[jjjetplane2]

Hi All

Wondering if anyone has done the 10 day intensive attachment therapy with their children. How did it go? What should we expect?

My son has what I would think to be mild RAD. He is five. The adoption counsler has suggested this for him and even is getting funding for us.

I would love to hear from others who have gone through the therapy.

[Dr. Art]

Frankly, for most children, weekly attachment based therapy, such as Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, is usually a better approach...if there is a trained and experienced therapist near you who can provide such therapy. If not, the two-week intensive can be a good beginning...but it is not a cure or answer...it is a beginning and not an end. You will still need follow-up treatment by a therapist who is trained and has had lots of experience providing attachment-based treatment.

We won't do a two-week intensive unless the family has a follow-up therapist. We offer, and many take us up on this, for the follow-up therpist to come out for the two weeks and then be trained. We don't charge for that and it is a good way for a therapist who might be interested in this work to get some good training and experience. If you go to my website you will find some parent and child writings by people who have gone through this.

Also, if you go to my Monday 5pm EST chat, I occassionally have a parent who has attended a two-week intensive sign on to chat. Note, that I will not be on this Monday, but I will the Monday after. The chat is on this website.

Regards,

[lucyjoy]

I've done two very different styles of intensives. Both were emotionally exhausting, but well worth it. It is, however, odd to do an intensive with a mild RAD case. It would seem more normal to do a one or two day intensive or just do the weekly therapy. Part of the therapy should include education in attachment parenting techniques as well as the therapy for the child.

[jjjetplane2]

I say mild because I think I have heard much worse. Sometimes I think I may be in denial about some of the behaviors. (Today he asked me twice if I was going to cut him with a knife) Also, I have seen an increase in manipulation as age 5 & second child has come into the family.

I noticed all the symptoms when he came here at 9 months (his 5th move), but the case worker told me he is too young to have attachment disorder.


They are planning to do this at our house with 2 therapists and also funding us for 1 year of follow up. We are excited because dispite having dual insurances, neither would cover this type of thing. This therapist comes well recommended. She montioned something of telling a story about a baby the first day and eventually telling him his story. And how all babies deserve to be loved, etc.

Did you find one of the intensives more effective then the other? I am looking forward to finding better ways to parent him.

Dr Art, I enjoyed reading the info on your website. Thank You.

[lucyjoy]

The second one where she came to my house was much better.

The other therapist we went to her and although with some familes the therapy is successful, I was not equipped to do my part. She had not explained any of what would be required of us
and I feel I would have been a more affective participant if I'd had time to prepare myself.

Because of a lot of negativity toward attachment therapy, I'm not real comfortable discussing specifics on the open forum. If you want to pm me, I'll be glad to answer any questions.

Without the therapy, my children would not have been o'kay. It was the only thing that started to break through to them.

[Dr. Art]

I agree with Lucyjoy 100%.

However, I'd be glad to discuss the matter further either on this site on on a PM...as you prefer. (I understand LJ's reluctance to discuss this on the forum as she's gotten some nasty bashes for stating truth.)

Best wishes,

[nancygeoghegan]

Hi: My understanding is that an intensive is not a cure but a good jumpstart for some children who need it. Weekly follow up with a trained attachment expert is necessary.

With our son, we started out with weekly sessions as our therapist was new - trained with Dan Hughes and Greg Keck - and she was on her own. She didn't do intensives yet.

I was taught how to parent Nik and how to have him sit in my lap and let out his feelings in a nurturing environment. We still do this and it helps to regulate him. He doesn't see a therapist anymore except for neurofeedback. Really, I feel like therapy mom now lol.

We started treatment when he was 7 and he is now 11. He was severely attachment disordered but is healing. I think his healing process will take many years after four years in a Romanian orphanage.

Talk soon!

Nancy G.

[Dr. Art]

Nancy is quite right. An intensive is a beginning, not an end. We rarely do Intensives with local families as usually once or twice a week treatment is quite sufficient. We generally only do intensives with out of town families who don't have a local therapist who is experienced in attachment-based treatment. We do require that there be a follow-up therapist and we help in locating someone to do that. Often a local therapist will come out for the intensive and be trained while they participate in the treatment so that the therapist can do the follow-up treatment. That seems to work well.

Regards,

[SB8]

Nancy,

You adopted from Romania? We adopted three children from Russia. I have been on the site trying to find attachment therapists in Chicago area. I think I have some solid leads now.

You mentioned that your agency will help fund your therapy? I thought we were on our own financially with the international adoptions?

Should I inquire of our agency, Catholic Charities in chicago, if they will fund treatment or is it the international agency (ours was Cradle of Hope) that is helping you?

As you can expect, I have two children with attachment related issues that need therapy and after almost 4 years of evaluations and searching out information on my own we are almost bankrupt.

I finally feel like we know what therapy will help. However, getting the help we need is becoming extremely difficult.

[nancygeoghegan]

Hi Sue - unfortunately, no, we had not help with the monetary aspects of the healing process from any agency. I was able to make our insurance company pay $30 per session for twenty visits per year for our attachment therapy - no small feat lol.

We have one of those network provider types of insurance. At that time, I had learned enough about attachment disorder to start interviewing therapists to see if they could help my son. I called every therapist on their list - over 140 - talked to each one personally and proved to the insurance company that they had no one who was capable of effectively helping my son. I had to wrangle with a PhD who headed up their mental health division. He told me that Nik was too damaged to even try to help - proved him wrong, lol.

Tim O'Hanlon of Adoption Advocates may be kind enough to answer some of your questions regarding funding of treatment - tohanlon@columbus.rr.com http://www.fpsol.com/adoption/whoadv.html

Adoption Advocates help out families in Ohio but Tim has answered questions for me before regarding this issue.

If you would like, I can email you some contacts in your area that may be able to help you.

Nancy G.

[SB8]

Nancy,

Yes, please if you know of anyone in the Chicago area that may help us please let me know. Wouldn't you know that as soon as we find the right kind of treatment my husband's and my jobs are shaky.

Every bit helps.

Thanks,

Sue B

[Dr. Art]

The best place to find a competant and well trained therapist who can effectively treat a child with trauma-attachment disorders is the Association for the Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children. Their website is www.attach.org Any therapist who is adequately trained and reputable regarding treating such children wll be a member of ATTACh and a registered clinician on their website.

Regards,

[SB8]

Dr. ARt,

I have been to that site and many others mentioned in several web sites. Although there is a lot of good and interesting information, there are no attachment therapists listed in the Chicago area.

If anyone knows of any please reply.

thanks,

Sue B

[Dr. Art]

Dear Sue,

You are right, there are not any therapists listed on ATTACH in Chicago. However, the Theraplay Institute is, I think, in the process of becoming an ATTACH member and getting the necessary training etc to become a registered clinical member. The head of it has been to one training with Dr. Daniel Hughes, so I can suggest you contact her (I forget her name at the moment, but if you call the Institute, I can confirm the name for you.) For a young child, if not too disturbed and if there is some positive attachment capacity present without substantial or significant trauma, Theraplay can be a good treatment to try.

Best of luck

[neebob]

HI,

1st, so glad this forum exists! Thanks to all who participate.
2nd, the attach.com site is great - finally we are with someone on that list. So important to have people who understand - really understand- attachment issues. My husband and I come away from these sessions feeling hopeful.
3rd, can anyone point me to articles that would help an insurance appeal? Our insurance is not paying at all, which doesn't help the already stressful situation.

Thanks for any pointers.