Building the Bonds of Attachment

Posted on Tuesday, 15 June 2010 09:07PM by Paul Gilroy

In partnership with Adoption UK and Grant Consultancy and Training (GCT), CrossReach Children's Services hosted the 'Building the Bonds of Attachment' Conference on 28th May 2010, with Colwyn Trevarthen and Dr Dan Hughes. Both Colwyn Trevarthen and Dan Hughes are world-renowned in their field of child psychology. Colwyn Trevarthen is Professor (Emeritus) of Child Psychology and Psychobiology at The University of Edinburgh. He trained as a biologist, began infancy research at Harvard in 1967, and has published on brain development, infant communication and emotional health. His current research concerns how rhythms and expressions of 'musicality' in movement help communication with children and may help parents, teachers and therapists give care and companionship to young children. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a Vice-President of the British Association for Early Childhood Education. Colwyn is also an honorary member of Scottish Attachment in Action.  Dr Dan Hughes is a Clinical Psychologist who specialises in child abuse and neglect, attachment, foster care and adoption. Dan is the originator of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), a relational therapy that integrates research in the areas of the neurobiology of trauma, early child development and attachment theory.  Dan trains other therapists in his model of treatment internationally and has been a regular visitor to Scotland since 2004.  He is also the author of three ground-breaking books: ‘Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children’, ‘Attachment-Focused Family Therapy’ and ‘Attachment-Focused Parenting’.  This is the fourth year of partnership between Adoption UK, GCT and CrossReach Children's Services, where we have promoted and supported events for adoptive parents and professionals who care for children who have experienced trauma in their lives.  All members of the partnership are members of the Scottish Attachment in Action Forum and actively promote a greater understanding of Attachment Theory and research, and how this can improve our practice and support children.  The Scottish Attachment in Action Annual Conference and AGM will be held on Friday 10th September 2010 at the Inchyra Grange Hotel, Falkirk. This conference brings together four renowned experts in the field of relational development and growth: Alan Sinclair (Visiting Fellow, The Work Foundation); Phil Wilson (GP & Research Fellow); Sally Wassell (Independent SW Consultant); Dan Hughes (Clinical Psychologist, originator of DDP). They will explore ‘why attachment matters’ from birth onwards. The speakers will offer current information on how attachment theory and research informs our understanding of practice, practical and therapeutic support for children and adults. For further details of this event please contact: Barbara Godden, SAIA Admin Officer, 172 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 5EA       barbaragodden@adoptionuk.org.uk  or Carol MacDonough, Administrator, Ballikinrain School, Fintry Road, Balfron G63 0LL    carolmacdonough@ballikinrain.org    01360 440244