Workshop Description
This training offers an overview of Attachment Theory and its application in clinical practice with a focus on trauma-informed care. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of various attachment styles and how these patterns may present in therapeutic settings, particularly in the context of trauma and early relational wounds.
The course emphasizes the impact of early attachment experiences on emotional well-being, relationship dynamics, and patterns of coping across the lifespan. Through a blend of theoretical concepts, clinical case examples, and practical strategies, participants will strengthen their skills in supporting clients toward earned secure attachment and fostering relational healing.
Additionally, the training will explore the concept of complex transference, including the presence of contradictory and multiple transferences that often emerge in trauma treatment. Attention will be given to how these dynamics inform the therapeutic relationship and how clinicians can navigate these responses with attunement, curiosity, and trauma-informed approaches.
By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with actionable tools to enhance clinical effectiveness, deepen insight into attachment-based challenges, and facilitate meaningful progress for clients impacted by trauma.
Learning Objectives
Following this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe the foundational principles of Attachment Theory and its relevance in clinical practice.
- Recognize clinical presentations of secure and insecure attachment in therapeutic settings.
- Assess client behaviors and relational patterns through the lens of attachment theory and integrate this knowledge into trauma-informed treatment planning.
- Develop strategies for self-reflection and self-care to enhance therapists' resilience in working with attachment and trauma-related issues.
Continuing Education
3.0 CE credits
This workshop is approved for licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed psychologists.
Fees
- NASW-NY Member: $45.00
- Other Chapter Members (e.g., NASW-NJ, etc.): $75.00
- Non-Member: $90.00
Presenter
Erena DiGonis, LCSW-R
Erena DiGonis, LCSW-R is a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Health Coach, and Certified Clinical Anxiety and Trauma Treatment Professional. She is also certified in Brainspotting and trained in EMDR.
Erena has twenty-one years of practical and professional experience as an active clinician, teacher, and supervisor. She has worked in a variety of community, psychiatric, in-home, and private practice settings with hundreds of complex cases.
Erena is a sought-after writer, speaker, and consultant and has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Psychology Today, Reader’s Digest, Women's Health, and MEL magazine. She has reviewed book proposals for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and is an Advisory Board Member for the CPTSD Foundation.
Erena serves as the Founder and Continuing Education Director of EngagedMinds, a national Continuing Education business providing training for Counselors, Social Workers, and Therapists.