Overview

The role of trauma as a predisposing factor for a range of physical and mental health problems is widely accepted, attachment less so. Attachment problems have been linked to a wide range of psychopathology including CPTSD, anxiety, depression, loneliness, anger-management problems, adjustment problems and Ill-health.

Attachment problems are common, affecting 50-75% of people (non-clinical vs clinical populations), and they mediate pathology in various ways. In pain populations, attachment problems distort the brains reward system and stimulate increased HPA axis activity and cortisol levels leading to impaired immune functioning and pain sensitivity. As attachment problems occur at a very early age, most patients are unaware of them and their potential connection to their current physical or mental health problems.

Understanding how attachment problems in early childhood predispose the nervous system to disease and pain is crucial to case conceptualization in patients with medically unexplained symptoms and creating more effective treatments.

This webinar explores: 

• the concept and foundations of attachment and prevalence of attachment problems,

• how attachment problems can distort the brain's reward system and mediate the relationship between, ACEs and psychopathology, and

• the three key therapeutic interventions.

Level of Learning

Intermediate. This activity is targeted to those who have some previous learning on the topic.

Duration of access

Access to the recordings and presenter slides is for 12 months from the date of confirmed registration.

APS CPD-Approved

This activity has been assessed against the APS Standards for CPD activities and approved for its education quality. Learn more about the APS CPD Approval process.

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Refer to the APS CPD Frequently Asked Questions for general and technical information when undertaking APS Professional development activities.

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• EMDR in the treatment of chronic pain/somatic symptoms

Activity details

• On-demand webinar recording.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• describe the neurological and biochemical pathways linking attachment disruptions with trauma responses and pain-related distress,

• identify clinical indicators of attachment difficulties in clients presenting with trauma and pain, and

• implement evidence-informed strategies for addressing attachment-related disruptions within the context of trauma and pain treatment.

Presenter(s)

Mark Grant MAPS

About the presenter(s)

Mark Grant is an Australian psychologist/researcher with 30 years of clinical experience. He has pioneered trauma-informed treatment of chronic pain and MUS with EMDR and lately, hypnosis. He co-authored a chapter regarding EMDR treatment of pain for the Oxford University Press Handbook of EMDR (2024). Drawing on developments from dissociation, neurobiology and somatic psychology he has developed a trauma-informed model cumulating in an evidence-based treatment manual (‘Pain Control with EMDR). He has also created numerous self-help resources for sufferers of trauma and pain including the ‘Healing Traumatic Stress’ app series, which were the subject of the first RCT of mobile apps based on EMDR (Grant et al, 2025). Mark is a member of the ISSTD (International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation).