As the Directors and Executive Committee, we are proud to share the story of the International Attachment Network, a journey that began over three decades ago and continues to grow today.

I am a qualified psychologist with over ten years’ experience of teaching A Level Psychology at a leading Oxford school. Alongside my work in mainstream education, I have extensive experience working in Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools in Oxford. In Spain, I serve as a psychologist for a sixth form centre based in Madrid, where I support students’ psychological well-being, academic performance and post-18 transitions. I also have my private patients. A central focus of my professional interest is the role of attachment in adolescence, particularly how early attachment patterns influence academic motivation, performance, resilience, and overall wellbeing. I am interested in bridging research and practice, applying psychological theory in ways that have meaningful impact within educational settings. I work closely with young people experiencing academic pressure, motivation difficulties, anxiety, low mood and challenges with self-esteem. I provide them tailored psychological support, developing inclusive learning strategies in safe, consistent environments where they feel understood, valued, and empowered to grow, all through an attachment-informed lens. A key feature is helping families in understanding the underlying factors that may be affecting their child’s wellbeing and performance and allowing them to provide a framework of care and support.  Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to meet diverse student needs, my interventions are grounded in attachment theory, as I believe that secure, attuned relationships form the foundation for both emotional wellbeing and academic achievement. My cross-cultural professional experience in both the UK and Spain allows me to bring a broad, integrative perspective to adolescent psychology and education.

Nicola Jones is an experienced relationship and individual psychotherapist in private practice. Nicola has been a passionate advocate of attachment theory for many years and brings this lens to her work, individual and group supervision and training. She is a trustee and Vice-Chair of the International Attachment Network (IAN) and a member of the Association for Exploring the Dynamics of Adult Attachment (AEDAA). Nicola lectures and runs workshops for various organisations in the UK and has recently developed an Advanced Certificate in Attachment Theory comprising endorsed by IAN. In the past Nicola worked in the legal and family business sector and spoke internationally on a wide range of global issues from financial literacy, sustainable international development, micro finance and global philanthropy.

Dr Jonathan Lloyd is a psychotherapist in private practice and also CEO of Calm Minds Healthcare. He has an interest in Attachment Theory and how this influences our relationships and ways of being. He has 20 years of experience as a therapist. He has been involved in research and presented papers around Europe. He is the author of Whales in the Desert: The Use of Metaphor in therapy.  He holds a professional doctorate in counselling from the University of Manchester.  In his spare time he loves to spend time with his grandchildren and watch Stockport County. 

Chilean Clinical Psychologist and Psychoanalyst living and working in Berlin. Master in Psychoanalysis and Doctor in Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology (UCL). Associate Professor at the Psychoanalysis Unit of University College London, Lecturer at the International Psychoanalytic University in Berlin. Academic Director of ADIPA in Latin America. Vice-President of the Asociación Internacional para el Estudio y Desarrollo de la Mentalización (AIEDEM). Member of the Direcotrs Board of the International Attachment Network in the United Kingdom. Private adult psychotherapist and supervisor in Berlin. His academic and clinical work interests are attachment and mentalizing theories. You can find his publications here.

Rebecca Sheikh is a certified Level 2 Aware Parenting Instructor and regional co-ordinator for the U.K. Ireland and Sub-Saharan Africa. Her passion lies in helping parents and educators to find ways to discipline without the use of punishments or rewards. She is a mother to 2 children age 13 and 10, her greatest inspirations. Rebecca completed an MA in Counselling in Education at The Tavistock Institute in London and has done a Foundation Course in Nonviolent Communication, the Hand in Hand Parenting professional intensive, and has an ONC certificate in gentle sleep methods. Rebecca leads workshops and supports parents using the Aware Parenting approach, which is attachment focussed and trauma informed. Rebecca is also passionate about supporting parents to heal on a deeper level and is an Inner Child Journeys Practitioner. She is currently training to be a sandplay therapist and is a therapeutic play practitioner. Rebecca is also a SoulCollage® facilitator and finishing her Focusing practitioner training. Rebecca works on the executive council of The International Attachment Network.

Mario Marrone is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and group therapist. He is a founder member of the International Attachment Network and co-founder of the journal Attachment and Human Development.  He has published many articles and books in several languages. He speaks English, Italian and Spanish. He has lectured internationally on mental health, psychotherapy and attachment theory. He works online as an individual psychotherapist and occasionally conducts intensive workshops. 

Dr Nicola Diamond was a Senior Lecturer in Psychosocial Studies, University of East London, and teacher at the Tavistock Clinic. She still works as a visiting lecturer for the Tavistock clinic.  She is a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist  (BPC reg) and has a private practice. Previously she worked as a psychotherapist for The Helen Bamber Foundation (for survivors of torture and trauma) and at the Women’s Therapy Centre in London. She is one of the founding members of the international attachment network with Mario Marrone. Her specialisation is in attachment , psychoanalysis, and the body, but has a broader background in contemporary philosophy, neuroscience, visual forms of representation and cultural, psychosocial studies. She is particularly interested in developing attachment thinking to advancements to psychoanalysis and clinical practice. She does public lectures in the field,  podcasts and doctorate, post doctorate supervision. You can find a list of the books Nicola has authored or contributed towards here.

www.drnicoladiamond.com

Anna/Dr Herrmann is originally from Munich, Germany, and has lived in London for 20 years. She holds a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Integrative Psychotherapy from Middlesex University. She works in the NHS and private practice, also having had managerial experience in clinical settings. The core of her practice is informed by theory and research in developmental psychology, attachment theory, theory of affect regulation, and object relations theory. Her doctoral research was on the patients’ experience and outcome of a specialist, attachment-based therapy method for developmental trauma. Anna is interested in how attachment theory and developmental psychology can help our understanding of healthy relationships and how this can be applied clinically as well as societally, politically and economically. She currently leads a project called www.therapists.cafe, connecting politically minded therapists. She is in 4-sessions a week personal analysis.

www.herrmannpsychotherapy.com 

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist

BA (Hons) LCP, Member Oxford Psychotherapy Society ,The Marches , (Hereford) International Attachment Network, ( London) Jackie is a self employed psychoanalytic psychotherapist and have been in private practise for many years both in London and Oxford. She trained at the London Centre for Psychotherapy and have since completed additional trainings in both CBT therapy and organisational therapy. She has a keen interest in Attachment therapy and is a member of the Executive Committee for the International Attachment Network (London). Jackie also has an interest in early child development and families and is currently undertaking a course in Aware Parenting. She feels that this is extremely important for childhood development and the successful integration and happiness for young children and families. Jackie has worked for many years primarily with adults and has had consulting rooms in North and West London and now at the Raleigh Clinic, Oxford She has a very keen interest in music and also works as a classical music composer. Jackie has been very fortunate in working with some of our finest actors. At present she is working on a paper exploring the connection between therapy and music and the way in which the two fields have many overlapping qualities which are potentially of great therapeutic value.

Paul started his career in teaching working for 8 years, the majority of that time in Special Schools in South London. He then moved to the City, working for many years in senior roles within banking, broking, technology and the listed exchange world. Paul is a qualified integrative therapist and works for a number of practices including his own private practice.

Paul is also an ICF qualified coach.