known strategies the educators use to ensure the younger children’s security within the larger group? Method We have, with a qualitative method, interviewed six educators at three preschools in different municipalities. As a complement to the collected data, we made observations at two of the preschools. Our greatest focus and importance have been on the empirical evidence from the interviews conducted. Theory In our study we have taken the support of Bowlby's “attachment theory” which highlights the importance of close emotional relationships and we also used current research in the field. We have chosen to assume only this theory because we believe that it corresponds to the study's main purpose, namely children's secure attachment. Results From an attachment theory perspective that emphasize the importance of close and emotional relationships for the individual child's development and comfort, one of our results indicates that large groups of children complicate the educators ability to meet the individual child's needs on a daily basis. Based on the interview material it became clear that all educators agree on the importance of being a calm and present educator in the attachment work with younger children. Our results indicate that strategies such as dividing large groups in to smaller ones, as well as a structured working team, are important factors in order to tie in with all children within the larger groups. Most educators emphasize that an inspiring environment that raises the child's curiosity and exploration, promotes the child´s sense of security at the preschool. / Syfte Studiens syfte har varit att ta reda på pedagogers tankar om och erfarenheter av begreppet anknytning. Vi ville även ta reda på vilka strategier pedagogerna använder sig av för att skapa trygga relationer för de yngre barnen i stora barngrupper. Utifrån detta syfte har vi formulerat följande frågeställningar: Vilka erfarenheter har pedagogerna av att arbeta med stora barngrupper? Hur uppfattar pedagogerna begreppet anknytning i förhållande till de yngre barnen i förskolan? Vilka uttalade strategier säger pedagogerna att de använder sig av för att skapa trygghet till de yngre barnen i stora barngrupper? Metod Vi har med en kvalitativ metod intervjuat sex pedagoger på tre förskolor i olika kommuner. Vi har även observerat på två av förskolorna som ett komplement till vårt intervjumaterial. Det är empirin från intervjuerna som vi har lagt störst fokus och vikt på. Teori Vi har tagit stöd av Bowlbys anknytningsteori som belyser vikten av nära känslomässiga relationer i vår studie samt använt oss av aktuell forskning. Vi har endast valt att utgå från denna teori då vi anser att den motsvarar studiens huvudsyfte det vill säga barns trygga anknytningar. Resultat Ett av våra resultat påvisar att stora barngrupper försvårar pedagogers möjligheter att dagligen tillgodose det enskilda barnets behov, sett utifrån ett anknytningsteoretiskt perspektiv som betonar vikten av nära och känslomässiga relationer för det enskilda barnets utveckling och trygghet. I intervjumaterialet framkom det att alla pedagoger är överens om vikten med att vara en lugn och närvarande pedagog i anknytningsarbetet med yngre barn. Vårt resultat påvisar att strategier som gruppindelning samt ett strukturerat arbetslag är betydelsefulla faktorer i arbetet med stora barngrupper. Flertalet pedagoger betonar att en inspirerande miljö bidrar till att väcka barns nyfikenhet och utforskande, vilket främjar barnets trygghet på förskolan.

The purpose of this study was to explore factors which are predictive of parenting stress for first-time parents. Based on attachment theory and empirical research, the factors investigated were the responsibility for child care and housework, the current and retrospective relationship with the family of origin, the change in emotions related to parenthood, the marital relationship, and attachment and individuation.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention model designed to enhance practitioners’ biological lens when using a biopsychosocial-spiritual model of holistic assessment and planning. The specific intervention utilized is a course curriculum developed to broaden human service professionals’ (including clinical social work professionals) understanding of attachment theory, neuroscience and trauma informed methods of practice. The course teaches professionals how to apply this knowledge to clinical assessment and intervention planning with youth who have experienced significant trauma in their lives and exhibit problems of conduct. Using an experimental design, participants from a large private mental health organization were asked to evaluate the impact of curriculum on their 1) knowledge of attachment theory, trauma informed practice and neurobiology; 2) attitudes concerning the relevance of trauma-informed practice, the biological perspective and consequence focused models of intervention; and 3) assessment and intervention planning strategies. The curriculum focused its application on youth who have experienced significant levels of trauma and display conduct related behavior problems. Group differences for the workshop intervention group and waitlist control group are discussed. Additionally, a preliminary evaluation of differences between two different intervention groups (participants in the Distance Learning version of the course and the Workshop Seminar version of the course) was conducted.

v anglickém jazyce In the present work, I am primarily concerned with the approach of mentalization by Fonagy (Fonagy, 2006; Fonagy & Target, 2001; Fonagy & Target, 2002; Fonagy, Gergely, Jurist & Target, 2008; etc.), which is strongly associated with the attachment theory, psychoanalysis and also developmental psychology. Centrality to the development of mentalization are early relationships. I will present some authors, which dealt with this subject matter, psychoanalysts, development psychology and attachment theory, focusing on the attachment theory of John Bowlby. The aim of this work is to introduce the important coherences, in the literature empirically investigated factors that influence the development of reflective capacity - in particular the environmental factors (parents, foster parents, peers) and the development background of the child.

Four hundred fifty-six (456) members of the Association for Play Therapy responded to the researcher-developed survey, the Play Therapists' Decision-Making Inventory-Revised (PTDI-R). The instrument assessed play therapists’ perceptions of the role of attachment in the treatment process, the frequency with which play therapists feel competent to use family-systems play therapy, and the frequency with which they utilize these interventions. Items from the PTDI-R were analyzed using a principal component analysis to assess the underlying structure of six items that addressed participants’ frequency of use of FSPTI relative to their understanding of the attachment relationship. This factor accounted for 45% of the variance between the 6 survey items. These items from the PTDI-R were combined into one variable for use in the analysis of the remaining research questions. Using this enhanced dependent variable representing frequency of use of FSPTI by play therapists, three multiple regression models were built. Of these, the third model had the most power, explaining 65% of the variance in the dependent variable. When examining the relationships between play therapists’ demographic variables, beliefs about attachment, and play therapy practice patterns, significant relationships were identified among all but one set of variables. The results of this study supported the need for required play therapy education that applies family systems approaches to address attachment dysfunction in the caregiver-child relationship. Findings resulted in training and education recommendations to play therapists, counselor education programs, and the play therapy credentialing body.

The quality of the dynamics within individuals’ early relationships with their caregivers can impact the overall mental health, functioning, and quality of future relationships for those individuals (Aguilar, Sroufe, Egeland, & Carlson, 2000; Bowlby, 1988; Carlson, 1998; Cassidy & Shaver, 2008; Deklyen & Greenberg, 2008; Johnson & Whiffen, 2003; Levy & Orlans, 1998; Ogawa et al., 1997; Renken et al., 1989; Warren, Huston, Egeland, & Sroufe, 1997). Attachment Theory describes the nature, characteristics, and dynamics of the relationship between a child and caregiver, and delineates how an internal concept of self and self and others is created via those relationships (Bowlby, 1988; Brisch, 2011; Levy & Orlans, 1998; Solomon & George, 1999). Assessing for and addressing attachment issues early in life, and helping to establish a secure base for a child, can serve as a preventative measure for thwarting a variety of interpersonal and self-concept issues (Bowlby, 1988; Martin, 2005; Morisset et al., 1990; Rutter, 1987). Several play therapy interventions for addressing attachment issues exist, yet no framework existed to describe how theoretical knowledge of Attachment Theory may be integrated into clinical practice from initial contact through termination. The purpose of this research was to generate a framework that explored and described how play therapists integrated knowledge of Attachment Theory within their treatment planning. The constructed framework may be used by educators, play therapists and families to conceptualize the play therapy process from an attachment-based perspective.

This thesis follows the paper-based format and papers one and two have been prepared for submission to Attachment and Human Development and the British Journal of Clinical Psychology, respectively. The relevant submission guidelines are included in the appendices (Appendix A and B).Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1977a) has prompted a wealth of empirical research in its contribution to adult attachment patterns and subsequent psychopathology in mental health (Holmes, 2001; Wallin, 2007). More recently, attachment theory has been proposed as a suitable framework by which to inform the organisation, design and delivery of mental health services (Goodwin, 2003; Seager et al., 2007) but it is unclear what this would look like in practice. Adopting an attachment-informed service model has key implications for individual and service outcomes and the two papers presented in this thesis aim to contribute to research in this area, followed by a critical review of the research, its relevance and future implications. Paper one is a narrative overview of the literature discussing the practice implications of services adopting an attachment-informed framework, and describes how this might be conceptualised in front-line service delivery. Articles reviewed described the influence of attachment theory in predominantly inpatient, secure forensic and/or psychiatric rehabilitation services, and its application within more generic community mental health services was explored. Paper two aimed to investigate the importance of individual attachment and service attachment to client psychopathology, quality of life, service utilisation and service costs in community-based mental health services. The final section, the Critical Review, critiqued the literature review and aimed to place the research within a wider context. This section considers the findings from the research and the limitations of the study, while also highlighting important issues for services, with implications for clinical practice and future research.

Of all relational bonds, perhaps the strongest and most complex is the one between parent and child. The dynamics of this relationship potentially hold the key to understanding the future psychological adjustment of the child. The current study was conducted to assess the relationship between perceived parental attachment and coping styles. Undergraduate psychology students (n=300) were administered a survey to examine perceived parental attachment, coping style, and gender. In conflict with previous studies, results indicated that neither respondents' gender nor level of perceived parental attachment was significantly related to participants' reported coping style. Increased knowledge and understanding of parental attachment is critical to understanding the development of psychological well-being.