IAFT LEVEL 1 CERTIFICATE – ONLINE AND LIVE
Integrative Attachment Family Therapy – LEVEL 1
Foundational training in the IAFT model
developed by Dafna Lender
4 pre-recorded modules + 2 live sessions with Dafna Lender
On November 3 and 4, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Paris time)
A word from Florence, CEO of Quantum Way
The training that every professional working
with parents and children should take
“I met Dafna Lender in Boston at the trauma conference organized by Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Research Foundation. We got along immediately. Dafna speaks remarkable French, thanks to her experience as an au pair in France and because her partner is French. Aside from that, what struck me was her passion for her work and the clarity with which she embodies her therapeutic vision. She deeply understands—and this is evident in her manner and is also the foundation of her IAFT model—that you cannot support children without involving their parents.
To create secure attachment, you must first secure the parental figures and work with them on their own attachment wounds. This is exactly what I felt in the sessions I observed and in my interview with her: her welcoming attitude, her sensitivity in reading family dynamics, and her ability to work in the present moment with whatever emerges, while supporting profound transformation.
I am delighted that this program is now being offered by Quantum Way, in the two languages dear to us, English and French, and who knows, perhaps in other languages too.
I look forward to seeing you there and training with you.
Ready to join us?”
– Florence
Dafna Lender’s IAFT model: desynchronization in the parent-child relationship
Integrative Attachment Family Therapy (IAFT) was developed by Dafna Lender, an expert in family therapy and attachment specialist.
Training in the IAFT model offers a structured and effective therapeutic approach to treating a wide range of issues frequently encountered in family therapy:
Difficult child behaviors: opposition, tantrums, withdrawal, indifference
Inappropriate parental reactions: shouting, threats, begging, discouragement
Rather than viewing the child as the source of the problem, the IAFT approach shifts the focus to the real source of the difficulties: emotional desynchronization in the parent-child relationship.
With this training, you’ll be guided step by step in learning the IAFT model, combining theoretical insights and concrete strategies to promote profound and lasting change within families.
This training, designed for clinicians, therapists, medical and social workers, educators, and anyone who works with children, will enable you to:
Build a solid alliance with parents, an essential but often overlooked component of therapeutic work with children
Overcome resistance and dysfunctioning that may arise in the therapeutic relationship with parents
Identify the underlying causes of emotional maladjustments in the parent-child relationship
Support families in an approach focused on the root causes of issues, rather than on visible symptoms
Strengthen the child’s sense of safe attachment, resilience, and self-esteem
With training in the IAFT model, you’ll be able to guide families toward harmonious and caring functioning that is conducive to children’s development.
The 8 key components of Integrative Attachment Family Therapy
Develop awareness of your own social engagement mechanisms.
Consider how your personal attachment history may interact with that of the client.
Assess the physiological states of the parent and the child.
Adjust/modulate stimulation to a level that is tolerable for the child/parent.
Support the development of a coherent autobiographical narrative in the child.
Strengthen the parent’s ability to repair ruptures in the relationship with the child.
Propose boundary-setting techniques that are appropriate for the child’s development and sensitive to trauma.
Identify situations where the parent needs individual sessions to build a relationship of trust with the therapist.
Through clinical case analysis, role-playing, and practical exercises, you will learn to use tools that can be directly applied to your professional practice.
Who is this training for?
Parents
Family therapists
Psychologists, psychotherapists, and mental health practitioners
Doctors, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, and other healthcare professionals
Social service professionals, educators, or anyone who works with children
Using concrete strategies and real-life scenarios, you’ll learn how to intervene effectively in complex family situations.
Parent-child relations and family therapy: meet Dafna Lender
Dafna Lender explains her approach to attachment theory and family therapy, highlighting the essential role of parents in the relationship with their children.
After this training, you’ll know how to:
Evaluate the relational dynamics between parents and children through the lens of attachment and identify signs of emotional misalignment.
Implement concrete therapeutic interventions aimed at strengthening co-regulation, connection, and relational security within the parent-child dyad.
Use activities from the Theraplay model to promote engagement, trust, and the development of a secure bond.
Support parents in recognizing and regulating their own defensive reactions, in order to foster an empathetic and regulating presence.
Identify signs of toxic shame in children and suggest appropriate restorative strategies.
Facilitate restorative dialogues between the child and their attachment figures,,using the PACE approach.
Work with the implicit beliefs and unconscious fearsthat underlie the child’s problematic behaviors.
Create a safe and engaging therapeutic space,conducive to transforming dysfunctional relationship patterns.
This training will give you a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying difficult behaviors and how to respond to them with appropriate clinical tools.
The training includes:
4 pre-recorded 90-minute video modules to learn the theory and prepare for the live session with Dafna Lender
2 live, 3-hour online sessions on Zoom to discuss this work with Dafna Lender, ask her questions, and develop your practical skills.
Detailed training program
Objectives of the 4 pre-recorded modules
MODULE 1
The fundamentals of IAFT therapy
This first module introduces the fundamental principles of Integrative Attachment Family Therapy (IAFT). It offers a practical exploration of the social engagement system and polyvagal mapping, both for practitioners and for clinical work with families.
Learning objectives:
◆ Practice exercises that promote the activation of the social engagement system.
◆ Explore your own polyvagal mapping to better understand your internal states.
◆ Understand the desynchronization of parent-child nervous systems and the regulatory effects of co-regulation activities using videos of real clinical cases.
◆ Draw up polyvagal maps with families.
◆ Regulate your own reactions to clients using Polyvagal Theory and visualization exercises.
MODULE 2
Attachment-based activities to establish connection, trust, and regulation
This second module explores how relational play between parent and child can strengthen emotional security, emotional co-regulation, and the attachment bond.
Learning objectives:
◆ Discover the four dimensions of the Theraplay model.
◆ Identify types of behavior in children and associate them with the corresponding Theraplay dimension.
◆ Learn specific activities to incorporate into parent-child therapy sessions.
◆ Understand how therapeutic play supports children’s specific needs in terms of attachment and regulation.
Examples of suggested activities:
– The ball between two bodies,
– Indoor weather,
– The slippery slide,
– The cotton ball battle,
– The mirror game,
– Blow on me,
– The imaginary ball throw.
MODULE 3
Facilitating parent-child dialogues that promote connection and understanding
The third module focuses on creating a safe space for dialogue between parent and child. We will explore the PACE model, which can be adapted to different emotional expressions in children, whether they are angry, defensive, passive, withdrawn, or depressed.
Learning objectives:
◆ Use the PACE model (Play, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) to facilitate interaction.
◆ Support verbal and nonverbal communication between parents and children.
◆ Create emotionally secure interactions.
◆ Identify and repair patterns related to toxic shame.
MODULE 4
Working with parents and understanding what lies behind a child’s difficult behaviors
The fourth module focuses on supporting defensive parents in order to bring out often unconscious underlying fears and strengthen their mentalization skills.
Learning objectives:
◆ Identify the deep-seated beliefs underlying the child’s behavior
◆ Respond with curiosity and kindness to parents’ defensive attitudes.
◆ Encourage parental mentalization and reduce tendencies to criticize or blame.
◆ Understand and support parents who are critical, withdrawn, or resentful.
Live thematic sessions
The 4 pre-recorded modules are available to be watched first, followed by the live sessions where you take a deeper dive into the content with Dafna Lender.
Session 1: November 3, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Paris time)
Building on Modules 1 and 2, polyvagal mapping and attachment-based activities.
Session 2: November 4, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Paris time)
Building on Modules 3 and 4, facilitating parent-child conversations with the PACE model, and supporting defensive parents.
This outline is provisional. This is the first time this format has been offered. Dafna will adjust it to match the pace of the group and the questions that arise during the live calls.
Training organization
Dafna Lender will lead the live sessions on November 3 and 4, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Paris time).
Dafna Lender will deliver this training in English.
The 4 pre-recorded modules will be available 3 weeks before the first live session, so that you can watch them in your own time and arrive prepared for the sessions with Dafna. All live sessions will be available for replay in the week following each live session, allowing you to review them at your own pace and take notes.
You will have access to all training materials (videos and slides) until May 5, 2027.
The training will give you access to a training certificate. The terms and conditions for obtaining the certificate will be provided during the first module.
This certificate is not required to attend the Level 2 training, but it is required to obtain the Level 2 certificate.
Participants are invited to read Dafna Lender’s reference book before the training: Integrative Attachment Family Therapy: A Clinical Guide to Heal and Strengthen the Parent-Child Relationship through Play, Co-regulation, and Meaning-Making
Note: Once you’ve completed the Level 1 training you may enroll for Level 2. Anyone who has completed Level 1 may enroll for Level 2, whether they have obtained the Level 1 certificate or not. However, the Level 2 certificate will be granted only to individuals who have the Level 1 certificate.
Learn how to develop refined interpersonal skills to create spaces of safety, repair, and co-regulation between children and their parents.
Register for the training
Register for Level 1 – or for Levels 1 & 2, and save €97
Integrative Attachment Family Therapy — Level 2
Basic training in the IAFT model, developed by Dafna Lender
4 pre-recorded modules
+ 2 live sessions with Dafna Lender on November 3 and 4, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Paris time)
297,00 € incl. VAT
Integrative Attachment Family Therapy —
Level 1 & 2
With Dafna Lender
LEVEL 1
4 pre-recorded modules
+ 2 live sessions with Dafna Lender on November 3 and 4, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Paris time)
LEVEL 2
3 live sessions – 12 hours of training
On November 16, 17 and 18, 2026, from 3.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. (Paris time)
Learn more about the Level 2 training
Save €97 !
547,00 € incl. VAT
Who is Dafna Lender?
Dafna Lender is a family therapist specializing in attachment, an international trainer, and a clinical supervisor. For nearly thirty years, she has been supporting professionals working with children and families in a variety of settings, including after-school support programs, therapeutic foster homes, home-based interventions, and private practice.
Certified as a trainer and supervisor in Theraplay® and dyadic developmental psychotherapy, she is also an EMDR practitioner. Dafna is the author ofIntegrative Attachment Family Therapy and co-author of Theraplay: The Practitioner’s Guide. She trains therapists around the world and speaks four languages (English, Hebrew, French, and Spanish).
FAQ
The training includes:
- Four pre-recorded 90-minute video modules to learn the theory and prepare for the live session with Dafna Lender ;
- 2 live, 3-hour online sessions on Zoom to discuss this work with Dafna Lender, ask her questions, and develop practical skills.
The video modules are as follows:
- Module 1 – The fundamentals of IAFT therapy
- Module 2 – Attachment-based activities to establish connection, trust, and regulation
- Module 3 – Facilitating parent-child dialogues that promote connection and understanding
- Module 4 – Working with parents and understanding what lies behind a child’s difficult behaviors
No. Level 2 is open to anyone who has completed Level 1, whether they have the certificate or not. However, the Level 1 certificate is required to obtain the Level 2 certificate.
Certification requirements will be provided during the first module.
Dafna Lender delivers this training in English. Simultaneous interpretation into French will be provided. The instructional videos and replays will be available in both languages.
Unfortunately, Quantum Way is not a training organization and is not Qualiopi or Datadock certified. Therefore, it is not covered by CPF or FIFPL.
The training is both pre-recorded and live. It consists of 4 pre-recorded video modules and 2 live sessions (on Zoom) on November 3 and 4, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Paris time). The two live sessions with Dafna Lender will be available on replay 7 days after each session.
Once the live sessions are over, you will have access to all the teaching materials until May 5, 2027.
For all refund requests before October 2, 2026: 100% refund.
For any refund request between October 2, 2026 and November 1, 2026: 50% refund.
From November 2, 2026, no refunds will be granted.