A  new course from
Kim Barthel!

2-Day Workshop in SYDNEY

DATE

Thursday 20 November 2025 9:00 AM - Friday 21 November 2025 4:30 PM (UTC+10)

LOCATION

Novotel Paramatta
350 Church st, Parramatta NSW 2150

Human beings are wired for connection and belonging

Whether you work in healthcare, education, or any profession that supports others, understanding the theory and neurobiology of attachment is essential.

In this innovative and practical course, you’ll explore how attachment adaptations shape our sense of self, relationships, and interactions throughout life. More importantly, you’ll gain strategies to foster co-regulation, helping you build attuned, meaningful connections with those you support.

Join us to deepen your understanding of neurobiology, attachment, and human connection – and elevate the way you engage with others.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the neurobiological foundations and role of attachment in emotional and relational development across different environments and contexts

2. Discuss the different theoretical models of attachment and how they can assist with understanding oneself and others

3. Explain attachment through a spectrum of attachment adaptations with flexibility, and their impact on self-awareness for both the clients and the therapists as they relate to self-regulation

4. Develop individual therapeutic strategies for responding effectively to the various shades of attachment adaptations, enhancing effective therapeutic use of self and co-regulation

Target Audience

• Therapists, counsellors, and mental health professionals, including OTs, psychologists, speech pathologists, social workers, medical professionals

• Educators

• Professionals working with children and families

• Coaches and professionals in relational fields

Modules

• Module 1: The Neurobiology of Attachment & Attachment Disruptions

  • Foundations of Attachment Theory (Drs. John Bowlby & Mary Ainsworth)

    • The evolutionary purpose of attachment in survival and species development

  • Neurobiology of Attachment

    • Limbic system, Amygdala, Hippocampus, Prefrontal Cortex

    • The role of the Vagus in co-regulation

  • Autonomic States & Attachment

    • Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn

    • Cortisol, Oxytocin, and the impact of early stress

  • Impact of Early Attachment Disruptions

    • Developmental Trauma and Attachment Insecurity

    • Epigenetic and intergenerational influences

    • Neurodiversity and how individual differences impact attachments

• Module 2: Classic & Emerging Attachment Models - Explore the different models of attachment and how they can assist with understanding oneself and others.

  • Overview of Classic Attachment Theory

    • Secure, Insecure Avoidant, Insecure Connection-Seeking, Disorganized

  • Examining and Expanding on Original Attachment Models

    • Limitation of focus on pathology rather than understanding attachment as adaptations dependent on the immediate circumstances

  • Introduction to the Dynamic Maturational Model (DMM) (Dr. Pat Crittenden)

    • A focus on adaptive behaviours rather than firm and set patterns

    • Developing problem solving skills in assessing the roots of an individual's behaviour (sensation, cognition, emotion) and attachment strategies, allows us more clarity when developing interventions

• Module 3: Adaptive Shades of Attachment - Observing the various shades of attachment

  • Avoidant tendencies

    • Low-risk avoidant adaptations

    • High-risk avoidant adaptations (compulsive caregiving, people pleasing, compliance)

    • Physiological states and embodied presentation associated with avoidance

  • Preoccupied tendencies/Connection-Seeking

    • Low-risk connection-seeking adaptations

    • High-risk connection-seeking strategies (aggressive/controlling behaviours)

    • Physiological states and embodied presentation associated with connection-seeking

  • Disorganized Adaptations & Developmental Trauma

    • Physiological states and embodied presentation of disorganized attachment (developmental trauma) adaptations

    • The connection between attachment and interoception (internal body awareness)

  • How Attachment Adaptations Unfold Over Time

    • Developmental pathways of attachment adaptations

    • Individual differences: addressing neurodiversity

    • Adult attachment & relational dynamics

    • How attachment behaviours vary across different cultures (e.g., independence-focused vs. collectivist caregiving styles)

• Module 4: Therapeutically Responding to the Varying Shades of Attachment Therapeutic Principles for Attachment-Based Work

  • The role of co-regulation in relationships

  • Self-awareness related to own prominent attachment adaptations

  • Therapeutic Use of Self

• Interventions for Different Attachment Strategies

  • Avoidant Adaptations

    • Foster emotional awareness and connection without overwhelming

    • Supporting trust and interdependence

    • Sideways approach

  • Connection-Seeking Adaptations

    • Connect before they seek connection

    • Encourage cognitive reflection and balanced emotional expression

    • Clarity with kindness

  • Disorganized Adaptations & Trauma-Sensitive Approaches

    • The importance of somatic approaches to support regulation

    • Potential to integrate attachment theory with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), Psycho-Sensory Intervention (PSI), Sensory Integration Therapy SI), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

  •  Personal & Professional Integration

    • How attachment theory informs our therapeutic presence

    • Importance of self-reflection: participants’ own attachment adaptations

    • Applying attachment knowledge to real-world scenarios

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