Speaker:
Paul DelGrosso, LICSW LCSW-C
September 22, 2026 2:00-3:30pm Eastern Time
In attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) Task 3, therapists often encounter parents who remain defensive, emotionally detached, minimizing, or fixed in rigid beliefs—making it difficult to access empathy for their adolescent’s attachment-related experience. When these barriers persist, attachment repair can stall.
This webinar offers practical strategies for integrating ABFT and Schema Therapy (ST) to help parents soften defensive modes, access underlying vulnerability, and become more emotionally available for repair. While it builds on concepts introduced in Deepening the Attachment Narrative: Integrating ABFT and Schema Therapy (May 2026), prior attendance is not required.
Through a brief clinical overview, two live demonstrations, and discussion, participants will learn how to recognize parental modes, reduce defensiveness, access vulnerability, and foster greater readiness for meaningful attachment repair. The session concludes with clinical decision-making guidance and opportunities to apply these integrated ABFT-ST strategies to practice.
The target audience for this webinar includes Counselors, Couple and Family Therapists, Mental Health Professionals, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists, and Social Workers.
- Identify at least 2 factors that support integrating ABFT with ST components
- Explain at least 2 circumstances in ABFT Task 3 where applying ST components is indicated
- Describe how to apply at least 1 ST element during ABFT Task 3 to help a parent access vulnerability and increase empathy for their youth’s experience
2pm-3:00pm – Background on ABFT & Schema Therapy
Discussion of ST Techniques
3:00pm-3:15pm – Live Demonstration
3:15pm-3:30pm – Q & A
Paul DelGrosso LICSW LCSW-C is a psychotherapist in private practice in Washington, DC where he provides individual, family and group therapy in both regular outpatient and intensive outpatient settings.
Paul is certified in Attachment-Based Family Therapy and advanced certified in Schema Therapy. He also completed four years of post-graduate study in Bowen Family Systems theory and psychotherapy at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family in Washington, DC. Paul recently participated in a research study sponsored by the Yale LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative comparing outcomes using ABFT and CBT for young adults with at least one non-supportive parent.
Paul is particularly interested in the role family dynamics plays in human development. Through his work with youth and parents in a wide array of settings, he has developed insight into how unaddressed attachment ruptures in childhood result in problematic schema-mode formation that later contributes to unsatisfactory life patterns in adulthood. Paul is passionate about addressing this dynamic early through family therapy to foster a better life trajectory.
Paul is available to provide clinical supervision to those interested in the ABFT-ST model.
Regular Registration: $35 per person
APA CES: $30 per person
VAT in the EU and UK applies.
This live training will take place over Zoom. You will be emailed the Zoom link and relevant handouts a week before the first webinar will occur.
We do require cameras to be on during the training as we are trying to simulate an in-person training. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us regarding this requirement should you have questions or concerns.
Please let us know if you have any disability or other special needs so that we can ensure that your needs will be fully met (info@abftinternational.com or 267-270-2245). We will attempt to meet needs presented at the last minute, but 2 weeks notice will be appreciated