Attachment-Informed Gatekeeping

Abstract

This chapter will advocate for an attachment-informed lens when approaching dispositional issues with counselor education students. The authors discuss the bidirectional relationship of attachment and trauma and the importance of careful consideration of both in trauma-informed gatekeeping. Because attachment greatly impacts worldview, valuing the student and the dispositional issue through an attachment-focused lens is imperative. Positing attachment as a protective factor, the authors argue that practicing attachment-informed gatekeeping could be essential in supporting counselors in training and decreasing rates of burnout.