Attachment Services of Central Florida, Inc. was developed in response to the unmet needs of families in the metro Orlando area.  These families are struggling with adopted children and were unable to find necessary services within the Central Florida area.  After the founding therapist accompanied one family out of state to receive necessary treatment, it became obvious that something needed to be done.  Attachment Services of Central Florida, Inc. is the result of that family's quest for appropriate services for their children in their own community. 

Founder, Teresa Guerard, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, specializing in the treatment of children with attachment difficulties.  In 2000, she received her Masters Degree in Community Mental Health Counseling from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She was a supervisor of approximately 50 therapists and behavioral staff prior to forming Attachment Services of Central Florida, Inc.  In this position she sat on several committees which addressed the mental health needs of children in the surrounding communities.  It was this experience that accentuated the need for services for children with attachment difficulties.  As the instructor of parenting classes, the question became "How do we help families who have children who did not receive the foundation of love, support and nurturing necessary for appropriate development during those first critical years?" 

The answer to this question came in the form of the above mentioned family. Assigned to do an assessment of the family's eldest adopted child, she had her first experience with a child with severe attachment disorder.  This child had attacked her mother with a butcher knife four weeks previously, leaving over 400 stab marks in and around the rooms where the incident occurred.  It took two large police officers, sofa cushions and mace to subdue the child.  She was 9 years old at the time.  During the assessment, the child exhibited much more mild behaviors, but still, clearly the actions of a troubled child.  The child's mother was very knowledgeable about RAD and thus opened the door to a world previously unknown by this therapist.

Since that time, Ms. Guerard has worked in the attachment field with some leading experts including Bill Goble, Terry Levy, Mike Orlans, Nancy Thomas, Joanne May, and Dawn Precour. She has attended training seminars by other leaders in the field including Dan Hughes, Kenny Miller, Neil Feinstein, and Greg Keck.  She has also pursued training in related fields including neurobiology as presented by Dr. Daniel Amen and criminology as presented by Dr. Stanton Samenow.

Mary Kong, MS, works for the agency as a therapeutic respite parent, therapist intern and trainer with a special interest in facilitating attachment with the unborn child.  She has a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University and is pursuing licensure as a Mental Health Counselor.  Her heart and home are open to these troubled children and she is instrumental in the team approach necessary to heal these troubled children.  In providing therapeutic respite services, children stay at Ms. Mary's home for anywhere from a few hours to several days to help them "work on their lives." She also provides a treatment home for long term placement when appropriate.

Both Ms. Guerard and Ms. Kong have completed a 250 hour, year long training from Dr. Bill Goble.  Dr. Goble is a former member of the ATTACH Board of Directors and worked with them to develop his training curriculum for the Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment for Attachment Therapists.

Attachment Services of Central Florida, Inc. is a Registered Agency with ATTACh, the international Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children.  We abide by their Professional Practice Manual and use only those therapeutic interventions approved by ATTACh.  We believe that these troubled children can be helped through equal portions of nurturing, consistency, compassion and empathy.  By teaching attachment parenting and implementing therapeutic techniques proven in the attachment field, we witness the healing of a broken child and the birth of a new child, one eager for love and affection with limitless potential for joining in appropriate relationships with those he encounters.

                                                                                      Donate Now

The Internal Revenue Service has determined that Attachment Services of Central Florida, Inc. qualifies as a 501 (c) (3) organization, and that donors may deduct their contributions to us.  A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the State of Florida Division of Consumer Services by calling Toll-Free 1-800-435-7352 within the state of Florida.  Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state.