Therapy for Attachment Issues
Attachment is vital for child development, forming an emotional bond that fosters safety and love. Disruptions can have long-lasting effects in adult life. Therapy can help individuals develop secure attachments and heal from past trauma that may have impacted their attachment style.
What is Secure Attachment?
Secure attachment refers to the ability to form healthy and secure emotional bonds with others. It involves a sense of trust, safety, and emotional attunement, leading to feelings of worth and the ability to establish and maintain meaningful relationships.
What is Insecure Attachment?
Insecure attachment in adulthood refers to a lack of healthy and secure emotional connections and attachments in relationships. This can lead to difficulty forming and maintaining healthy relationships, fear of intimacy, and low self-esteem.
Causes, Symptoms, and Effects
Attachment issues can manifest in various ways, such as difficulty forming strong relationships, fear of intimacy, low self-esteem, mood swings, trust issues, and self-destructive behaviors. These issues may lead to emotional distress, social problems, and difficulties in regulating emotions and behaviors.
Attachment Issues in Children
Behavioral symptoms of attachment issues in children:
– Withdrawal, fear, sadness, or irritabilty
– Unexplained sadness or listnessness
– Difficulty seeking comfrot or showing response when comforted
– Failure to smile or engage in social interactions
– Difficulty with transitions or changes in routine
– Indiscriminately seeking affection from strangers
– Difficulty with concentration
– Disruptive behavior
Attachment Issues in Adults
Behavioral symptoms of attachment issues in adults:
– Difficulty forming and maintaining close relationships
– Fear of abandonment or rejection
– Difficulty trusting others
– Emotional dysregulation including mood swings and anger issues
– Difficulty expressing emotions
– Low self-esteem
– Avoidance of intimacy or emotional closeness
– Difficulty with physical affection
– Impulsive behavior and decision-making
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Types of Attachment Styles
Secure Attachment
Secure attachment in children and adults is a strong and healthy emotional bond between a child and their primary caregiver(s). It involves consistent and responsive care and fosters feelings of safety, trust, and confidence in oneself. This secure attachment provides a foundation for mental and emotional well-being throughout life.
Anxious Attachment
Anxious attachment in children and adults refers to a relationship style characterized by a fear of abandonment and a constant need for reassurance and validation. It can lead to difficulties in forming and maintaining healthy relationships and may also be linked to anxiety and low self-esteem.
Avoidant Attachment
Avoidant attachment in adults is characterized by a difficulty in forming deep and meaningful relationships due to a fear of intimacy and emotional closeness. Individuals with avoidant attachment may struggle with commitment, have a fear of abandonment, and find it challenging to open up and trust others.
Disorganized Attachment
Disorganized attachment is a type of insecure attachment where a child or adult has inconsistent or unpredictable behavior and emotional reactions, often due to past trauma or neglect. This can lead to problems with emotional regulation, relationships, and coping skills. Therapy can help individuals with disorganized attachment develop healthier patterns and heal from past wounds.
Treatment for Attachment Issues
Did you know that some of our team at Keystone Therapy Group specializes in treating attachment issues? We prioritize creating a safe and trusting environment for our clients, where they can work through underlying attachment patterns and form healthy relationships. Let us support you on your journey towards secure attachment and emotional wellbeing.
What to Expect in Therapy for Attachment Issues
At Keystone Therapy Group, we understand that treating attachment issues requires a unique and individualized approach. Our team works closely with you to address the root causes and develop effective techniques for improving attachment patterns and strengthening healthy relationships.
The first couple sessions of therapy are focused on building the connection between therapist and client. This provides safety and stability for the client to move through therapy.
Once rapport is established, your therapist will make sure you have effective coping skills and are comfortable with using them, and knowing when to use them.
The specific steps of therapy now depend on the therapeutic approach your therapist uses and deems most appropriate for your therapy work. This can be CBT, ACT, EFT, DBT, EMDR, or more!
Working through attachment issues can look different for each client. In every case, the goal is to help clients understand how their attachment experience continues to impact them in the present, and alleviate those ongoing distressing experiences.
Once clients are able to regain a sense of control over their lives and experience a decrease in symptoms, thoughts, and behaviors related to their trauma, the therapist will shift to focus on establishing stability, and maintaining the beautiful growth and healing made in therapy!
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We offer therapy for trauma and PTSD in Burke, or online trauma therapy throughout Virginia. Sessions are by appointment only.
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