Do you use ‘Holding Therapy’ in your practice?

No, we do not use holding therapy or restraint in any manner to achieve therapeutic results. There is no coercion or shaming, and boundaries are strictly enforced in our office to ensure a safe and protected environment.

What does therapy ‘look like’ at your practice?

Our practice is truly ‘family therapy’, in which parents are in the room with their children. Our therapists will then explore through dialogue the genesis behind behaviors exhibited by the children. This is accomplished through gathering information from parents, the child’s history and talking to the child.

What training do your therapists receive? 

All therapists at the Attachment and Trauma Specialists have undergone extensive training in child and adolescent health with a specialized trauma and attachment focus. We are licensed by the State of Washington and have updated background checks. We also keep abreast of current trends and approaches in our field by attending conferences throughout the country. We are continuously evolving in our practice and bringing new ideas into therapy from various experts at the top of their professions. Additionally, we are also parents of adopted children, and this gives us a unique perspective and empathy for families often misunderstood by other professionals.

What role do parents play in therapy?

Much of the work at our practice is teaching parents how to understand their children, and not take their behavior personally. Before we explore deeper issues with the child, we have to make certain that their home environment is a safe and loving one, with proper empathy.

There is some controversy and bad publicity about attachment therapy on the internet. Can you address this?

Yes, unfortunately as with many professions dealing with a vulnerable population, there have been some abuses of power in the attachment therapy field. There are stories involving violence and coercion by practitioners not properly trained, governed or with poor boundaries. There is also a lot of fear-based misconceptions about attachment therapy.

The Attachment and Trauma Specialists follow a strict set of guidelines set forth by the governing organization of attachment therapists, called ATTACH. We are also affiliated with many professionals in the area, i.e. psychiatrists, education specialists, pediatricians who see our clients so that we create a holistic therapeutic ‘team’ experience. We make a concerted effort to be completely transparent in our practice, and our past clients have graciously offered to speak to any incoming clients should they wish to acquire more information. Please let us know and we will provide you with their phone numbers.

How often does therapy take place?

Initially it is preferable to have a weekly appointment. This gives our therapists a chance to fine tune the parents’ skills every week until they are confident in their abilities to parent without feeling burned out or angry. Additionally, since the topic of grief and loss is a sensitive one, a weekly appointment doesn’t leave the child hanging too long should emotions rise to the surface.

Is there success in your practice?

YES! It is very inspiring to see children master their feelings and have a greater sense of empowerment. Many of them report a ‘great weight being lifted off of them’, and walk away ‘feeling lighter’. Every year we organize support groups during which a panel of teens and older kids talk about their experience in our office and how it has changed their perspective allowing them to nurture healthy relationships. These kids often volunteer their services to help out other clients as well.