Attachment‐informed therapy for adults: Towards a unifying perspective on practice

Abstract

Attachment theory should be used to inform individual psychological therapy in adulthood. From the outset of their careers, therapists should receive training and supervision to enhance their awareness of their own and their clients' attachment experiences and how these play out during therapy. There is a need for greater empirical research to investigate whether the degree to which therapists formulate and meet clients' attachment needs influences outcomes.

Associations of Differentiation of Self and Adult Attachment in Individuals With Anxiety-Related Disorders

“…Attachment styles may hold predictive value in psychopathology (Langton, Murad, & Humbert, ) and may moderate treatment outcomes in anxiety disorders (Newman, Castonguay, Jacobson, & Moore, ). Thus, there has been a call for both more research in attachment theory and an incorporation of this construct in adult psychotherapy interventions (Berry & Danquah, ). In the current study, significant correlations were uncovered between nearly all global and subscale measures of differentiation of self and both state and trait measures of anxiety.…”

A thematic analysis of compassion‐focused imagery for people with personality disorder: Inhibitors, facilitators and clinical recommendations

“…Therapy should target specific fears of compassion, since despite participants having completed on average 6.5 months of DBT, treatment length was not associated with better quantitative outcomes (Naismith et al, ). Negative working models of others can be challenged using the therapeutic relationship as an example (Berry & Danquah, ). Recalling small moments of compassion in daily life might be easier than recalling past compassion or imagining a perfect compassionate figure.…”

“…Therapists should spend time validating these difficulties prior to CFI. Processing difficult memories, supported by mindful acceptance and compassion will likely help more than avoidance (Berking, Neacsiu, Comtois, & Linehan, 2009), but should be done within an established therapeutic relationship (Berry & Danquah, 2016).…”

Attachment style and readiness for psychotherapy among psychiatric outpatients

“…Attachment theory suggests that inner models of interpersonal relatednessknown as attachment styleinfluence the psychotherapy process (Berry & Danquah, 2015;Bowlby, 1988;Shilkret, 2005). Patients with insecure attachment, typically classified as either anxious or avoidant attachment, tend to experience more difficulties in the therapeutic relationship (Daniel, 2006).…”