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Ideal Parent Figure
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Integrative Attachment Therapy (IAT)

 

“Co-created secure attachment imagery allows for the patient to experience caregivers in ways that a therapist cannot be expected to provide.”

– Dr David Elliott, co-author of the acclaimed text book, Attachment Disturbances in Adults

“All treatments for adult attachment insecurity include in some form a set of principles and methods that can be termed therapist-as-good-attachment-figure. This relational context is widely and appropriately accepted as a foundation for any attachment-focused therapy. We are offering a therapeutic model with the Three Pillars, that includes using patient-and-therapist co-created imagery of positive attachment experiences rooted in the 5 qualities of secure attachment. This imagery method is intrapersonal, in that it focuses on the patient’s inner experience of mental representations of attachment relationships; it is inter- personal, in that the process calls upon the therapist to be highly attuned, collaborative and responsive— as a good attachment figure—to the patient experiencing the imagery; and it is meta- interpersonal, in that the patient experiences the imagined interaction with the positive attachment relationships in the context of the therapist supporting and participating in the process. The use of imagery in this way can be a valuable contribution towards relational healing and adult earned secure attachment.”

  – ATTACHMENT: New Directions in Psychotherapy and Relational Psychoanalysis, Vol. 15, June 2021: pp. 36–55.

If you are someone who likes to read the message boards and blogs, you have likely heard about Attachment work, and specifically the Ideal Parent Figure (IPF) method.

So what is all of this noise on the message boards, Reddit, social media, etc about?  

Ideal Parent Figure (IPF) imagery has a wide range of applicability within the context of the Three Pillars psychotherapeutic model. It is a psychotherapeutic tool which requires a high level of clinical training.  It is also a tool that is used within a larger psychotherapeutic process, where collaborative skills and Mentalization-Based Therapy (Fonagy) are also components.  This makes up the “Three Pillars” model that has become widely known due to its efficacy.  
 
***As a side note, there is a portion of individuals who learned “IPF” as a guided meditation technique and continue to promote it as such; leading to a great deal of confusion for the general public.   Clinical training is necessary to deal with countertransference (our own issues as therapists), to repair ruptures when they occur (which are bound to happen), to discern the difference between dissociation and hypnotic states, to be able to hold traumatic memories without becoming embedded, to have a myriad of other tools like CBT, psychodynamic therapy, Motivational Interviewing, crisis de-escalation, suicide assessments and safety plans.  These are all aspects that are going to eventually be brought up in the treatment and this is far out of the clinical scope of someone who has not been trained in this.  And while learning IPF as a “technique” or “meditation” might be valuable for some who already test in the securely attached range, it is not what the treatment was meant for and has the very real potential to create further disorganization, depending on the severity of the attachment disturbance.
 
This model is based in hundreds of years of clinical research indicating that what accounts for the most variance in treatment outcomes is the relationship between patient and therapist.  In other words, the collaboration (new 1st pillar).  To deprive the patient of a therapeutic relationship by simply teaching a technique or calling IPF a meditation is actually neglecting the single factor that leads to the most change in an individual.  It takes years of training and education and practice to learn how to deal with rupture, dissociation, and other things that arise in sessions.  That’s what the ethical standards are there for.
 
We at the Adult Attachment Program are driven by research and evidence. We know that Three Pillars Therapy, of which IPF is a component, is a pyschotherapeutic intervention. It is a clinical treatment, that brings up notions of trauma, abuse, loss, and neglect.
 
We have fully trained psychologists, therapists, and coaches, competent in the Ideal Parent Figure protocol and Three Pillars therapy. Designed by Dr. Daniel Brown and his colleagues, IPF specifically addresses unhealthy patterns in relationships and attachment due to developing insecure attachment styles as children.
 
We have found that when clients address their insecure attachment style, they also experience a new coherence of mind, where they are able to discuss attachment themes in their life without becoming dysregulated. Due to this new clarity, new possibilities will open up to you in relationships and in your life that you never knew were there. With a skilled therapist, you will use your own imagination to design your own ideal parents, completely different than your parents of origin. Then, using these Ideal Parent Figures, your therapist will guide you through co-created imagery that will shape and reshape your “internal working model” of attachment. If this work interests you and you’d like to schedule an appointment, or if you’d simply like some more information on this treatment, please contact us.
 
For clinicians who have some knowledge of attachment theory and wish to further their knowledge have the opportunity to learn and refine their skills at the Adult Attachment Program.  Since May, 2023, Dr. Zack has taught a Three Pillars Therapy case consultation and supervision masterclass.  Dr. David Elliott, the co-author of the acclaimed, “Treatment Attachment Disturbances in Adults,” has given Zack his support to teach others and provide peer groups for clinicians and others in the helping fields who wish to use this amazing method.  Dr. Zack also has recently begun to offer individual supervision for clinicians using the 3-pillars model.  Reach out to inquire further if interested.

Testimonials from our Clients

Zack is a kind, attuned, empathic therapist. I've been working with him using Ideal Parent Figure protocol for a few years now, and it has changed my life for the better, more so than any other modality/system I've used. Zack has a very unique skillset, due to his IPF training, attachment theory expertise, and meditation background. Highly recommend.
"I am so grateful to Dr. Bein and the three pillars practice. This practice has proven transformative in my relationship to myself and others. I cannot recommend The Adult Attachment Program enough. If we repair our attachment wounds, we could alleviate so much suffering in the world."
Dr. Zach Bein has exceptional knowledge in the field of attachment theory. He combines his knowledge of attachment theory with mindfulness through the 3 pillars model. This work is very aligned with other heavyweights in the field of childhood development such as Dr. Gabor Mate and Dr. Stephen Porges' polyvagal theory. Zach's deep understanding that mind and body are connected are pivotal in helping heal old wounding. If you're looking for someone who can help make sense of your anxiety, of how your mind works, or why you hold onto certain beliefs, I can't recommend a better practitioner of attachment restoration.
Five Stars Rating Stock Illustration - Download Image Now - iStock
I've been working with Dr. Zach and his Adult Attachment Program for the past 9 months and my attachment insecurity, sense of self, and overall mental health has been transformed! When I came into the program I had daily attachment anxiety and most of my energy was being used just to keep my anxieties at bay. And without a strong sense of self, I was also struggling to find a sense of meaningful direction in life - to know who I am and what I want. Although I'm not done with the work yet, I can typically calm attachment anxieties or disrupting states of mind quickly. And my sense of self has developed significantly to the point where I have a strong direction in life and I'm excited about the training I'm doing now to help others. I highly recommend Ideal Parent Figures coaching, Dr. Zach, and the Adult Attachment Program!

Existing Client, Austin, TX

Five Stars Rating Stock Illustration - Download Image Now - iStock For decades I have struggled with what I've called "wounded conditioning" around relationship. Even after years of therapy and spiritual practices I couldn't get past my struggles with feeling safe and comfortable in connection. I would sometimes fall into painful despair. Then while on a retreat at IMS a Dharma teacher gave an explanation of Attachment Theory and a description of a new healing modality. It glowed brightly, and I moved from the darkness towards this light. Eventually the journey led to The Adult Attachment Program. The healing has been profound, and I have the deepest gratitude for what is being provided here. The guided IPF visualizations have allowed for a primordial intelligence to operate through the mind's eye and address the "wounded conditioning" at the level the wounds were created. We can leave new loving imprints on our Psyche and work with a sort of neuroplasticity to heal. There is growing insight into areas that were once only dark and confusing. I am so grateful for finding my way to the Adult Attachment Program. I used to think that perhaps I was truly "broken" but It's not true. I'm now connecting with others in the ways I have always longed for.

Existing Client, New York

IPF in Research and Media

  1. Attachment Disturbances: Major Breakthrough in Treatment
  2. Ideal Parent Figure method in the treatment of complex posttraumatic stress disorder related to childhood trauma: a pilot study
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