It can be difficult to be a good parent at times. That is why I suggest caregivers get support from proven methods which can teach them invaluable parenting skills. The Circle of Security (r) Parenting ™ program is an evidence-based approach designed to promote secure attachment in relationships between caregivers and their children. This article will provide an overview of the Circle of Security, its importance for parents and children alike, the science behind it, its origins, and the programs you can use to learn more.
Circle of Security is based on more than 50 years of clinical research on attachment. It covers topics such as complex trauma, attachment disorders, maltreatment, and disrupted relationships. The aim is to educate parents on what needs their children might express at various stages of development and how they can meet those needs.
Why should parents be interested in Circle of Security(r), Parenting(tm)?
Circle of Security is designed to provide parents with answers to questions such as “why does my kid misbehave? “or “What do my kids need right now?”
Parents may do their best to help their children, but they might not know how to nurture and support the emotional development of their children. This is because they themselves did not have a good understanding when they were growing up, and schools don’t teach courses on this, such as Parenting 101. Parents, no matter what their childhood was like, can provide a safe and supportive environment for their children. They just need to be taught the right tools.
Even “perfect parents” can struggle with secure attachment.
Parents who strive to be perfect parents and fulfill every need of their children may still struggle to create a secure attachment to their children because they project or smother their children. Parents who give their children more freedom may not provide the nurturing and stable attention that children crave. Parents can recognize and meet the individual attachment needs of every child, regardless of whether they are gifted or disabled.
Parents with different parenting styles can learn from the Circle of Security and adapt to the changing needs of each child. What one child requires is not the same thing as what another needs and it will not be the exact same in two years when these children grow up. When a parent is able to recognize and understand the signs and expressions of different needs, he or she can respond accordingly.
Circle of Security
Circle of Security International provides training programs to caregivers, which help parents better understand their child’s emotional needs and how to meet them. It includes video training as well as The Circle of Security Roadmap, which teaches caregivers when and how to ask the correct questions. Parents usually reward good behavior and punish bad behavior or ignore it to try to prevent it from happening again. The Circle of Security helps parents understand the behavior of their children and not just react to it. Instead of punishing or rewarding it, they should try to understand the need it is communicating. What we perceive as bad behavior is often the physical manifestation of unmet needs resulting from a lack of safety and security. The better a parent understands their child’s needs, the more likely it is that they will misbehave.
Three categories can be distinguished by the Circle of Security map of attachment:
- The child should be able to explore with confidence and freedom. This allows them to explore the world while their parents remain in the background and delight in them.
- The child should know that their parent will always welcome them back. At this stage, they want to be protected and comforted.
- They want their caregiver to take charge in a supportive manner. They want to know that their parent will be strong and kind.
When a parent fails to understand or misreads these needs, a child will feel frustrated and suffer. The Circle of Security is taught in this visual way:
Circle of security international’s program is designed to teach parents four things.
- Understanding their child’s emotional need
- Help the child learn how to control their emotions
- Encourage their child to develop a sense of self-esteem
- Respect the child’s intelligence and wisdom and their own desire for their child to feel secure.
Parents don’t have to be perfect or meet all their child’s needs every time. They can do a great job if they are able, in general, to identify and meet the children’s basic needs.
Circle of security parenting: A History
Three men founded the Circle of Security Parenting: Kent Hoffman and Glen Cooper. Bert Powell was also involved. The Washington Governor’s Award for Innovation in Prevention and the Governor’s Child Abuse Prevention Award in Washington State for each of their works, as well as the Bowlby-Ainsworth Award for implementing and developing the Circle of Security, which is presented to them by the New York Attachment Consortium, have been given. The three founders established a therapy practice in Spokane in 1985. They used their backgrounds in psychotherapy and family therapy as well as object relations therapy and family systems theory.
The connection with attachment theory
They were particularly interested in advancing their training in attachment theories because it seemed that the theory would address many of their patients’ issues, such as disconnection and emotion regulation. They pursued continued learning through Jude Cassidy, Ph.D., who they met during a preschool attachment system course. They trained with her for over two years instead of only one semester. This inspired them to start the Circle of Security.
Kent, Glen, and Bert started working with Spokane Head Start to pilot their first application of the program. This combined elements from attachment theories, family systems, and object relations. In these first programs, they refined the model and, in 1998, were awarded a University-Head Start Partnership Grant for three years, which allowed them to begin a 20-week group clinical protocol. The Circle of Security Intensive Model is what this protocol has become.
Circle of Security and attachment therapy share the same goals.
As part of the early program, parents were videotaped in a Strange Situation Procedure before intervention. Strange Situation is a 1970s procedure that Mary Ainsworth performed. It involved videotaping caregivers with children aged between 9-18 months and introducing a stranger. The work of attachment theory was a result. It states that there are four types of attachment: secure, avoidant, anxious, or disorganized. Attachment therapy and Circle of Security have as their goal, among others, that as many children as they can achieve secure attachment.
These videos were used for teaching and research. Parents were shown selected clips. Circle of Security Interviews were also introduced to help determine the parents’ struggles with their child in relation to attachment theories.
The study found that at the end of 20 weeks, children with insecure and disorganized attachments were significantly reduced. 44% of those children developed secure attachments. The study also revealed that by the end, 54% of children who had insecure attachments developed secure attachments.
The two types of circle of security programs
Circle of Security International offers two main programs for caregivers: the Circle of Security Parenting Program and the Circle of Security-Intensive model.
The Circle of Security Parenting Program, which is usually run by non-licensed facilitators, includes four days of instruction, video reviews, and no exam. It lasts between 8-10 weeks.
The Circle of Security Intensive Model, on the other, is led by a licensed clinician. It includes ten training days and an examination and lasts approximately half a year. The COS-Intensive Model is more detailed because it is led by a licensed clinician. This model includes training on Core Sensitivities. These are three patterns of struggles relating to intimate relationships, whether as parents or partners. Participants will learn to identify their core sensitivities, as well as review and analyze Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) and COSI to create treatment plans.
Find a circle of security class
Circle of Security offers a variety of programs to help parents and children raise secure children.
Circle of Security International has a directory of COSP(tm), Facilitators registered in various countries.
You can get your Circle of Security and Initial Attachment Assessment at the Ainsworth Attachment Clinic if you live near Virginia. Circle of Security Network in Virginia has a large number of therapists who are able to help parents and children.
If you are in London, you can contact Rupert Consulting. which is a partner of the Circle of Security (r) network.
You can find Circle of Security therapy services near Winnipeg in Canada at Alloway Therapy Services.
Circle of Security International provides a 4-day training program in person for professionals and paraprofessionals who wish to become facilitators. The online facilitator training takes 24 hours, while the 30-hour in-person course is completed.
