Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Dr. David Elliott is a clinical psychologist, former president of the Rhode Island Psychological Association, and Harvard graduate.
He teaches internationally on attachment, personality, and psychotherapy process, and is the co-author of Attachment Disturbances in Adults.
In this conversation, we explore:
— The ‘ideal parent figure’ method and how it can be applied to heal attachment wounds
— The three pillars of integrative attachment therapy
— The benefits and limitations of the therapist becoming the client's good attachment figure.
And more.
You can learn more about Dr. Elliott’s work at https://www.davidelliottphd.com.
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Dr. Elliott received his Ph.D. in Psychology in 1989 from Harvard University. His clinical training while at Harvard included externships at the Tufts University Counseling Center, the Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, Massachusetts, and a clinical psychology internship at McLean Hospital, the psychiatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at McLean Hospital, where he worked on the Adolescent and Family Treatment Unit and at the hospital’s mental health outpatient clinic. He was licensed as a Psychologist in Massachusetts in 1990, and in Rhode Island in 1993.
Recognizing from an early age that there are many dimensions to human experience, any and all of which can contribute to well-being or to difficulty, Dr. Elliott has maintained a commitment to learning and understanding the whole range of human possibility — from the deepest confusions and struggles of psychosis, to the patterns of personality that create personal and relational conflicts, to the development of the self in ways that promote both independence and intimacy, and to higher levels of growth that allow for flourishing and even a recognition of oneself as beyond the limits of the personal self.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Dr. Elliott's Personal and Professional Odyssey
06:09 - Attachment in Modern Society
10:34 - Secure Attachment and Social Harmony
13:30 - Integrative Attachment Therapy Model
33:15 - The Role of Attachment in PTSD Treatment
42:54 - The Collaborative Therapeutic Process
46:48 - Five Conditions for Secure Attachment
57:11 - Dr Elliott’s Book and Resources
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Interview Links:
— Dr Elliott’s website - davidelliottphd.com
3 Books Dr Elliott Recommends Every Therapist Should Read:
— Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World - Sue Marriott & Ann Kelley - amzn.to/4cn9ttG
— A Compelling Idea: How We Become the Persons We Are - Alan Sroufe - amzn.to/4cvP31X
— Attachment Disturbances in Adults: Treatment for Comprehensive Repair - Daniel P. Brown & David S. Elliott - amzn.to/4cvPcCx
Dr. David Elliott is a clinical psychologist, former president of the Rhode Island Psychological Association, and Harvard graduate.
He teaches internationally on attachment, personality, and psychotherapy process, and is the co-author of Attachment Disturbances in Adults.
In this conversation, we explore:
— The ‘ideal parent figure’ method and how it can be applied to heal attachment wounds
— The three pillars of integrative attachment therapy
— The benefits and limitations of the therapist becoming the client's good attachment figure.
And more.
You can learn more about Dr. Elliott’s work at https://www.davidelliottphd.com.
---
Dr. Elliott received his Ph.D. in Psychology in 1989 from Harvard University. His clinical training while at Harvard included externships at the Tufts University Counseling Center, the Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, Massachusetts, and a clinical psychology internship at McLean Hospital, the psychiatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at McLean Hospital, where he worked on the Adolescent and Family Treatment Unit and at the hospital’s mental health outpatient clinic. He was licensed as a Psychologist in Massachusetts in 1990, and in Rhode Island in 1993.
Recognizing from an early age that there are many dimensions to human experience, any and all of which can contribute to well-being or to difficulty, Dr. Elliott has maintained a commitment to learning and understanding the whole range of human possibility — from the deepest confusions and struggles of psychosis, to the patterns of personality that create personal and relational conflicts, to the development of the self in ways that promote both independence and intimacy, and to higher levels of growth that allow for flourishing and even a recognition of oneself as beyond the limits of the personal self.
---
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Dr. Elliott's Personal and Professional Odyssey
06:09 - Attachment in Modern Society
10:34 - Secure Attachment and Social Harmony
13:30 - Integrative Attachment Therapy Model
33:15 - The Role of Attachment in PTSD Treatment
42:54 - The Collaborative Therapeutic Process
46:48 - Five Conditions for Secure Attachment
57:11 - Dr Elliott’s Book and Resources
---
Interview Links:
— Dr Elliott’s website - davidelliottphd.com
3 Books Dr Elliott Recommends Every Therapist Should Read:
— Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World - Sue Marriott & Ann Kelley - amzn.to/4cn9ttG
— A Compelling Idea: How We Become the Persons We Are - Alan Sroufe - amzn.to/4cvP31X
— Attachment Disturbances in Adults: Treatment for Comprehensive Repair - Daniel P. Brown & David S. Elliott - amzn.to/4cvPcCx
