Family Therapy

Many parents are feeling "burned out" by their child's pathology. They have often been emotionally abused, particularly the mother. Since one of the goals of therapy is to help the parents get "in charge" in a good way, the parenting coalition must be solid. To that end, sometimes the therapy process will focus on the parents' release of old anger, on relationship issues, and sometimes on unaddressed emotional issues of one or both parents, which inhibit the formation of strong attachment bonds.

In contrast to play therapy or client-centered therapy, in which the child chooses the subject matter, the therapists and parents are in charge and direct the course of therapy. In our experience, children with Attachment Disorder will not voluntarily face their painful emotions. Denial, avoidance, and dissociation are the defenses that allowed them to survive their trauma and they are not disposed to giving them up easily. The child is given the difficult choice of facing the consequences of not resolving problems or going through the painful work of solving them. This choice is given to the child genuinely and repeatedly but in a compassionate, understanding, and supportive manner. Consequently, therapy is quite direct and the child, as part of the contract, must agree to acknowledge the problems that brought the family to treatment and ask us for help. In our experience, when addressed in a forthright, open, and realistic manner, children almost always respond in the affirmative.

The course of therapy takes into account the unique needs of each family and child. Perhaps the most critical factor in positive treatment outcomes are parents who are strong, committed, compassionate, and open to their own emotional growth and to learning and applying parenting skills specific to their child's needs. The skill of the clinicians in selecting and implementing treatment strategies most appropriate to each child and family is also a considerable factor in outcomes of this therapy.