Professor Peter Fonagy
OBE FMedSci FBA FAcSS PhD
Professor of Psychoanalysis and Developmental Science and Head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences at University College London; Chief Executive of the Anna Freud Centre, London; and holds visiting professorships at Yale and Harvard Medical Schools. His clinical interests centre on issues of early attachment relationships, social cognition, borderline personality disorder, antisocial behaviour and violence. His longitudinal studies which linked the quality of parent-infant attachment to the theory of mind development have important implications for strategies for early prevention not accounted for by genetic influences. The link between human attachment and social cognition led Bateman, Fonagy and colleagues to develop a model of and a highly effective treatment approach for borderline personality disorders (BPD). Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) is now one of the two evidence-based psychological treatments used for severe PD and is widely practised in the UK, Europe and the USA.
Peter is Senior National Clinical Adviser on Children and Young People's Mental Health for NHS England, Programme Director of the UCLPartners Integrated Mental Health programme and has chaired major national expert groups including two NICE Guideline Development Groups on childhood and adolescent depression and the attachment in children at the edge of care. He is a leader of the Mental Health theme in the North Thames CLAHRC and a Senior Investigator for the National Institute of Health Research. He has published nearly 500 scientific papers, 260 chapters and has authored or co-authored 19 books. He is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Academy of Social Sciences and the American Association for Psychological Science, and was elected to Honorary Fellowship by the American College of Psychiatrists. He has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from several national and international professional associations including the British Psychological Society, the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorder, the British and Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorder, the World Association for Infant Mental Health and was in 2015 the first UK recipient of the Wiley Prize of the British Academy for Outstanding Achievements in Psychology by an international scholar
Epistemic trust and secure attachment:
A fresh look at therapeutic processes in personality disorder
The relationship between intellectual achievement and attachment has been part of our understanding of child development almost since the beginning of the scientific study of care given in infant relationship. The mechanism that immediate the benefit with secure attachment brings to the development of cognition and the general adaptation has given requiring intelligence has been less clear. This paper will bring the concept of epistemic trust and ideas of natural pedagogy to bear on this issue and achieve better integration between the ways attachment facilitates social cognition development and the cognitive and emotional challenges which arise out of the failure out of interpersonal trust. The context for looking at this issue is the psychotherapeutic situation where irrespective of modality the client needs to be open to learning and where a trusting relationship and secure attachment has frequently been shown to be a necessary even as not a sufficient condition for change. The presentation will outline a generic model for therapeutic change which may account for some of the difficulty that we encounter in achieving a demonstrating differential treatment effects in psychological therapies.
Dr Una McCluskey
An Honorary Research Fellow at the University of York and a trainer, consultant and supervisor in the model she has created for working with the dynamics of attachment in adult life. This model is relevant to individual, group and organisational development. Best known for her extensive research in the field of empathic attunement in adult psychotherapy, Dr McCluskey introduced the concept that the ‘offer to treat’ arouses the dynamics of attachment in both the care seeker and the caregiver. This concept forms part of the emerging therapeutic model called ‘Exploratory Goal-Corrected Psychotherapy’, (EGCP). She has published numerous articles in the field of couple, family and group psychotherapy and is the author of To be Met as a Person: The Dynamics of Attachment in Therapeutic Encounters, Karnac Books, 2005, and Attachment Therapy for Adolescents and Adults: Theory and Practice Post Bowlby, Karnac Books, 2009 (co-authored with Dorothy Heard and Brain Lake), co-author with Nicola Neath of: To be Met as a Person at Work: the impact of early attachment experiences on work relationships (in press, publication date May 2018). She is currently working on a book with Michael O’Toole which will be published by Taylor & Francis which is extending the concept of transference from its original meaning in order to explain how our clients can communicate disconnections between their behaviour and the arousal of particular interpersonal biological systems embedded in the Dynamics of Attachment.
Dr McCluskey regularly speaks at a number of international conferences, including the American Group Psychotherapy Conference. In June 2014, she gave a keynote address at the International Conference on Dementia, ‘Risky Business’ in Sydney. She was presented with the VIDA Award by the Group Psychotherapy Association of Southern California in appreciation and recognition of her contribution to the field of psychotherapy.
Michael O'Toole
B.A. Applied Psychology, M.A. Counselling Psychology, H. Dip Gestalt Therapy, A. F. PSI Reg. Psychol. MIACP, MIAHIP, ECP
Michael is a Registered Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist with 20 years of experience. While working in the social services sector for 12 years, he developed his expertise in working with men in the areas of recovery from addiction, domestic violence, and sexual offending and other related issues using Attachment Theory. This culminated in the publication of his first paper ‘The Phenomenon of Silence is Psychotherapy’ which was published in the Attachment Journal New Directions in Psychotherapy and Relational Psychoanalysis; Vol 9. No 3. November 2015. Michael now works in private practice in the West of Ireland.
Michael has been working with Dr Una McCluskey in the area of ‘Exploratory Goal Corrected Psychotherapy’ for the past ten years. Apart from being the co-trainer, he is also currently co-authoring a book with Dr McCluskey: To be Met as a Person: The Relating Brian, Transference and Countertransference from an Attachment Perspective. His most recent paper entitled ‘Mother behold thy Son, Son behold thy Mother; Mothers and Sons Attachment in an Irish context’ has just been accepted for publication. Michael has taught and lectured for many years at the University of Limerick, on the Master's course in Psychotherapy and more recently on the Diploma and Master courses in Humanistic and Integrative psychotherapy.
Dr David Westley
Dr David Westley is Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Programmes for Counselling and Psychotherapy at Middlesex University. David is also the Middlesex link tutor for Counselling & Psychotherapy programmes at PCI College. David designs psychological interventions to help people to build emotional resilience and to improve focus and creativity. He has published research on a range of topics including creativity, imagery, memory and psychological resilience.
On the Nature of the Relationship between Mindfulness and Attachment Security
Mindfulness has been described as a deliberate non-evaluative awareness of the present moment. Adult attachment security has been defined as the activation of comforting mental representations of attachment figures who provide care and protection or self-representations associate to those caregivers. Extensive research has shown that both mindfulness practices and attachment security are associated with a number of positive outcomes related to emotional, social and physical wellbeing that stem from self-regulation. In addition, a substantial overlap has been observed in the brain processes of emotional regulation associated with state mindfulness and felt security. I will present previous research and my own data that explore the overlap between mindfulness and attachment security and critically examine two propositions 1) security-enhancing relationship experiences are likely to increase a person’s capacity for mindfulness; 2) mindfulness meditation is likely to increase a person’s capacity for felt security.
Dr Lisa O'Reilly
Dr Lisa O’Reilly has been practising as a Guardian Ad Litem – with The Independent Guardian Ad Litem Agency - for the past two-and-a-half-years. This role is appointed by the Court and the Guardian represents the voice of the child in childcare proceedings and makes recommendations to the child’s best interests. Lisa has over thirteen years experience in the field of child and family social work and ten years experience as a play therapist.
In 2008, Lisa designed a Play Skills Training Programme to support child and family social workers in their communication with children during assessments and to learn about their attachment relationships. The social workers evaluated the efficacy of this approach in their practice with children over a six-month period and reported their practice to be more child-centred as a result and found the voice of the child received greater representation in the assessment process.
In 2015, Lisa designed the national training programme for the Child and Family Agency in 'Linking Attachment Theory to Practice' with children and families. The programme was designed to support child and family practitioners to understand attachment theory and to link it to their everyday experiences on the frontline.
Lisa is currently in the analysis stage of research in relation to an Attachment Assessment and Support tool that she developed. The research aims to guide practitioners in identifying the attachment rich information they are faced with on a daily basis. The model also aims to assist practitioners in collating and presenting attachment information during decision-making processes in respect of children, their families and foster families.
Lisa has contributed to the development of the aforementioned areas through a book publication and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
Lisa’s workshop will focus on supporting participants in their understanding of attachment theory from the child’s perspective. This concept will be consolidated through experiential processes where participants will be required to engage with their own inner child and to reflect on experiences. Lisa will introduce participants to the field of Attachment Play and share the endless playful ways that caregivers can increase a child’s attachment security through playful engagement. The importance of attachment play will be discussed in terms of supporting children to express their emotions and to work through any issues presenting in their lives. Finally, the workshop aims to equip practitioners with age-appropriate skills to learn about children’s attachment relationships.
Joanna Fortune
MICP; MIFPP; Reg Pract APPI; CTTTS; Ap Sup PTI
Joanna Fortune is a Psychotherapist specialising in child and adolescent Psychotherapy with over 17 years experience working with children and families. She is a Supervisor with Play Therapy Ireland/UK for over 11 years. Joanna is a certified Theraplay Therapist Trainer and Supervisor with The Theraplay Institute in Chicago. Joanna has worked in the NGO sector in Ireland for 12 years at the frontline and senior management levels specialising in a range of challenging issues. Joanna founded her own clinical practice, Solamh Parent Child Relationship Clinic in 2010 where she is still working in what has grown into a busy specialist clinical practice.
She is a Child Attachment Specialist. She has completed an 18 month infant observation and has completed additional trainings in all areas of Attachment disorder including Story Stem Assessment Profiling, Child Attachment Interview and Mentalisation Based Therapy (with the Anna Freud Centre London), Play Therapy (APAC/PTIrl/University of Chichester) DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy) and is a Certified Theraplay Therapist Supervisor and Trainer (with the Theraplay Institute) and was trained in a clinical supervision group with members of Espace Analytique from Paris.
As a mentor, clinician, well-established training consultant and guest speaker in her field, Joanna is also a regular contributor in the media on issues of child development, youth mental health, attachment and parenting. She delivered a TEDx talk in 2017 entitled Social Media, the ultimate shame game? You can read more about her and her work on her website www.solamh.com
Christina Enright
RN, BSc Psychology, Dip in Family Therapy, MA Child Psychotherapy, Child and Family Psychotherapist, Consultant, Trainer and Clinical Supervisor
Christina grew up in Co. Laoise and following qualifying as a nurse worked for 15 years in the NHS in London. She retrained as a family and child psychotherapist and has over 12 years experience treating complex trauma and attachment disruption.
Christina’s experience includes developing a clinical service for children, adolescents and parents experiencing extreme trauma. She supported a team of psychotherapists, teachers and key workers to engage therapeutically with children, adolescents and parents who struggled to engage in mainstream mental health services. She also set up psychotherapy services in schools. In addition, for over 10 years, Christina gained a wide range of experience delivering training to a variety of professionals within the NHS, education and social care systems.
After living in London for 29 years, Christina recently returned to Dublin and currently works as a psychotherapist, consultant and trainer. She is also in the process of publishing a book on attachment and neuroscience for allied professionals.
Christina has a special interest in the brain, trauma and attachment; in particular, how complex or developmental trauma impacts on the global development and mental health of the child, adolescent, and adult, as well as its manifestations through presenting functioning and behaviour. Furthermore, she is passionate about disseminating research evidence on the impact of trauma to wider areas, particularly within the social care and education systems, so that through better understanding staff can work more effectively with the most challenged and challenging children, young people and parents.
Nancy St. John MNAPCP MIACP
Nancy St John, Marriage and Relationship Counsellor, MNAPCP MIACP, has been specialising in working with couples and their relationship issues for over 10 years. She has trained in five different models of couples therapy and combines the strengths and unique features of each approach into her work. Married with a grown up family and young grandchildren, Nancy understands the joys, challenges, and pressures that marriage and families can bring. In recent years Nancy has been awarded a diploma in integrative supervision from IICP and she gives courses for counsellors and psychotherapists in her hometown, Tullamore, in the Bader-Pearson Developmental Model of Couples Therapy, which integrates Attachment Theory, Differentiation Theory, and Neuroscience into a specific model designed to improve the assessment and treatment approach to all types of couples.
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Conference 2018
Attachment in Psychotherapy: Bowlby & Beyond
#PCICON18
08:00 – 9.00 Registration
09:00 – 09:15 Welcome
09:15 – 10:15 Dr Una McCluskey
Exploring the dynamics of attachment in adult life: The Theory & Practice
10:15 – 11:15 Dr David Westley
The Nature of the Relationship between Mindfulness & Attachment Security
11:15 – 11:40 Break
11:40 – 11:45 Scholarship Presentation
11:45 – 12:45 Michael O’Toole
Mother behold thy son; son behold thy mother: Attachment from an Irish perspective
12:45 – 13:45 Lunch
13:45 – 14:45 Joanna Fortune
TBC
14:45 – 15:45 Seminars – Choose 1
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Nancy St John
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Dr Lisa O’Reilly
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Christina Enright
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Attachment, Differentiation & Neuroscience in Couples Therapy.
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TBC
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From Safe Child to Humane Adult: The Impact of Maltreatment on Brain, Mind, Body and Behaviour.
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15:45 – 15:55 Break
15:55 – 16:55 Prof. Peter Fonagy
Epistemic trust& secure attachment: A Fresh Look at Therapeutic Processes in personality disorder.
16:55 – 17:00 Conference Close
