About ABFT International
ABFT International Training Institute was founded in 2023 by co-developers of the attachment-based family therapy model, Dr. Guy Diamond and Dr. Suzanne Levy. After 10 years of running the ABFT Training Program at Drexel University, Dr. Diamond and Dr. Levy established a new home for ABFT as an international training center. We now have satellite training programs in Belgium, Italy, Scandinavia, Australia and collaboration with several programs across the United States. For the past 15 years, ABFT has been providing training to community agencies, hospitals, residential programs, and universities. As one of the only approved family therapy programs by SAMHSA, many grantees have included ABFT in their applications to different SAMHSA projects including youth suicide prevention, school-based trauma work and several COVID related domestic violence program. Given our new home, ABFT International can now expand its training services to larger organizations and communities.
Guy Diamond, Ph.D.
Co-Developer of ABFT
Guy Diamond, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and formerly was Associate Professor at Drexel University in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. His primary work has been in the area of youth suicide prevention and treatment research. On the prevention side, he has created a program focused on training, screening and triage to be implemented in non-behavioral health settings. On the treatment side, he has focused on the development and testing of attachment-based family therapy (ABFT), especially for teens struggling with depression and suicide. ABFT has now been applied to children and young adults, LGBTQ youth and adults, and adopted in clinics all over the world where it is used as a transdiagnostic approach to patient mental health and ruptures in family attachment.
Suzanne Levy, Ph.D.
Co-Developer of ABFT
Suzanne Levy, Ph.D., is an internationally renowned licensed clinical psychologist and co-developer of ABFT. Previously she was the Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and Training of the ABFT Training Program at Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. Since 2007, Dr. Levy has been conducting ABFT training workshops and supervision for therapists nationally and internationally. She has presented regionally, nationally, and internationally on ABFT, emotion coaching, child and adolescent therapies, resilience, adolescent depression, adolescent development, and adolescent substance use.
Brianna Brennan, LMFT
Brianna Brennan, LMFT is a certified Attachment-Based Family Therapist who specializes in working with adolescents and families. Brianna received her graduate training in Philadelphia at Thomas Jefferson University and has experience working in a variety of clinical settings ranging from intensive day treatment and in-home family-based therapy to outpatient client care. Brianna works with ABFT International as a supervisor and trainer in training and is currently in private practice.