Attachment is a permanent emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space (Ainsworth, 1973; Bowlby, 1969). Attachment is characterised by specific behaviours in children, such as seeking proximity to the attachment figure when upset or threatened (Bowlby, 1969). Attachment behaviour in adults towards the child includes sensitive and appropriate responses to the child’s needs; how the parent-child relationship emerges and influences subsequent development. Bowlby suggested that a child would initially form only one primary attachment (monotropy) and that the attachment figure acted as a secure base for exploring the world. The attachment relationship acts as a prototype for all future social relationships so disrupting it can have adverse consequences.
Treatment:We use EMDR therapy and attachment theory for healing clients with relational trauma and attachment deficits. EMDR therapy is a method for consolidating memory networks for individuals who have experienced non-secure attachment and developmental trauma.