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On-Demand
The Impact of Trauma on Attachment, Dissociation, & Cognitive Processing

Recognizing Fearful-Disorganized Attachment in Survivors of Early, Complex Trauma

Aurora Clark, Ed.S., LPC, LMHC, NCC, ACS
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Information

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Recognize general attachment factors and their function in the bonding between infants and caretaker figures.

  • Identify and educate clients about factors that negatively influence attachment health.

  • Correlate fear-proximity attachment patterns with PTSD symptoms (DSM-5 TR).

Educational Goal

Learners will understand the role of attachment in infant–caretaker bonding, recognize factors that can disrupt healthy attachment, and apply this knowledge to explain how fear-based proximity patterns relate to PTSD symptoms as outlined in the DSM-5 TR.

Description

This continuing education course explores how early, disrupted attachment experiences—especially those involving fear and danger—shape long-term emotional, behavioral, and physiological patterns. You'll gain insight into the foundational role of attachment in infant-caregiver relationships and how trauma can distort these bonds, resulting in fearful-disorganized attachment styles. Through the lens of trauma-informed theory and current research, you will learn how these patterns intersect with PTSD symptoms, autonomic nervous system responses, and long-term relational challenges.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Nurse
  • Physician
  • Physician Assistant
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Aurora Clark, Ed.S., LPC, LMHC, NCC, ACS
Aurora Clark is a Licensed Professional Counselor and trauma specialist at Family Care Center, where she provides outpatient psychotherapy and psychoeducation for adults navigating trauma, anxiety, and complex dissociative experiences. She is licensed in Colorado, New Jersey, and New York and is an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) and National Certified Counselor (NCC). Her clinical work integrates Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Focusing Oriented Psychotherapy (FOT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and trauma-informed mindfulness approaches to foster self-awareness, emotion regulation, and recovery from chronic stress and relational trauma. Prior to joining Family Care Center, Ms. Clark served as Program Director and Trauma Services Lead at GenPsych, PC, where she developed and implemented specialized curricula for trauma, anxiety, and military-focused enhanced outpatient programs. She has more than 20 years of clinical and teaching experience, including senior leadership roles in trauma treatment, education, and clinical supervision. Ms. Clark’s professional interests include structural dissociation, recurring trauma, dissociative identity disorder (DID), and the integration of experiential and cognitive modalities in trauma recovery. She is a frequent CE presenter on trauma-informed care, attachment, and the psychophysiology of dissociation.