In this talk, Dr. Jessica Borelli will use attachment theory as a framework through which to understand divorce from multiple different angles. First, she will present a model in which attachment theory offers insight into understanding the meaning of, as well as normative patterns of adjustment to, marital dissolution, from the perspective of both partners and children. Then she will explain how attachment in the partners can predict the likelihood of, and adjustment to, marital dissolution, among parents and children, with a particular focus on how attachment insecurity can contribute to long-term risk. Throughout her talk, Dr. Borelli will weave examples from research studies and clinical cases into her discussion of attachment as a lens through which to understand divorce, adopting a biopsychosocial approach of viewing human behaviour
Biography
Jessica Borelli completed her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Yale University. She then did a year-long clinical internship at UCLA and a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona. She spent 7 years as an Assistant and then an Associate Professor at Pomona College and joined the faculty at the University of California, Irvine, Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, in 2017. Dr. Borelli’s research focused on the links between attachment relationships, emotion, and health. Dr. Borelli has written over 60 peer reviewed journal articles and her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. In addition to her job as a professor, she is also a practicing psychologist who maintains a small private practice where she works with children, couples, and families.