The Attachment-Focused Classroom: Using Attachment Theory To Enhance Mental Health on A Budget

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Sam Marion, Sam Marion Counseling and ConsultingFollow
Elizabeth Marston, Eleos CounselingFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Sam Marion Counseling and Consulting

First Presenter’s Email Address

sam@sammarion.com

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Sam Marion is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker living in Buford, Georgia. He completed his MSW at the University of Georgia. Sam has advanced training on the subjects of trauma and neurodiversity, and he has advanced training in therapeutic approaches such as EMDR, expressive arts, IFS, and play therapy. In his private practice, he works with individuals of varying ages, as well as couples and families.

Second Presenter's Institution

Eleos Counseling

Second Presenter’s Email Address

elizabeth@eleosathens.com

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Elizabeth Marston is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker living in Athens, Georgia. She completed her MSW at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has pursued advanced training in trauma and completed basic and advanced training for EMDR. In her private practice, she works primarily with emerging adults. She specializes in working with clients diagnosed with personality disorders as well as complex trauma.

Location

Session Four Breakouts (Percival)

Strand #1

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Health: Mental & Physical Health

Relevance

Attachment is at the foundation of emotional and mental health (Health) and the interventions that are covered help children address the barriers to effective social and emotional skills (Heart).

Brief Program Description

Attachment theory focuses on the ways in which all humans learn to connect with others. This workshop will discuss how understanding this theory provides a foundation for enhancing and implementing affordable activities and interventions that lead to greater social, emotional, and mental health in the classroom.

Summary

There is no doubt that mental health has become a top priority in the education system. While there is variation between schools and school systems, it is now common for classrooms to include elements such as brain breaks, emotional competence education, emotional regulation skills, and resources for managing challenging emotions. The steps taken over the past years have had a tremendous positive impact on students that have access to them.

This presentation asserts that attachment theory provides a foundation for understanding challenging behaviors as efforts to connect with both self and others. The presentation will also use attachment theory to identify interventions that allow students to work towards feeling more secure and emotionally regulated. The goal of this presentation is to provide the attendees with the confidence to take tools already at their disposal and further enhance their efficacy by connecting the learned skills through this underlying theory.

The presentation will include a brief explanation of attachment theory’s core tenets with an emphasis on how attachment styles manifest themselves within a school environment. The presenters will discuss common interventions clinicians use to address the challenging behaviors and core beliefs. Finally, the presentation will include discussion of ways a teacher can tailor a classroom’s “cool down corner” or “fidget basket” in order to support students’ deeper unmet needs in a manner that is both safe and nondisruptive. There will be an emphasis on how to do this on a dollar store budget recognizing that funding varies greatly amongst different school systems.

Evidence

James Bowlby’s work as the founder of attachment theory set a foundation upon which many other researchers built their careers. The work of authors such as Margaret Blaustein, Kristine Kinniburgh, and Joseph Spinazzola added further elements of treatment and interventions around attachment styles.

Bowlby J. Attachment and loss: Vol 1. Attachment. 2nd. New York, NY: Basic Books; 1969/1982.

Cassidy, J., Jones, J., & Shaver, P. (2013). Contributions of attachment theory and research: A framework for future research, translation, and policy. Development and Psychopathology, 25(4pt2), 1415-1434. doi:10.1017/S0954579413000692

Stephens, J. E. (2012, April 23). Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, WA, tries new approach to school discipline - suspensions drop 85%. Aces Too High, Retrieved from acestoohigh.com.

Blaustein, M., & Kinniburgh, K. (2007). Intervening beyond the child: The intertwining nature of attachment and trauma. British Psychological Society, Briefing Paper 26, 48-53.

Kinniburgh, K., Blaustein, M., Spinazzola J. & van der Kolk, B. (2005). Attachment, Self-Regulation & Competency. Psychiatric Annals, 35 (5), 424-430.

Bernard, K., Dozier, M., Bick, J., Lewis-Morrarty, E., Lindhiem, O., & Carlson, E. (2012). Enhancing Attachment Organization Among Maltreated Children: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial. Child Development, 83(2), 623–636. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01712.x

Cassidy, J., Jones, J. D., & Shaver, P. R. (2013). Contributions of Attachment Theory and Research: A Framework for Future Research, Translation, and Policy. Development and Psychopathology, 25(4 0 2), 1415–1434. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413000692

Learning Objective 1

Explain basic tenets of attachment theory and attachment styles

Learning Objective 2

Understand methods of using available resources for attachment focused interventions

Learning Objective 3

List low-cost toys and supplies that could be used for non-disruptive interventions in the classroom

Presentation Year

2023

Start Date

3-7-2023 8:30 AM

End Date

3-7-2023 9:45 AM

Recommended Citation

Marion, Sam and Marston, Elizabeth, "The Attachment-Focused Classroom: Using Attachment Theory To Enhance Mental Health on A Budget" (2023). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 59.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2023/2023/59