Attachment-Seeking Behaviors: How children who need love ask for it in unloving ways.
Primary Presenter Brief Bio
Sam Marion is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker from Moultrie, Georgia. He completed his MSW at the University of Georgia. He has advanced training in trauma, play therapy, and EMDR. Fluent in Spanish, Sam enjoys being able to provide services to clients throughout the community. He enjoys using sand tray, art, play, and other expressive therapies when working with people of varying ages, as well as couples and families, within his private practice setting.
Second Presenter Brief Bio
Elizabeth Marston is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker living in Moultrie, Georgia. She completed her MSW at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has pursued advanced training in trauma and completed basic training for EMDR. In her private practice, she works with individuals of all ages, couples, and families. She specializes in working with clients diagnosed with personality disorders as well as complex trauma.
Type of Presentation
Regular Session
Location
Room 2901
Topic Category
Strand 2: Nurturing Healthy Children
Targeted Age Group
0 1 2 3
Targeted Audience
Directors/Administrators, Early Intervention Providers, After-School Providers, College Faculty/Trainers/TA, Primary Grades
Brief Session Description
Attachment is a vital aspect of human development. Without healthy attachment, children attempt to connect through challenging behaviors. This workshop will present attachment theory, styles, and behaviors. We will also propose interventions targeting healing attachment wounds through empathy and connection.
Start Date
26-1-2019 10:15 AM
End Date
26-1-2019 11:45 AM
Attachment-Seeking Behaviors: How children who need love ask for it in unloving ways.
Room 2901
Attachment is a vital aspect of human development. Without healthy attachment, children attempt to connect through challenging behaviors. This workshop will present attachment theory, styles, and behaviors. We will also propose interventions targeting healing attachment wounds through empathy and connection.
Full Session Description
Children communicate with everything they do: words they say, faces they make, actions they take. When a child has unmet needs, they try to get needs met in any way possible. As Dr. Russell Barkley states, “children who need love most will ask for it in the most unloving of ways.” Unfortunately, when children act out in need of connection, their behaviors have the opposite effect.
Relationships we have early in life shape our ability to form relationships throughout our lives. This is the foundation of attachment theory. A child who comes from a family that is inconsistent, chaotic, or abusive will struggle developing healthy relationships.
This presentation focuses on attachment theory and styles. Participants identify behaviors they observe and how they may be attempts to fill an attachment-based need. Interventions focused on healing attachment wounds center around connection and boundaries. Attendees will learn strategies to intervene through an attachment-focused lens. When we focus on how behaviors are misguided attempts to fill an attachment need, behaviors become symptoms of pain and empathy then becomes the primary response. Responding with connection and attunement provides space to heal attachment wounds and learn a new, effective way to meet unmet needs.