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Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
Published on: January 17, 2025
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Emotionally focused therapy: Attachment, connection, and health
Paul S Greenman1, Susan M Johnson2
1Département de psychoéducation et de psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada; Montfort Knowledge Institute, Canada; University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Canada.
Current Opinion in Psychology
|August 10, 2021
Summary
Attachment science offers a framework to understand how loneliness and social disconnection harm mental and physical health. Emotionally focused therapy can strengthen emotional bonds, improving social connectedness and protecting health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Attachment Science
Background:
- Loneliness and social disconnection negatively impact mental and physical health.
- Existing research links social isolation to depression, anxiety, and heart disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose attachment science as a framework for understanding health impacts of social disconnection.
- To guide clinical interventions for loneliness and social isolation.
Main Methods:
- Review of current scientific findings on loneliness and health.
- Proposal of emotionally focused therapy (EFT) as an intervention.
Main Results:
- Attachment science provides a lens to view the detrimental effects of social isolation.
- EFT enhances emotional ties and subjective social connectedness.
Conclusions:
- Strengthening emotional, interpersonal bonds through EFT can restore emotional balance.
- This approach protects individuals from chronic isolation and associated health problems.
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