520: Integrating The Family Into Child Therapy with Dafna Lender episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 25, 2026 · 51 MIN

520: Integrating The Family Into Child Therapy with Dafna Lender

from Therapy Chat · host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week I’m sharing my conversation with attachment expert and author Dafna Lender about how she works with parents to help their children. As a family therapist, Dafna explains she spends at least 50% of the work with the parents, learning about what they experience physiologically and emotionally during stressful interactions with their kids. She talks about how some of the perfectionistic modern ideas about parenting make things more difficult for families, and how she uses EMDR and Somatic Experiencing in her work with parents.Dafna, the author of “Integrative Attachment Family Therapy: A Clinical Guide to Heal and Strengthen the Parent-Child Relationship through Play, Co-regulation, and Meaning-Making” shares about her Integrative Attachment Family Therapy (IAFT) model and her “Anti-Perfect Parent” program.  Dafna Lender, LCSW, is an international speaker, trainer, and author with over 30 years of experience working with children and families. She is a certified trainer and supervisor in both Theraplay and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and specializes in helping families heal from trauma and attachment disruptions.Resources Mentioned:Dafna’s Website: www.dafnalender.comFind Dafna's book, "Integrative Attachment Family Therapy: A Clinical Guide to Heal and Strengthen the Parent-Child Relationship through Play, Co-regulation, and Meaning-Making" here.More Resources:Therapists - if you're ready to allow yourself to be held in nature with a community of like-minded therapists, my Mind, Body + Soul Healing Retreat for Therapists in Tulum, Mexico is here. November/December dates are on the website now! Also, new members are being accepted in the Trauma Therapist Network membership community. Learn more here.Therapists and mental health professionals: I created a FREE video to help you feel more confident in supporting survivors of sexual violence in an embodied and trauma sensitive manner. Check it out here! Watch Therapy Chat episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyChatPodcastTherapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, recommended resources and more. Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network. TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today.Podcast Produced by Vaudeo Productions: https://vaudeoproductions.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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520: Integrating The Family Into Child Therapy with Dafna Lender

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