Tripartite Treatment of Childhood Aggression: A View from Attachment Theory

Abstract

Tripartite psychotherapy—the treatment of child and parent together in joint sessions—is rarely considered a viable form of child psychotherapy after toddlerhood. This article aims to renew interest in this treatment modality by illustrating its use with older children. Whatever the theoretical orientation of the therapist, child therapy is typically conducted with the child seen alone and the parents seen in collateral sessions. The author proposes a new and different way to intervene in school-age childhood disorders: specifically, to address the parent-child attachment relationship dynamics that are integral to the child's developing sense of self. The theoretical rationale for applying this technique to older, verbal children is examined in the context of attachment theory, in which a dysfunctional parent—child attachment is viewed as a primary motivation for childhood aggression.