Attachment and early relationship patterns (DAA024)

Discover the key principles of attachment theory

Attachment theory

Fee: £59

Duration: 2.5 hours

Delivery: Online: self-study

Qualification: CPD certificate

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This course is also available as part of a cost-saving course bundle.

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This interactive online course – newly refreshed with improved accessibility and enhanced learning resources – will introduce you to the fundamental principles of attachment theory. You’ll explore how the dynamics of early relationships influence how children interact with the world in later life, and the impact of these on their development and resilience.

Focusing on John Bowlby’s seminal attachment theory, this course explores how children’s innate ability to adapt to their surroundings can lead to both short-term gains and long-term costs – forming behavioural patterns that are ingrained in the mind, brain and body.

You’ll explore key concepts through interactive content and videos, deepen your understanding via opportunities for reflection and consider case studies to help apply the theory to your work, collecting a certificate on completion.

By the end of this clear and accessible course, you will have developed valuable insights into the enduring impact of early relationships, which can help to inform your own interactions with children and young people.

Please note: this course was previously available as Attachment theory: how children learn what to expect from relationships.

Aims and learning objectives

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

describe how exposure to mild stressors can contribute to the development of resilience
recognise situations where adaptive coping strategies become unhelpful defences
explain how the main principles of attachment theory shape child development
define key attachment patterns and describe how they correspond to states of mind
explain how empathy and attunement contribute to trust, emotional connection and healthy, secure relationships.

Who will I learn from?

Dr Graham Music, the writer and lead for this course, is a psychotherapist, trainer and author, working clinically with children, families and adults for over 30 years.

“I am excited to be offering the Understanding child development, attachment and resilience courses, of which this is one. They provide an indispensable synthesis of the latest clinical and scientific knowledge about children’s emotional development,” says Dr Graham Music. “They integrate longstanding clinical understandings from the Tavistock’s child psychotherapy traditions with a wealth of new and classical research from areas such as attachment theory, neuroscience, developmental psychology and cross-cultural studies.

“They unpack the most significant influences on the developing child, including the family and social context, looking at key developmental stages and covering important topics such as genes and environment, trauma, neglect, resilience and neurobiology. Full of fascinating findings, they provide answers to many of the questions people really want to ask about child development.

“By understanding why a child presents as they do, we can become less judgemental, and so more able to offer them the help that they need.”

Who is this course for?

This course is suitable for individuals, teams and organisations and we welcome anyone who has a keen interest in the subject area. In particular, this course is for you if you are working with children, young people and families, and wish to learn more about cutting edge research in this area, and how it can be applied to your work.

You may be working in social services, healthcare, education or youth work, the voluntary sector or you may be considering work with children in the future. It’s also suitable for practitioners working with Best Start Family Hubs or Healthy Babies services.

Course details

This online course runs continuously, meaning that you can sign up at any time. It offers 2.5 hours of self-directed learning which you can undertake at a time, pace and location that suits you.

You will have access to the course and its materials for one year. Access begins the next working day after you’ve booked, when you will receive your account details by email.

This course is also available as part of the Understanding child development, attachment and resilience course bundle, a cost-saving, convenient option that offers one year’s access to 9.5 hours of learning content over three complementary courses.

The three courses making up the bundle can also be studied individually. This course, Attachment and early relationship patterns, and Childhood trauma, neglect and resilience dive more deeply into those specific topics, each offering 2.5 hours of learning content. Children’s emotional, social and brain development offers a more general introduction to the topics over 4.5 hours of learning content.

You’ll explore a wide range of topics related to the foundations and applications of attachment theory and how it relates to child development, early relationships and later life. These topics include:

the foundations of attachment including the work of John Bowlby
attunement, mismatches and repair
coping mechanisms, defences and resilience
attachment theory and its origins
attachment styles and patterns
the Still Face Experiment and the Strange Situation Assessment
internal working models and attachment across the lifespan
adult attachment and reflective capacity
mind-mindedness and mentalisation.

You’ll learn through a mix of:

clear and practical learning objectives
knowledge check questions and self-reflection prompts
a range of images, diagrams, charts and infographics
engaging video and audio clips, interactive activities and real-life case studies
key takeaways and handy unit summaries.

There are no specific requirements for the course, although we suggest you are working with, or have an interest in working with children, or want to learn more about the effects of difficult early experiences on children’s minds and behaviours.

At the end of the course, you will find a multiple-choice question assessment to check your own knowledge and understanding. A certificate, listing the number of learning hours undertaken, is downloadable on completion of the course.

Training for organisations

Looking to enhance the skills of your team or workforce and create long-lasting impact?

We can offer discounts for group bookings, as well as packages tailored to your specific workforce requirements, including:

an initial consultation to help identify your team’s training needs and knowledge gaps
a flexible, bespoke training programme combining this self-study course with live elements such as reflective sessions or follow-up workshops for deeper learning

For more information on how we can support your organisation, please contact us.

Testimonials

“This course was very informative and clearly conveyed key messages for working with parents and families, highlighting what is important and reasons to be hopeful.rn”

Student

“As a health play specialist working with young children, especially babies, in hospital without an attachment figure present, it has been very beneficial.”

Health Play Specialist

“A dynamic, clinical (research-wise) but accessible way to introduce and raise understanding among professionals in the field of psychology (and not only, I would say) about the importance of attachment relationships and related transformations and developments.”

PhD Student (Portugal)

“I found this course valuable and thought-provoking. It helped deepen my understanding of attachment theory, particularly the importance of attunement, mismatch and repair, and how early experiences shape later behaviour and relationships. I found the examples and research references helpful in linking theory to practice, and I will take this learning forward in my work.”

Occupational Therapist

Why study with us?

Tavistock Education and Training offers a wide range of life-changing CPD and postgraduate courses, drawing on over a century of work at the forefront of mental health and wellbeing. As part of North London NHS Foundation Trust, we ground your learning in the latest clinical practice and research, with each course developed by our expert clinician-tutors, in the only NHS Trust registered with the Office for Students. We have made our training accessible and available to everyone to explore in your own time, at your own pace.

Course facilitators

Graham Music

Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist

Book your place today

This course runs continuously. You can book a place at any time using our MyTAP booking system. Access begins the next working day after you’ve booked, when you will receive login details by email.

Save with our cost-effective bundles

This course is also available as part of a convenient, cost-saving bundle – providing you with one year’s access to three complementary online resources.

Find out more

CPD certificate