Attachment Focused Music Therapy with Families. Tools for Developing, Enhancing an Strengthening the Attachment Bond between Children and their Parents

Kirsi Tuomi Phd, Myllytalo/ University of Jyväskyla, Finland 

FULLY BOOKED!

The aim of this workshop is to present Nurture and Play (NaP) for foster families with young children -intervention. Also, the intervention protocol with its different aspects including arrival and departure, nurturing and challenging activities are presented and explored.

The NaP for foster families -intervention is a preventive and guiding group approach. Music therapy can use Theraplay and its elements in the intervention in addition to mentalization based approaches. The focus is to help the attachment relationship between parents and 1-5 years old children develop toward a secure direction. Joyful and playful engagement and trust between the parent and the child are stressed. In addition, the intervention goal is to increase parental sensitivity, mentalization capacity and emotional availability as well as empower the parents. All these aspects are considered in the workshop and concrete ideas and activities are presented.

After experiencing the activities, the recently published research article focusing on how parents reflect different meanings of the NaP -intervention, is shortly presented. The results emphasize both child and parent’s perspectives, thoughts, and feelings. Discussion in a dialogic manner will take place through the whole workshop.