Rethinking Secure Attachment: What We're Missing in Therapy

Rethinking secure attachment beyond the nuclear family. A 4-hour masterclass with Linda Thai on culture, community, and belonging. Attachment theory was built around a narrow model of the family, with a few early caregivers carrying the full weight of a person's security. In diverse clinical contexts, that model has limits. Assessing support only through caregivers and current human relationships misses protective factors that are already present, or can be more readily accessible for someone who has experienced chronic, severe relational betrayal. In this 4-hour masterclass, trauma therapist and somatic educator Linda Thai expands the conceptualisation of secure attachment to reflect holistic dimensions of human-ness: attachment to culture, ancestors, land, the body, and time. Participants will learn to recognise how systemic oppression shapes attachment, integrate community, culture and chosen family as protective factors, and support clients in moving from isolation toward belonging and relational healing. Who This Is For Social service professionals, counsellors, psychologists, caseworkers, and community members who work with survivors of trauma and gender-based violence. Some attendees may be new to this approach, and that is welcome. What to Expect • A 4-hour session with Linda Thai • An expanded framework for understanding secure attachment • Space for reflection and discussion • Practical insights for clinical and community practice • Vegetarian lunch provided About Linda Thai Linda Thai is a trauma therapist, educator, and former child refugee from Vietnam. Her work bridges the personal and the political, bringing a deeply embodied understanding of trauma, resilience, and healing to issues like systemic oppression and racial trauma. She holds a Master of Social Work focused on the neurobiology of attachment and trauma, trained alongside Bessel van der Kolk, and studied under Pat Ogden, Peter Levine, Richard Schwartz, and Janina Fisher.