Adult Attachment Interview

[hopefullmama]

I was just wondering if anyone who has recently been through adoption process was asked to participate in adult attachment interview, and if you did, how did you find it.

[Kazza299]

Yeah we had to do one. It was fine. Just ask about who you'd call if you had a problem, whether you have called them recently etc. it's recorded, well our was, but felt like a chat.

[crackerjack00]

Yes, we did.

It was long but fine. As Kazza said, it felt more like a chat. Ours was recorded too for ease of scoring later.

More info here...

www.attachmentstyleinterview.com/pdf%20files/ASI_for_Adoption_summary.pdf

www.attachmentstyleinterview.com/pdf%20files/ASI_AFsumInterpret.pdf

[MoJangled]

We had one - I think it might be required now. I read up on it beforehand, and felt better for knowing what sorts of things might come up, but it wasn't really necessary. It also wasn't done as formally as is recommended for scientific assessments - some parts not covered and the SW took notes rather than recording. Be prepared for lots of lists of 5 words that describe someone to you!

[hopefullmama]

No, its not ASI, its AAI. Adult Attachment Interview. Questions about your early attachment to parents, and how your parental experiences have affected your personality, and its videoed. Slightly different to ASI. Its optional anyway, so I have refused. I am just going to love the adoption process!!

[kalidasa]

I have done it, but as an element of mother/infant therapy (though obviously this session was just me and the therapist), not in relation to possible adopting. It is essentially just a long chat. I think how difficult/grueling you find it probably depends a lot on whether you are yourself securely or insecurely attached. I found it absolutely shattering to be honest, and it remains probably the single most memorable experience I've had in therapy. It was also (for me) just really really hard: I found a lot of the 'free association' bits practically impossible. But I think that's because I actually had a lot of quite painful attachment difficulties which had not really been unearthed, plus I had recently had a baby myself and was in the middle of a very bad post-natal depression. I tried out some of the questions on my DH afterwards and he found them interesting but completely straightforward and not upsetting at all! I think mine was tape recorded rather than videoed, though I'm not sure.

[Kewcumber]

Just out of interest hopeful why did you refuse? You are obviously more confident than me, as a prospective adopter I agreed to anything that was even tentatively suggested to show how keen I was!

[crackerjack00]

Ah, sorry hopefull, my mistake.

I would think twice about refusing... Reflecting on how I was parented has made a big impact on how I parent my children.

You may find it useful.

[fasparent]

Wow just read up on it , would doubt ss staff would be even qualified too make such assessment's, would ask too see their relevant qualification's of Psychiatric assessment's