Group Intervention Models
Attachment Vitamins
Attachment Vitamins (AV) is a 10-week group intervention designed to help parents and caregivers of children aged birth-5 years learn about child development and the impact of stress and trauma, reflect on the child’s experiences and the possible meanings of the child’s behaviors, and promote secure attachment and safe socialization practices. The group is highly interactive and encourages caregivers to engage in a process of active reflection on their relationship with their children and on their own childhood experiences. AV has been implemented in a variety of settings; including schools, substance abuse treatment centers, prisons, community mental health and refugee resettlement agencies, by a broad range of professionals. AV materials are available in several different languages. Additionally, much of the psych-educational content has been distilled into aninteractive online course for caregivers and professionals working with young children and their families.
“I have discovered when my child is stressed there is an underneath emotion I should find out about” (Parent participant)
Building Bridges/Semillas De Apego
Building Bridges is a parent/caregiver group adaptation to Child Parent Psychotherapy. It is designed to strengthen the caregiver-child relationship by creating a supportive space for caregivers of children under 6 years old to 1) increase their reflective capacity, 2) integrate mindfulness in their life, 3) explore the impact of trauma and stress on their family 4) build a supportive community with other caregivers. The group sessions connect the past, present and future by inviting caregivers to reflect on ways their childhood experiences influence their parenting today, and by reminding them that they have the power to build and sustain an attuned caregiver-child relationship that will be the most powerful protective factor for their child in the future. The curriculum uses art and experiential activities and relies on the power of relationships, rather than specific skills or tools, to be the main mechanism of growth and healing. This group has been applied and studied in community-based settings, including family homeless shelters, and has been adapted to communities exposed to armed conflict in Colombia (named Semillas de Apego).