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Attachment and psychotherapy
Arietta Slade1, Jeremy Holmes2
1Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, PO Box 207900, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Current Opinion in Psychology
|August 13, 2018
Summary
Attachment theory explains relationships from childhood to adulthood. Attachment-informed psychotherapy utilizes the therapist-patient bond to foster change and reshape relational dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Attachment theory models development and adult relationships.
- Patient attachment styles correlate with therapeutic alliance, process, and outcomes.
- Therapist's attachment and mentalizing capacity influence therapeutic success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of attachment theory in psychotherapy.
- To highlight how attachment dynamics influence therapeutic interventions and outcomes.
- To present the core principles of attachment-informed psychotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of attachment theory principles.
- Analysis of research linking patient attachment to therapy outcomes.
- Examination of in-session behaviors related to attachment patterns.
- Consideration of therapist's attachment and mentalizing capacity.
Main Results:
- Attachment patterns influence therapeutic alliance, process, and outcomes.
- In-session behaviors reveal distinct insecure attachment patterns.
- Therapist's attachment organization and mentalizing capacity are crucial.
- Attachment-informed psychotherapy emphasizes the therapist-patient relationship.
Conclusions:
- The therapist-patient attachment relationship is central to therapeutic change.
- Recognizing attachment dynamics in therapy guides interventions.
- Psychotherapy can effectively reshape maladaptive attachment dynamics.
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