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Attachment‐Based Family Therapy: A Review of the Empirical Support
Author(s) -
Diamond Guy,
Russon Jody,
Levy Suzanne
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
family process
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.011
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1545-5300
pISSN - 0014-7370
DOI - 10.1111/famp.12241
Subject(s) - family therapy , psychotherapist , empirical research , psychology , attachment theory , interpersonal communication , process (computing) , mechanism (biology) , interpersonal relationship , clinical psychology , social psychology , computer science , epistemology , philosophy , operating system
Attachment‐based family therapy ( ABFT ) is an empirically supported treatment designed to capitalize on the innate, biological desire for meaningful and secure relationships. The therapy is grounded in attachment theory and provides an interpersonal, process‐oriented, trauma‐focused approach to treating adolescent depression, suicidality, and trauma. Although a process‐oriented therapy, ABFT offers a clear structure and road map to help therapists quickly address attachment ruptures that lie at the core of family conflict. Several clinical trials and process studies have demonstrated empirical support for the model and its proposed mechanism of change. This article provides an overview of the clinical model and the existing empirical support for ABFT .