Integrating Attachment Processes in an Adopted Child with Lifespan Integration Therapy: A Hermeneutic Single Case Efficacy Design

In this study, the efficacy of Lifespan Integration therapy (LI) for addressing attachment processes with adopted children in middle childhood was investigated. A Hermeneutic Single Case Efficacy Design (Elliott, 2002, 2015) was used to gather quantitative and qualitative data from an adoptive parent-child dyad who were experiencing LI for the first time. A 12-year-old male received bi-weekly LI therapy sessions, and data was collected throughout the therapy process. The adoptive mother was used as a resource in facilitating a more secure attachment. Client change and the contribution of LI to client change were adjudicated by experts who concluded that change occurred and was due to LI. Changes in internal attachment processes and the attachment bond between the parent and child of this dyad were observed. This case provides evidence that attachment disruptions can be repaired in middle childhood and that attachment processes can be targets in interventions beyond early childhood.