IAT Foundations Training
Understanding Attachment Insecurity and the Principles of Attachment Repair
Attachment insecurity shapes how people relate to themselves, others, and the world throughout their lives.
The IAT Foundations Training introduces the core principles of Integrative Attachment Therapy (IAT), an emerging model designed to understand and repair attachment insecurity in adults.
Whether you are new to attachment-focused work or looking for a more integrated understanding of attachment repair, Foundations offers a clear and accessible entry point into the IAT approach.
A Clinically Grounded Introduction to Integrative Attachment Therapy
Integrative Attachment Therapy brings together attachment theory, developmental psychology, psychotherapy research, and clinical practice into a coherent framework for understanding and treating attachment insecurity in adults.
Foundations introduces the central ideas that shape the model and explores why attachment insecurity is often at the heart of emotional suffering, relational difficulties, and challenges in psychological wellbeing.
Rather than viewing insecure attachment as pathology, IAT understands it as an adaptive response to painful or insufficient early relational experiences. The therapeutic task is therefore not simply symptom reduction, but the development of new experiences of safety, connection, emotional regulation, and relational security.
Foundations is designed as an introduction to the model and serves as the recommended starting point for clinicians wishing to explore the wider IAT training pathway.
What You Will Learn
By the end of Foundations, participants will:
Understand Attachment Insecurity
Gain a clearer understanding of how attachment insecurity develops, how it shapes emotional and relational life, and why it remains such an important focus in psychotherapy.
Become Familiar with Adult Attachment Patterns
Learn about the major attachment patterns and their relevance for clinical work with adults.
Understand the Principles of Integrative Attachment Therapy
Become familiar with the central concepts, assumptions, and clinical orientation that underpin the IAT model.
Explore the Three Pillars of Attachment Repair
Receive an introduction to the three core dimensions of Integrative Attachment Therapy:
- Collaborative Relating
- Metacognitive Development
- Ideal Parent Figure Work
Understand How IAT Approaches Repair
Discover how IAT works with deeper attachment representations and the emotional and relational adaptations that arise from early experience.
Why Integrative Attachment Therapy?
Integrative Attachment Therapy combines the best aspects of several therapeutic approaches to resolve attachment insecurity and to promote healthy and secure attachment relationships.
This approach recognises that there is no single “one-size-fits-all” therapy that can address the complex and multifaceted nature of attachment disturbances and their effects. Skill with IAT helps the clinician tailor the treatment to the patient and avoid trying to fit the patient to a therapy method.
The Three Pillars of Integrative Attachment Therapy
Collaborative Relating
Supporting the development of secure, cooperative, and mutually regulating relationships.
Become Familiar with Adult Attachment Patterns
Helping clients understand themselves and others with greater clarity, flexibility, and compassion.
Ideal Parent Figure Work
Using guided imagery to develop new internal representations of secure attachment.
Together, these pillars provide a practical framework for comprehensive attachment repair.
Choose Your Foundations Training
Self-Paced Online Course
Date: July 21st and 28th, 2026
Time: 2PM CET / 8AM Eastern US
Course Format: Two Sessions of 3 Hours Each
Course price: €359 EUR
Learn moreLive Online IAT Foundations Course – July ’26
Live Professional Training with David Elliott, PhD & Traill Dowie, PhD
Our Live Online Foundations Course provides a concise introduction to Integrative Attachment Therapy and its approach to understanding attachment insecurity in adults.
Across two live modules of 3 hours each, participants are introduced to:
- Foundations of attachment theory
- Adult attachment insecurity
- The Three Pillars of Integrative Attachment Therapy
- Demonstrations illustrating key concepts of the model
- The broader vision of attachment repair
Course Format
- Two live online modules of 3 hours each
- 6 hours of learning
- Online access from anywhere
Self-Paced Online Course
Start date: August 20th, 2026
Course Format: Self-Paced Online
Duration: Approximately 5–8 Hours
Course price: €359 EUR
ENROLL NOWIAT Foundations Online Course
A Self-Paced Introduction to Integrative Attachment Therapy
Foundations Online offers a concise and accessible introduction to the core ideas and principles of Integrative Attachment Therapy.
Across four self-paced modules, participants are introduced to:
- the foundations of attachment theory
- attachment insecurity and its impact across the lifespan
- the Three Pillars of Integrative Attachment Therapy
- demonstrations illustrating key concepts of the model
- the broader vision and purpose of attachment repair
Through short lectures, conversations between faculty, clinical demonstrations, and reflective prompts, the course provides an overview of the model and its underlying philosophy.
Foundations Online is designed for clinicians who wish to become familiar with IAT before deciding whether to pursue further training.
Los Angeles | 27–28 October 2026
Faculty:
David Elliott, PhD (USA)
Traill Dowie, PhD (Australia)
Ticket price: €795 EUR or 3 x €309 EUR
One time payment InstallmentsIAT Foundations In-Person Training
A Live Introduction to Attachment Repair in Adults
Foundations In-Person offers a richer and more interactive introduction to Integrative Attachment Therapy.
Over two days of live teaching, participants explore:
- the development and nature of attachment insecurity
- the four primary attachment patterns
- the Three Pillars of Integrative Attachment Therapy
- current approaches to attachment-focused treatment
- the clinical implications of attachment repair
Learning takes place through teaching, discussion, demonstration, reflection, and opportunities to engage directly with faculty.
Participants leave with a deeper understanding of how attachment insecurity presents in adult clients, how the Three Pillars support attachment repair, and how IAT approaches treatment.
For many clinicians, the live format offers a particularly valuable opportunity to engage with the clinical orientation, relational qualities, and practical implications of the model.
Is Foundations Right for You?
Foundations is designed for:
Psychotherapists | Psychologists | Psychiatrists | Counsellors | Mental health professionals | Coaches with relevant clinical training | Students in advanced psychotherapy training
No prior IAT training is required.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Foundations is designed as a starting point for clinicians who are new to Integrative Attachment Therapy and want an introduction to the core principles of the model before deciding whether to continue into deeper training.
Foundations is an introductory offering. It is designed to help clinicians become familiar with the principles, philosophy, and clinical orientation of IAT. Level 1 goes further, offering a more comprehensive training in the principles and practice of the model.
No. Foundations is not required before Level 1. It is offered as a lower-barrier entry point for clinicians who want to explore the model before committing to more comprehensive training.
Foundations Online is a self-paced introduction to the model that can be completed in your own time. Foundations In-Person is a live introductory training offered at selected times through the IAT calendar, with opportunities for real-time discussion, demonstration, and shared reflection.
Foundations is designed for clinicians who are interested in attachment repair and want to learn more about Integrative Attachment Therapy. It is especially suited to those who are curious about the model and want a grounded introduction before deciding whether to continue into deeper training.
Yes. Foundations is designed as a meaningful introduction in its own right, while also preparing clinicians who may wish to continue into deeper training over time.
