Autism and Attachment - Dr Emma Bede

Attachment security is connected to a wide range of positive life experiences in everything from educational achievement, to positive mental health, to personal relationships, to better outcomes in therapy. There is evidence that autistic people are less likely to have secure attachments, and more likely to have attachment trauma. If you are working as a therapist with autistic clients, or parenting autistic children, or you are autistic yourself, attachment theory and research can help you to understand why this is, and use that knowledge to support the wellbeing of your clients, loved ones, or yourself.

Some of the earliest theories of autism claimed autistic people were incapable of forming emotional attachments to their caregivers, or even blamed parents for causing children's autism by being emotionally unavailable. We will look at the research evidence which demonstrates that these theories are wrong, but also shows us a complicated picture of autistic people's attachment experiences, and the impact on their wellbeing.

We will use this research evidence in combination with clinical and personal experience to map out some of the implications and practical strategies to support autistic people in experiencing safety and acceptance in relationships, in therapy and in their personal lives.

Learning Objective Participants Can Expect From This Event

• Explore how the central principles of attachment theory are relevant to the lived experiences of autistic people.
• Learn strategies for fostering trust and intimacy in relationships, as an autistic person, or as the therapist, parent or partner of an autistic person.
• Understand the increased vulnerability of autistic people to interpersonal trauma and attachment disruption, and how this can impact relationships.

Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?

• Therapists, counsellors or psychologists working with autistic people. Autistic people, and their parents or other loved ones.

How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?

• Provide language and strategies for addressing attachment relationships in clinical practice.

RECORDING 

This event will be recorded and you can use the ticket function to pre-purchase the recording before the event. This will be useful for colleagues who are not able to attend the event live and also for those who attend the event live and want to watch it again.

ZOOM 

This event will be hosted on the Zoom meeting platform where we will use our cameras and microphones to interact with each other as a group.

SELF-SELECT FEE

The self-select fee is a radical inclusion policy to open learning for all colleagues. The guide price for this event is £20.00, however, we appreciate that income varies greatly in different locations and circumstances. Please contribute what you can to help us maintain inclusive professional training.

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If you are not a member of a professional organisation, we ask that you participate in a way that is both authentic and respectful, fostering a space of mutual learning and professional engagement.

By registering for this event, you agree to be present and interact in a manner that reflects these principles.

Dr Emma Bede

Dr Emma Bede is a Clinical Psychologist who works as a therapist with adults of all ages and neurotypes as a therapist, as well as carrying out formal diagnostic assessments for autism and ADHD, and providing support to people newly identified as neurodivergent. She also supervises other clinicians and works in clinical research. Her main approaches are based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment, and mindfulness, and she is particularly interested in working with people who have had difficult life experiences, with issues around becoming a parent, and with people with chronic illness or life-changing diagnoses.

Website | www.willowpsychology.co.uk