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Walking the tightrope: developing an attachment-based/relational curriculum for trainee psychotherapists
1james@antidote.org.uk
Attachment & Human Development
|September 17, 2004
Summary
This study outlines the development of an attachment-based psychotherapy training curriculum. It balances research knowledge with clinical flexibility, using a linguistic metaphor to guide therapists in attachment theory.
Area of Science:
- Psychotherapy Training
- Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Developing effective psychotherapist training is crucial for integrating research and clinical practice.
- Attachment-based and relational psychotherapy requires balancing theoretical knowledge with individual client needs.
- The Centre for Attachment-based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (CAPP) in London identified a need for a specialized curriculum.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development of an attachment-based/relational curriculum for training psychotherapists.
- To address the challenge of balancing theoretical knowledge with the flexibility needed for unique client encounters.
- To create a training model that fosters both theoretical understanding and practical application in psychotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Development of a curriculum based on attachment theory and relational psychotherapy principles.
- Utilizing a linguistic metaphor to guide theoretical multilingualism and specialized fluency.
- Formulating ten key propositions encapsulating core attachment-based practice assumptions.
- Implementing a spiral curriculum design to facilitate engagement with complex clinical material and diverse viewpoints.
Main Results:
- A structured curriculum has been developed to train psychotherapists in attachment-based/relational approaches.
- The curriculum aims to equip trainees with both research and clinical knowledge.
- A set of ten core propositions and a spiral curriculum structure have been established to guide learning.
Conclusions:
- The developed curriculum provides a framework for training psychotherapists in attachment-based and relational psychotherapy.
- The approach facilitates a balance between theoretical depth and clinical adaptability.
- This model supports trainees in navigating complex emotional aspects and diverse theoretical perspectives in contemporary psychoanalytic psychotherapy.