Applications of the Dynamic‐Maturational Model of Attachment with Children Involved in Care and Family Proceedings

Abstract

Attachment theory has had a profound influence on our understanding of human relationships. This paper focuses on the application of the DynamicMaturational Model of attachment to children involved in care and family proceedings. It describes the central principles of attachment as developed by Ainsworth et al. (1978); Bowlby (1969); Crittenden (2008) and Main (1999). Attachment patterns are explored and the circumstances under which these various engagement strategies arise. The authors provide two case examples of different insecure attachment styles. They include brief background information, observations about clinical presentation and formulation sections, offering the reader an opportunity to integrate their thinking about how different insecure attachment styles necessitate alternative intervention approaches. The paper highlights the complexity of assessing attachment in different circumstances, and the authors propose that this article should be viewed as a 'primer' for helping practitioners to take better account of attachment issues whenever undertaking assessments within the context of child and family proceedings.

a pilot investigation of an attachment formulation workshop within a specialist inpatient autism service.

“…Consequently, causal conclusions are not inferred 23 . CW has learned that when she feels anxious, exaggerated anger increases the probability of a more predicable response from her mother who has been experienced as unpredicta-ble 24,25 . Thus, displaying anger functions in attaining predictable care from caregivers 26 .…”

Using Parental Attachment in Family Court Proceedings: An Empirical Study of the DMM‐AAI

“…Finally, the family forensic group had more A3-8 compulsive 'The DMM method has a smaller 'false secure' problem than the Berkeley method' caregiving, compliant, promiscuous, self-reliant, delusionally idealising and externally assembled strategies (31.6%) than the normative group (19.0%). This finding suggests that (i) family forensic parents' treatment plans might best focus on revealing and regulating inhibited negative feelings, rather than on inhibiting these feelings further (Baim & Morrison, 2011;Wilcox & Baim, 2016) and (ii) some maltreating parents used transformations that confused self-and child-protection.…”

Children and Families and the Care System

“…The third paper in this issue by Wilcox and Baim () investigates a different aspect of the care system. This paper examines how attachment theory, focusing on Crittenden's () Dynamic‐Maturational Model (DMM) of Attachment and Adaptation, can be used as a framework for assessment and planning interventions with children in care and family proceedings.…”

“…This issue was also highlighted in Kerr and Cossar's () systematic review which explored the perspective of foster and adoptive parents’ use of attachment interventions in the treatment of children's emotional and behavioural difficulties. In this paper, Wilcox and Baim () present two useful case examples to illustrate different insecure attachment styles, the complexity of assessing attachment in different family circumstances and the need for alternative approaches to intervention. One of the cases focuses on a 12‐year‐old girl who has experienced extensive neglect, while the other focuses on an eight‐year‐old girl and her mother who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and has a history of physical and sexual abuse and violent adult relationships.…”