Dafna Lender

The key to meaningful change is connection. Integrative Attachment Family Therapy (IAFT), developed by family therapy expert and attachment specialist Dafna Lender, is a powerful intervention approach that addresses a wide array of issues that make their way to a therapist's office: difficult behaviors on the part of the child, such as frequent arguments and tantrums, disobedience, and indifference, and reactive behaviors on the part of the parents, such as yelling, pleading, threatening, and giving up or giving in. Instead of viewing the child as the problem, IAFT addresses the crux of the issue: a misalignment in the parent-child relationship. In this treatment guide, Dafna walks readers through the IAFT framework, providing therapeutic insight and concrete strategies to help families achieve meaningful and lasting change. Whether you're a clinician, child welfare worker, educator, or professional working with children in any capacity, this must-have resource will allow you to: - Create a strong alliance with parents-the crucial, and often missing, piece of therapeutic work with children - Overcome a host of complex, off-putting defenses and dysfunctions that come with working directly with parents - Uncover the reasons for the emotional misalignment between parent and child - Guide families in looking at the source of the problem rather than at superficial behaviors -Enhance children's attachment security, resiliency, and sense of self With this clinical guide, you can truly help families transform into happy and well-functioning environments where children can thrive.

The Definitive Guide to Theraplay® for Practitioners, officially endorsed by the Theraplay® InstituteTheraplay is an intervention that focuses on enhancing the connection, trust and joy between a child and a parent. It involves interactive, playful activities using simple face-to-face reciprocal interactions, and involves using all of the senses, including rhythm, movement and touch. This comprehensive guide outlines the theory, reflection, and skill development of the practitioner - the true power house of Theraplay. By maintaining a focus on practice throughout, embedding theory into practice examples, it brings the spirit of Theraplay to life. Part 1 covers the key principles of the intervention; Part 2 addresses Theraplay in Practice: how to use the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM), how to set up a room and choose activities and considerations for working with different client groups; Part 3 encourages the reader to engage in their own development and the stages involved; and Parts 4 and 5 provide a wealth of useful resources, checklists, handouts, sample sessions and an up-to-date list of Theraplay activities. Whether you are a Theraplay practitioner, or simply want to find out how this remarkable intervention works, this book is essential reading.

Theraplay® is an attachment-focused model of parenting that helps parents to understand and relate to their child. Based on a sequence of play activities that are rooted in neuroscience, Theraplay offers a fun and easy way for parents and children to connect. Theraplay is particularly effective with looked after and adopted children. By providing an overview of Theraplay and the psychological principles that it is based on, parents and carers will gain an understanding of the basic theory of the model along with practical ideas for applying Theraplay to everyday family life. Through everyday case studies and easy language, parents will gain confidence and learn new skills for emotional bonding, empathy, and acceptance in the relationship with their child.