Attachment informed approaches to
working with depression with Dr Ruth McConnell

Thank you for your interest in this training.

This workshop is no longer available however, Ruth offers the following two options which
are available via Grow's Learning on Demand platform

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The Power of Connection: Attachment informed approaches to working with depression

Working with unipolar depression from an attachment and trauma informed perspective.

In this online professional development training, Dr Ruth McConnell presents a reconceptualisation of Dollard and Millar’s (1945) Frustration-Aggression hypothesis for unipolar depression integrated with insights from Neufeld's attachment-based developmental model, as well as recent trauma research, to help those working with both adults and children who struggle with depressive symptoms.

Neufeld’s attachment-based developmental model will be presented offering three intervention points for working with clients who struggle with depression. These interventions include mapping the source of frustration, registering futility, the process of adaption and the integration of mixed emotions in the prefrontal cortex for therapeutic work with clients with unipolar depression.

This training covers:

Attachment informed approaches to working with depression.
This online training examines how our clients may have unresolved attachment injuries, leading to high levels of attachment frustration. They may struggle with the process of adaption resulting in their frustration being expressed as aggression, whether that be internalised by bullying self-talk, self-injurious behaviour, self-blame, helplessness, or powerlessness, or externalised and directed at others attacking either verbally, physically, by emotional abuse and impotent rage.

In this context we will explore the role of tears futility leading to adaption, and the role of mixed emotions (which involves the integrative function of the pre-frontal cortex) and being at psychological rest for the neo-cortex and executive functioning to come ‘back on-line’ moving the client from a victim stance to an empowered one.

Please Note: this workshop will touch on emotional issues such as grief and/or trauma, and some of the material covered in our workshops may be sensitive or triggering to certain participants. We encourage everyone to practice self-care and either reach out to us, or directly discuss any concerns with our presenter.

Who Should Attend:

Mental health professionals, educators (teachers, teacher aides, RTLB’s, school counsellors), social workers, counsellors, Justice Dept staff (Corrections, Police). Those supporting both adults and children who are displaying attachment issues, or developmental trauma.

What others have said about Ruth’s presentations

“First, a big thank you for the excellent workshop you presented yesterday. I have been a psychologist for almost 30 years (12 years in New Zealand, the rest in USA) and have a very high standard for the word “excellent”. You are most definitely in that category! You are a pleasure to listen to…. your manner of delivering information is one which makes it a pleasure to receive and digest the material! It all made perfect sense to me and increased my understanding of a process that had not yet been understandable to me!!!“ – Psychologist, NZ

"Your presentation was top marks for presentation and delivery. Just loved all the work put into those slides. And I have heard only favourable comments. And so often people refer to your warmth and lovely personality. Can't better that! Thank you again!!!" – Counsellor.

“I really appreciate your warm open-hearted style, your research and digestible way of offering complex information.” Psychotherapist, Auckland.

"Your presentation on “Developing resilience in the heart of a leader” was one of the most outstanding presentations I have seen – anywhere! For me it was new material and has given me a new resource to refer to and to contemplate. Thanks for the insights from that workshop". CEO, Australiasia company.

“Thank you Ruth. Your presentations on attachment are easily absorbed and so missing (I have found anyway) where the people who are making the decisions are concerned. Ah...if only we had a sincerity, and passion, such as yours in those organisations.” Social Worker, Auckland.

The following peak bodies and organisations recognise that the training we offer is of a high quality, evidence based and relevant for their members CPD - 20 points per day.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Ruth McConnell

Ruth McConnell is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (Canada) and a member of the New Zealand Counselling Association and the NZ Psychological Society with over 30 years experience. She trained and worked in Scotland and Canada, and has been in New Zealand for the past 11 years. She has an MA (Honours) in Social Anthropology and Psychology (Aberdeen University) and a PhD (Counselling Psychology - Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland).

Ruth specialises in attachment issues both in adults and children. She works with a foster care agency supporting carers looking after children with complex developmental trauma. Ruth also has a private practice where she offers specialist supervision on attachment and trauma with adults, and parent consulting on children’s emotional and behavioural issues. Ruth has specialist training as a neuropsychotherapy practitioner and a trauma specialist working with partners of sex addicts.