Premium
Treating disorganized attachment in the Group Attachment‐Based Intervention (GABI©): A case study
Author(s) -
Knafo Hannah,
Murphy Anne,
Steele Howard,
Steele Miriam
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22647
Subject(s) - dyad , psychology , toddler , intervention (counseling) , attachment theory , psychotherapist , developmental psychology , personality , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychiatry
This paper describes the treatment of a mother and child who demonstrated disorganized attachment behaviors in their interactions with one another. The mother, who was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, felt incapable of managing her aggressive toddler and his emotional needs. The dyad was referred for therapy due to concerns about his developmental progress, evident delays having been mainly attributed to the problems observed within the parent–child relationship. The primary intervention applied to working with the dyad was the Group Attachment‐Based Intervention (GABI©), developed by Anne Murphy in collaboration with Miriam Steele and Howard Steele. The mother also received individual psychotherapy as a supplement to the dyadic and group work of GABI©. The process and outcome of this comprehensive approach to treating a vulnerable dyad is explored in this case study.