Attachment Theory Training & Professional Development
The International Attachment Network provides professional training for therapists, counsellors and other practitioners who want to deepen their understanding of attachment theory and apply contemporary attachment thinking within their clinical work.
Develop Your Practice Through Attachment Theory
IAN’s training connects attachment theory and research with the realities of therapeutic practice, helping professionals develop an attachment-informed understanding of psychological development, relationships, the therapeutic process and change.
Our training is designed to be practical as well as theoretically informed. Participants are encouraged to explore how attachment processes can help them understand clients’ relational histories, patterns of careseeking and caregiving, emotional regulation, mentalizing, intimate relationships and the therapeutic relationship itself.
Attachment-informed therapy is not a single therapeutic modality. Rather, attachment theory and research can inform clinical thinking and practice across a range of established therapeutic approaches.
IAN offers introductory and advanced professional training, continuing professional development (CPD), supervision, discussion groups and a structured seven-module Advanced Certificate pathway.
Who is the training for?
IAN’s attachment theory training is designed primarily for professionals working therapeutically with individuals, couples and families who want to develop their understanding of attachment and its clinical applications.
Training may be particularly relevant to:
Psychotherapists
Counsellors
Psychologists
Couple and relationship therapists
Family therapists
Mental health professionals
Other suitably qualified practitioners working in therapeutic settings
The Advanced Certificate programme is intended for practitioners with appropriate professional training and registration. Individual modules may have specific entry requirements or prerequisites, so please check the details of each course before booking.
Advanced Certificate in the Clinical Application of Attachment Theory
IAN’s Advanced Certificate in the Clinical Application of Attachment Theory is a structured seven-module professional training programme designed for practitioners who want to develop their understanding and clinical application of attachment theory.
The programme connects contemporary attachment theory and research with practical therapeutic work. Across the seven modules, participants explore attachment-informed therapy, the Adult Attachment Interview and mentalizing, couple relationships, parenthood, complex trauma, sexuality and the practitioner’s own experiences of careseeking and caregiving.
The training is designed to help practitioners integrate attachment thinking into their existing clinical approach rather than prescribe a particular form of therapy.
The complete programme comprises seven modules delivered over ten training days. Each training day carries seven CPD hours, including pre-course reading or listening.
The Seven Modules
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An introduction to attachment theory and its practical application in therapeutic work, including attachment patterns, internal working models, careseeking and caregiving, and the therapeutic relationship.
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Explores the clinical value of the Adult Attachment Interview and the relationship between attachment, reflective functioning and mentalizing, with a focus on understanding clients’ states of mind and supporting psychological change.
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Explores how attachment histories and patterns influence adult intimate relationships, including conflict, distance, emotional regulation, communication and intimacy.
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Examines the psychological and relational transition to parenthood, including how parents’ own attachment histories and family experiences can influence parenting, couple relationships and relationships with their children.
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Explores complex trauma through an attachment-informed perspective, including early relational experiences, emotional regulation, shame, relationship patterns and implications for therapeutic practice.
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Considers how attachment dynamics interact with sexuality and intimate relationships, including desire, intimacy, sexual development and the influence of relational histories.
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A small experiential group providing practitioners with an opportunity to explore their own experiences of careseeking and caregiving and consider how these may influence their professional and therapeutic relationships.
How the Training Pathway Works
The programme is designed as a progressive training pathway, with Module 1 providing the foundation for the more advanced modules.
**Module 1** is the starting point for the Advanced Certificate and is a prerequisite for the subsequent specialist modules. Some advanced modules also require completion of
**Module 2 — Clinical Application of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and Mentalizing**. This structure enables participants to build their understanding progressively, moving from the foundations of attachment-informed clinical practice into more specialised areas including couples therapy, parenthood, complex trauma, sexuality and practitioner self-awareness.
Individual module requirements are shown on each course booking page. Please check the current course information before booking.
What You Will Gain from IAN Attachment Training
IAN’s training is designed to help practitioners translate attachment theory and research into thoughtful, practical clinical work.
Through the programme, participants will have opportunities to:
Develop a deeper understanding of attachment theory and its relevance across the lifespan
Recognise how attachment histories and internal working models may influence relationships, emotional regulation and patterns of careseeking and caregiving
Explore attachment patterns and their implications for therapeutic understanding and intervention
Develop understanding of mentalizing, reflective functioning and their relationship to attachment
Consider how attachment processes influence the therapeutic relationship and alliance
Apply attachment-informed thinking to work with individuals, couples and families
Explore the relevance of attachment to complex trauma, intimacy, sexuality and the transition to parenthood
Reflect on how practitioners’ own experiences of careseeking and caregiving may influence clinical relationships
Integrate attachment-informed thinking into an existing therapeutic approach rather than adopt a prescribed therapeutic modality
Learning across the programme includes presentations, discussion, case material, skills practice, relevant research and opportunities for reflection.
CPD & Professional Development
IAN’s application of attachment theory training is designed to support continuing professional development for therapists, counsellors and other appropriately qualified practitioners.
Each full training day within the Advanced Certificate programme carries 7 CPD hours, including one hour of pre-course reading or listening.
Alongside formal training, IAN provides opportunities for practitioners to continue developing their attachment-informed practice through supervision, professional discussion groups, reading groups and other CPD activities.
This wider programme of professional development enables practitioners to continue exploring attachment theory, contemporary research and its application within clinical practice beyond the formal training modules.
About the Programme & Trainer
The Advanced Certificate in the Clinical Application of Attachment Theory was developed by Nicola Jones, psychotherapist, trainer, supervisor and Vice-Chair and Trustee of the International Attachment Network (IAN UK).
Nicola works in private practice with individuals and couples and has a longstanding interest in the clinical application of attachment theory. Her training brings together attachment research and theory with practical therapeutic understanding and skills that practitioners can integrate into their existing clinical approach.
She trained with Relate and the Institute of Family Therapy and has undertaken further study in attachment theory. She also holds an MA in Gender Studies from SOAS, University of London.
Nicola has developed and delivered attachment-focused training for therapists and counsellors and has run workshops for professional and membership organisations. Her teaching places particular emphasis on translating attachment theory into practical clinical understanding, including work with individuals, couples and relationships.
Develop Your Attachment-Informed Practice with IAN
Whether you are beginning to explore the clinical applications of attachment theory or want to deepen your existing knowledge, IAN provides a progressive pathway for professional learning and development.
Start with Module 1 — Introduction to Attachment-Informed Therapy and its Clinical Application, or explore our current programme of attachment theory training, CPD, supervision and professional learning opportunities.