Utilizing Attachment Theory in Multifamily Groups in an Adolescent Residential Treatment Center

In March 2019, I will be running a workshop with two colleagues at the American Group Psychotherapy Association's Annual Conference.

The workshop will place an emphasis on how we use group psychotherapy and experiential exercises to develop effective emotional communication and connection within families. The multifamily groups we run for adolescents and their families in residential treatment are a synthesis of Modern Group Analysis and Attachment Theory and help members focus on the need for vulnerability between both group and family members in order to treat addiction, depression and family dysfunction.

We will demonstrate our engaging interventions that elicit change and explain how we increase connection to bring about healthy relationship functioning.

Learning Objectives: The attendee will be able to: 1. Describe how multifamily groups can be use to provide psycho-education and increase connection between family members and group members. 2. Create worksheets for the Multifamily Group process and complete a form. 3. Explain the difference between metaphor and simile and summarize why it is useful in working with teens. 4. Identify how moments of connection are created through vulnerable interactions stemming from written exercise.