Attachment Theory

A theory initially developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth that proposes we are all born into the world with an attachment system that wires us to expect connection with others and that humans evolved to have this system to ensure survival.

As infants we can’t yet meet any of our own needs so in order to survive we have to bond and attach to our primary caretakers. It is the role of our primary caretakers to meet our biological, psychological and emotional needs so that we can grow, develop and become healthy functioning adults.

When attachment injuries occur it means the primary caretakers for whatever reason were unable to consistently meet the child’s needs (biological, psychological and emotional) therefore resulting in an insecure attachment style.

An attachment style is like a relationship blueprint that then gets carried from childhood into adulthood. When our attachment style is insecure it can manifest in a variety of ways such as anxiety, depression, avoidance, body-based symptoms, dating and relationship difficulties, work and career related difficulties, etc.

When you really pause and think about it, it becomes clear that we are in relationship with literally everything…we have a relationship with ourselves, our bodies, our friends, our family, our work, our planet, etc. Attachment theory is another incredibly powerful tool to help us create deep, lasting change from the inside out.