Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Attachment Therapy

We had a short psych evaluation today. She found nothing conclusive. Then we went to attachment therapy. Bear sat in the hall and I spent the whole time with the attachment therapist. There is a lot to sort out as we try to figure out this road for Bear. We stopped attachment therapy after over a year last May. Bear was not ready. I was working very hard. He was not and was shutting down more and more. So how do we prepare this young man to live in the world? That is the question we tackled today. We have full support from our attachment therapist in whatever we do. This is why I am so driven to become an attachment therapist myself. I'd be so honored to provide this kind of support to a mom. There are not enough attachment therapists out there and their loads are full. I will be working on things over the coming week, making calls, conferring with the AT and arriving at a plan....hopefully. I'll let you all know what we decide. Thanks for those who prayed or cheered me on. Torina, we have ahd your same issue with therapists that are not attachment therapists so I'm going into this with extreme caution and concern. Lisa I do not know what I want to ahve happen other than for Bear to be well.

13 comments:

Lisa said...

Hang in there Brenda. You're going to figure all this out.
I am so glad you're going to be an AT. There is such a huge need and not enough to go around. A great AT is priceless!
Honestly...if I won the lottery (first you have to play the lottery) I would so give our AT a nice bonus.

Brenda said...

Lisa,

I so agree. I'd pay for him to have an assistnat. The poor guy is overworked.

C said...

Brenda, I love you, chic. I'm so sorry I'm two states away. I'd get you drunk on Ben & Jerry's.



At some point, would you lay out your basic academic plan for becoming an AT? Maybe I'm the only one that would find that interesting, but I do just love it when your world revolves around me.

Brenda said...

Christine,

I'd love that, especially if chocolate is involved.

~Bren~ said...

I'm praying for you!!! (((hugs)))

Meridith said...

I have been praying for you today.

Torina said...

Brenda, I am curious what sort of classes and whatnot that you took, too! I work in educational programming and could use ideas for new programs to implement at the university where I work. (The ideas I submit usually revolve around things that would help me...shhhhh)

Brenda said...

I am getting a master's in counseling. It is just a general counseling training program. To get the attachment training I need to do my practicum and internship with an attachment therapist. Ist that what you mean? So far I have had Theories I, Multicultural Counseling, Research in Counseling, Psychopathology and Social Cultures. Next term I have Career and Lifstyle development and Clinical Assessment.

Torina said...

Interesting! Thanks, Brenda!

farm lady said...

I think you will be an awesome attachment therapist. We need many more here!! Go for it!

Brenda said...

Thanks Farm Lady,

You are such an encouraging person. I appreciate it!

Torina,

Does your college have any type of master's of counseling program? Each state has different requirements for there counselors though, so Nebraska may be different than your state.

Torina said...

We don't have a M in Counseling because a college nearby has the program. We do, however, have a MSW program. I have been a guest speaker for some classes and have taken many as well (where I can open my big mouth freely) and have talked about attachment issues. So I know from my experiences that there needs to be more of a focus on the disabilities that abuse, trauma, neglect, and frequent moves create. I should do some create thinking about how to develop this into something more consistent...

Brenda said...

Torina,

I am taking a class called Grief and Bereavement this summer that could include some important grieving information. A class on childhood trauma would be excellent. I am going to a seminar on trauma and the brain in March by Bruce Perry. The lunch speaker is Antwone Fisher. Should be excellent.