Attachment Theory & Repair Level 1 – 8 Week Online Meditation Course

Date: 30th Mar – 25th May 2021
Cost: Sliding scale
Instructor: Cedric Reeves

This course is aimed at people with insecure attachment. Many people with insecure attachment have tried other healing modalities, like psychotherapy and meditation, with disappointing results.
The primary focus of the course is the Ideal Parent Figure Protocol meditation (IPF) which was designed by Dan Brown and others to heal early attachment disturbances (insecure attachment).
In this course, you will be equipped with the information and meditation practices that will put you on the path to heal your early attachment conditioning, with "prototypically secure attachment" as the goal.

Format

8 Week Course: One live 90-minute class per week.
A week or two might need to be skipped in some circumstances, resulting in the class finishing a week or two later

Live online sessions: The live sessions will be hosted on Zoom. An email with the zoom links will be sent to you after you have registered.
Q&A: There will be opportunity to ask questions during the Q&A section.

Convenience

View at your own pace: The event will be recorded and sent out to registered participants for viewing on their own schedule.
Partial attendance is fine - However you get best results if you attend all sessions.
Late Starts: You can join even after it has started. We will send you the recordings and you will be able to catch up and watch on your own schedule.

Level 1 Course

This is a Level 1 course. This is course is suitable for people new to attachment theory and repair. You might also be interested in the Level 2 course:

Attachment Theory & Repair (Level 2) 8 Week Course

Event Times

The class will be taught twice; once on Tuesday evening (US Time) and another Wednesday morning (US Time) in order to reach people in different time zones. The content is the same. Both time options’ Zoom links will be in the confirmation email. Just pick the one that works best for you.

Note to participants in Sydney Australia: On April 4th, Daylight Saving Time ends and clocks in Sydney will shift backwards one hour. The above times display as if this shift has already occurred.

Perth Australia and other locations in this list do not observe Daylight Savings Time.

Schedule common to each 90 minute Class

Duration	Event
5 min	5 mins of meditation to settle the mind.
5 min	Review of last week’s class (first class will be introductions instead)
20 min	Q&A about last week’s material (first class would be lecture instead)
15 min	Lecture on new material
5 min	Q&A about new material
30 min	Guided meditation related to material just discussed (usually a version of IPF)
10 min	Q&A about guided meditation just completed and homework assignment.
30 mins	There will be an optional thirty minutes extra Q&A after the 90 minute class ends for those who want to stay on.

Registration

We have a sliding scale to accommodate people of different means.

Tier 4

$400 ($50 per class)

I have enough resources and would like to support others.

Tier 3

$200 ($25 per class)

I have sufficient resources.

Tier 2

$80 ($10 per class)

I have some resources.

Tier 1

I don't have the resources
(pay whatever you can)

After clicking Register you can choose your payment amount.

Bank cards from certain counties might get an error. If so, please contact us saying ‘I can’t make payment via Paypal for the “Attachment Theory & Repair (Level 1) 8 Week Course“ and we’ll send you other options.

Refunds: If you miss a class or are unsatisfied for any reason, simply let us know and we can issue you a full refund.

What to Expect

This 8-week course focuses on repairing early attachment conditioning through the Ideal Parent Figure Protocol (IPF) meditation along with complementary psycho-education.

The attachment phase is one of the earliest phases and most foundational levels of our psychological development. It describes the behaviors and experiences of the infant from ages 6 to 20 months. The infant ventures away from the caregiver to explore and then returns to seek safety, affection, and care from the ‘secure base’. These experiences consolidate into an “Internal Working Model of Attachment” (IWM).

The internal working model of attachment gets consolidated before there is fully functioning narrative or conceptual mind. So our attachment conditioning is at a behavioral or procedural level.

For this reason traditional talk therapy is not particularly effective at moving people from insecure to secure attachment. Therefore many of us with insecure attachment have done lots of healing work with little to show for it.

However in this course we will use the Ideal Parent Figure protocol guided meditation which is an imaginary reenactment of optimal attachment conditioning. This gets through to the primitive part of the mind where attachment conditioning is stored. This practice does actually move us from insecure to secure attachment.

Regarding the importance of doing this work: Our Internal Working Model of attachment forms the foundation of our psychological health. In many regards it is the lens through which we see the world. When our foundational attachment conditioning is insecure our psychological growth trajectory is undermined. Particularly, we experience developmental problems with our 1) exploratory abilities & self-development, 2) emotional self-regulation and 3) abilities to be in relationships with others.

This course’s structure is set up to help us heal this central piece of psychological conditioning.

We will primarily use the Ideal Parent Figure Protocol (IPF) to do this. The IPF was developed by meditation teacher and psychotherapist Dr. Dan Brown. It was designed to heal early attachment conditioning.

Drawing from Schema therapy, we will also work to understand and heal our “Early Maladaptive Schemas” (fixed beliefs that keep us repeating all the old patterns from childhood). And, we will do both study and meditations to understand and integrate our ‘self-parts’ or Schema Modes.

According to Dan Brown the cumulative effects of Three Pillars Treatment (IPF) are:
– Achievement of earned secure attachment
– High coherence of mind on the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and other signs of organization
– Formation of new, positive, stable Internal Working Model of attachment
– Manifestation of a range of metacognitive skills
– Behavioral, nonverbal and verbal collaborative behavior
– Resolution of Unresolved (Ud) trauma and loss as assessed on the AAI
– No longer meets diagnostic criteria for Personality Disorders or Dissociative Disorders or trauma related diagnosis (PTSD and CPTSD)
– Capacity for secure adult intimacy

Please note that this course will orient you and get you started with IPF. This marks the beginning of the journey towards secure attachment.

The primary influence for the course is Dan Brown’s work as seen in the book “Attachment Disturbances in Adults: Treatment for Comprehensive Repair.”

Course Overview

Guided meditation will be the main focus of the program. There will be ample opportunity to ask questions and share whatever you feel comfortable with. There will be no pressure to do so; passive participation is perfectly fine.

Class 1 – How do we establish core psychological health? Using meditation to heal attachment conditioning (First Pillar)

Attachment Theory & Attachment Repair

What is attachment theory
Why attachment conditioning is the core of your mental health
- Emotional development
- Relationship development
- Self-development, and explorations skills
Internal Working Model of Attachment
The value of attachment
What is the Ideal Parent Figure Protocol (IPF)
How IPF relates to other healing modalities like talk therapy and mindfulness
Attachment repair:
- How long does it take?
- How much work is necessary?
- Is it worth it?
Primer on the four major attachment styles
Guided IPF meditation
Homework assignment (usually consists of listening to the guided meditation 30 mins as between one and 6 times during the week, as you have time, and also doing “micro-hit” of the IPF meditation in stressful situations as a means of emotional regulation)

Class 2 – Going deeper on the four primary attachment styles

Secure attachment vs Insecure attachment
Dismissing attachment
Preoccupied attachment
Disorganized attachment
How is adult attachment assessed?
- AAI
- value of assessing attachment pre and post treatment
What does the path to earned security look like
- My own experience (ongoing)
- The experience of others
Attachment as a mind state
Attachment mechanism activation and dis-activation
Guided IPF Meditation on the Schema of Emotional Deprivation
Homework assignment

Class 3 – Mentalizing the Modes (Understanding our “Parts”) – (Second Pillar)

Introduction to the “Early Maladaptive Schemas” and “Schema Modes” (self-parts)
Overview of Mentalization (meta-cognition)
- Awareness of states of minds of self and other
- Monitoring the accuracy of states of mind
- Recognition of how others impact one’s own state of mind and vice-versa
- Developing an awareness of mental states in such a way to aid in regulating emotions
- Development of planning and goal-directed behaviors
- Meaning Making
- Recognition of developmental aspects like how past experiences present experiences
- Understanding the relative and contextualized aspects of mental states
- Ability to make accurate attributions of mental states: recognizing underlying assumptions and expectations relative to information given
- Planning in the face of limited informal
- Understanding the impact of context on decision making
- Foster the ability to view things from the other’s perspective
- Taking a broad trans-systemic view
- Recognition of interdependence
- Developing a sense of purpose greater than self
How Mentalization abilities correlate with attachment conditioning
Guided Mentalizing the Modes Meditation
Homework assignment

Class 4 – Going deeper with the Modes and Meta-Cognition

Forgiveness Meditation
Going Deeper with Meta-Cognition
- Giovanni Liotti et al. / Third Generation
  - Identification
  - Relating Variables
  - Differentiation
  - Integration
  - Decentration
    - Ken Wilber’s “Taking the role of other” visualization
  - Mastery
Further investigating the modes/parts from a schema therapy perspective like:
- Demanding internalized parent voices
- Overcompensation modes like “workaholic mode”, or “self-aggrandizer mode”
- Avoidance detached modes like the “detached self-soother” and the “spaced out fantasy mode”
- Compliant surrender mode
- Vulnerable child mode (which we reparent with the IPF)
- Healthy Adult mode (which results out of the vulnerable child getting their needs met)
How meta-cognition relates with high states of consciousness
Homework assignment

Class 5 – Dismissing (Avoidant) Attachment

Further description of dismissing attachment in adults
Causes of dismissing attachment
Strengths and weaknesses and remedies of dismissing attachment
- Turning on the attachment mechanism
- Dealing with shame and rejection
- General Mentalization exercises
  - Opening up to feelings
- Exploration behaviors they are 80% well developed – focus on collaborative sharing
- importance of seeing ineffectively substituting exploration for attachment needs.
Schemas, coping modes, and schema modes that correlate with dismissing attachment.
IPF guided the Schema of Shame and Defectiveness
Homework assignment

Class 6 – Preoccupied (Anxious) Attachment

Origins of preoccupation
- role-reversal – involvement in the mental states of the parent.
- parental distractedness
- a form of rejection: your authentic, child presentation self wasn’t actually received. Instead you learned that you could get your needs met if you tended however you did learn the painful lesson that
Schemas, coping modes, and schema modes that correlate with preoccupied attachment.
the false self and self-development
Guided IPF Meditation on social anxiety and self-development
Homework assignment

Class 7 – Disorganized (Fearful) attachment

Origins of disorganized attachment
How to treat disorganized attachment
Fearfully preoccupied
Fearfully avoidant
Cannot Classify
Guided IPF Meditation on Schema of Abuse and Mistrust
Homework assignment

Class 8 – Collaboration (Third Pillar) and Wrap Up

Psychoeducation on Cooperative Adult relationships

Importance of collaboration
Thinking in terms of teams
Life purpose
Guided IPF meditation with emphasis on exploration and cooperation

Wrap Up
- Review
- Support for healing attachment conditioning
- Guided IPF meditation

Miscellaneous

There will be a lot of time for Q&A and spot coaching

We will be doing deep work on this course. For that reason please feel free to take a break at any point.

Benefits

By the end of the course you will have:

Theoretical Understanding

A basic understanding of attachment theory.
The importance of attachment repair and how to start doing it with the Ideal Parent Figure Protocol.
The importance of your personal explorations as a source for meaning in your life and more clarity on how to proceed in life towards those explorations and goals.
Understanding of how insecure attachment is the primarily cause of personality disorders, dissociative disorders, and CPTSD
More understanding of the modes/parts from a schema therapy perspective like:
- Demanding internalized parent voices
- Overcompensation modes like “workaholic mode”, or “self-aggrandizer mode”
- Avoidance detached modes like the “detached self-soother” and the “spaced out fantasy mode”
- Compliant surrender mode
- Vulnerable child mode (which we reparent with the IPF)
- Healthy Adult mode (which results out of the vulnerable child getting its needs met)

Support Structure

A plan for attaining secure attachment
- 40 to 150 one-on-one facilitated IPF sessions is what it took clients to move from insecure to secure attachment in Brown et al.’s pilot study
  - Dismissing Avoidant attachment resolves quickest, then Anxious Preoccupied, then Disorganized (Fearful) resolves the slowest.
Weekly attachment repair meditation that will start moving you towards secure attachment conditioning.
Opportunities to find accountability partners to meditate with during the week.
A sense of camaraderie as a result of seeing how our psychological difficulties are rooted in common experiences that affect us all.
A Slack group to continue discussion during the week.
Extra guided meditation session on Saturday mornings at 9am Eastern Time (bonus)
Attachment related book club meetings on Friday mornings at 9am Eastern Time (bonus)

“The slack group enhanced the experience and learning for me, maybe quadrupled the benefits I got. Reading and learning about other people’s experiences and also how you spent the time answering questions to help people with their practice” — Michelle

Psychological

Greater understanding and compassion for psychological problems and vulnerabilities that affect you and others.
Less identification with your psychological maladies and quirks (ego-dystonia with your maladaptive schemas).
A better ability to observe your mind with meta-cognitive awareness as a result of the mentalization exercises peppered through the guided meditations.
A very effective way to do emotional regulation on the spot in your daily life with ‘micro-hits’ of IPF
Less blame of self or others.
Understanding of and compassion towards your parts/modes and needs.
A more coherent understanding of the role your childhood experiences had in producing your adult personality.

Relational

Understanding of how attachment conditioning unconsciously drives your relationship behaviors
And how to remedy them.
Better appreciation for the importance and value of interpersonal collaboration.
Greater valuing of attachment itself.
Better understand of relationship dynamics
Less social anxiety

Testimonials

From participants of the last 8 Week course in January 2021

Anastasia Chebotaryova

I want to say thank you for giving this opportunity and I recommend this course because of the huge impact it is making on my well-being.

It is easier to self-regulate emotionally and I have a deeper understanding of attachment and compassion and it’s place and impact in life.

Stu

I’m knowing myself better which allows me to connect in a more authentic way. I am also recognizing the attachment styles better in people I interact with and hammering out what I am really seeking in a relationship.

I didn’t realize how important unconditional exploration and expression was for me until this class.

Johnny

I love your offerings. Keep them coming. You have a good capacity to make people feel seen – and also show great respect for us as individuals – in itself that is an healing factor in being in courses of yours! Your humbleness and humour – make every call a killer. Rock on.

I like learning about these subjects! Feels very helpful in understanding my problems/reason to part of my suffering. I feel I have grown during the course so far – and or moving in a better direction.

Chelsea

I gained an ability to self soothe, meet my needs for validation and feeling seen/heard (which were often unmet in childhood), an overall feeling like I am less alone in my work of healing my attachment.

I realize I benefit greatly from an 8 week course with a weekly meeting, I am able to do daily IPF meditations on my own and feel supported in this routine with the weekly meetings.

I feel I am actively and consistently working on my attachment repair by being part of a longer course (as opposed to a weekend workshop).

N. P.

Loved the course and loved this kind of emotional work. Look forward to doing more that you offer.

Content was excellent. Meditation around Schema modes went quite deep and uncovered difficult emotions. Doing micro hits has improved some situations that would have gone worse.

Allison

THANK YOU!! this is powerful for me, so thank you thank you for sharing your insight.

I like how you really balance the “just do the work” attitude with sooo much compassion and empathy for how hard it is.

Now I know how to use the immense power of my imagination to heal my most fundamental body-mind-soul mechanisms and have a more joyful, loving life.