G. Goodman: Therapeutic Attachment Relationships: Interaction Structures and the Processes of Therapeutic Change

Rewriting History: Attachment Theory in the Practice of Adult Psychotherapy

“…Attachment and interpersonal theorists agree that a therapist's noncomplementary response to a client's attachment tendencies promotes an opportunity for a client's internal working models (also called "interpersonal complementary hypothesis") to be challenged and revised (Bernier et al, 2002;Goodman, 2010).…”

“…In addition to guiding the therapist's approach for the patient, awareness of the patient's attachment history prepares the therapist for the types of transference experiences that may occur, as well as improves the therapist's understanding of his or her own possible countertransference reactions (Shilkret, 2005). There are different manifestations of transference that patients can display, which may vary throughout treatment (Goodman, 2010). Interestingly, Freud (1912, 1913 discussed the dynamic of transference involved in psychotherapy: the unconscious negative component, the unconscious positive component, and the conscious "unobjectionable" component tions to treatment, while the latter represents feelings of value towards treatment and facilitates success in treatment (Goodman, 2010).…”

“…There are different manifestations of transference that patients can display, which may vary throughout treatment (Goodman, 2010). Interestingly, Freud (1912, 1913 discussed the dynamic of transference involved in psychotherapy: the unconscious negative component, the unconscious positive component, and the conscious "unobjectionable" component tions to treatment, while the latter represents feelings of value towards treatment and facilitates success in treatment (Goodman, 2010). Moreover, he as a requirement for the occurrence of unobjectionable transference, which facilitates the development of the working alliance (Goodman, 2010).…”

“…In contrast, the failure to develop an alliance can bring about a premature termination of therapy (Harris, 2004). Horvath and Greenberg (1986) developed the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) to measure this working alliance, which includes the three subscales (task, ATTACHMENT IN PSYCHOTHERAPY goal, and bond) (Goodman, 2010;Smith et al, 2009).…”

“…The therapeutic relationship is more than a bond; it is also an attachment (Obegi, 2008;Zilcha et al, 2011). The relationship incorporates characteristics of child-caregiver relationships, such as the reassuring presence of the therapist and the possibility for emotion regulation ( Goodman, 2010;Meyer et al, 2001). First, the child must come to see the caregiver as a if threatened or distressed, making them a safe haven (Eagle, 2006).…”