The Foundation has developed Initiative Areas as a way of helping organizations identify where they are with respect to how the Foundation views the application of attachment theory to the world of philanthropy. The Initiative Areas are not mutually exclusive and there is some crossover. In addition, an organization may be working in two Initiative areas at the same time. Please do not be concerned if you do not readily recognize some of the terms used in this Initiative Areas listing below. In all likelihood these are terms that are described in the Foundation's Study Guide to the article by Dr. Pistole entitled “Preventing Teenage Pregnancy: Contributions from Attachment Theory.” After a cursory scan through this listing, organizations (and interested parties) are encouraged to read Dr. Pistole's article along with the Foundation's Study Guide to this article. For more information on Dr. Pistole's article and the Foundation's Study Guide, please return to the Detailed Giving Guidelines page, and then click on the Resources link.

I. Traumatic Threats to the Attachment Behavioral System Proper

A. Sexual assault

B. Domestic violence

C. Abuse towards animals

D. Abuse toward children and adults

E. Historical and cultural trauma

F. Certain adoption and foster care agencies

G. Secondary trauma

H. Loss and bereavement

II. Identifying & Balancing Life-Regulating Devices & Systems

A. Certain developmental programs

B. Developing and interacting behavioral systems

C. Identifying and describing the limits of attachment processes at the institutional level

D. Mentorship programs

III. Providing for Experiential Gestalts & Foundations

A. Safe play spaces

B. Community and school arts

C. Boys and girls clubs

D. Mentorship programs

IV. Metaphoric Structuring

A. Ritual

B. Storytelling

C. Experiential therapy modalities

D. Symbology and mythology

V. Attachment Organizational System Advocacy

A. Attachment ThinkTanks

B. Certain educational programs

C. Research projects

D. Reframing psychopathologies

E. Social, educational, and political policy

F. Educational curriculum development

G. Identifying and describing conceptual or metaphoric systems

H. Institutional threats to the attachment organizational system

I. Philosophical issues such as the embodiment of cognition (EC)

J. Developing knowledgeable consumers of life-regulating devices

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