Session Description: This session focuses on the implementation of research on attachment-based interventions in a short-term, residential/partial hospitalization level of care. Attachment-based approaches have a solid evidence base for use in the treatment of substance use disorders, but the literature often focus on long-term courses of therapy involving the establishment of the therapist as a secure base and the therapy relationship as a platform for long-term attachment work through rupture and repair. It is possible to adapt the research and findings of attachment meta-theories to fit short-term treatment platforms and make profound change in a short amount of time. Effective implementation of attachment theory involves 1) psycho-education around attachment, activation/arousal, metallization, and physiology, 2) skills building and application including mindfulness and body-based interventions, 3) overt and covert experiential structure and opportunities providing for skills application, mentalization, and phenomenological interventions, and 4) the development of insight through structured individual and group psychotherapy modalities. Residential settings with intensive programming can successfully combine different evidence-based modalities including skills-based behavioral interventions and short-term here-and now relational approaches and provide a perfect environment for clients to identify, understand, address, and begin to repair problematic patterns of attachment.
Learning Objectives:
After this activity participants should be able to
Upon completion, participants will be able to summarize the importance of attachment-based interventions in the treatment of substance use disorders.
Upon completion, participants will be able to identify four key components of attachment-based programming in residential settings.
Upon completion, participants will be able toidentify three advantages of residential levels of care for the implementation of attachment-based interventions.