The Attachment Theory

EFT is an attachment based research theory, that suggest that couples have strong need to stay connected (bond) to each other. As such, bonding is very important in marital relationships and if the bond is disappearing, then stressful and negative cycle pattern begins to emerge. Thus, the goal of EFT is to support couples walk through a process of healing (overcoming the negative patterns, rebuilding the connection again, and fortify the bond) (Goldenberg, Stanton, & Goldenberg, 2017). From the assessment that has carried out by the therapist it is clear that Tam and Lisa do not have what it takes to manage or settle conflicts without it escalating into something else. As such, the bonding between them is disappearing and it’s becoming stressful and disturbing to them and their children. Because Jimmy and Emma even though do not see their parent fight or disagree in the open but they can sense the disconnection between their parent and feel the tension whenever both of them where at home. More so, because of the negative pattern that has emerge as a result of lack of secure attachment, there is no more interactions between the couple and each others needs are not met. From the case conceptualization, and to decide what treatment plan should target or focus on the therapist will use the step-by-step treatment manual provided by Johnson and Greenberg (1995) as cited in (Goldenberg et al., 2017) for the therapy process:

Bowlby, the founder of the attachment theory, “hypothesized that children are born with a predisposition to attached to their caregivers and the children will organize their own behaviors and thinking in in order to maintain those relationships (Bettmann, p.2, 2006).” Bettmann (2006) further explained that the attachment theory maintains that children’s psychological and physical survival depend on a secure attachment with a caregiver. Furthermore, Bettmann (2006) reported that attachment theory asserts that often children will try to maintain the attachment to their caregiver at a cost of own functioning and distortions. Most children are able to form a secure attachment, as a parent needs to be a “good enough parent” for secure attachment. Additionally, another adult can assume the role of an attachment figure in a child’s life.

They are not bothered by small issues. When a person has a secure attachment, they are capable of developing very trusting, and lasting relationships. They usually have good self-esteem also. They are comfortable sharing with their family and friends. Securely attached adults tend to have a good view of themselves, and their relationships with others. They feel comfortable balancing intimacy and independence, without any issues. This style of attachment usually results from a history of warm and responsive interactions with relationship partners. They often talk about experiencing more fulfilling relationships than people with other attachment styles. Being reliable and consistent, people who are secure may seem boring at first to those with other styles because there is little drama in their love lives, but secure people have a stabilizing effect on those with less secure styles and they report the highest level of satisfaction in their relationships.

Attachment theory was developed by John Bowlby during his observation of evacuated children during World War II and it describes the dynamics of long term relationships. Its most important tenet is that an infant needs to develop a healthy relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional development to occur normally and that further relationships are built on the patterns developed in the earliest relationship (Bowlby 1988).

those around him; his relationship with God would be a negative one, promoting a negative image of God.

Attachment theory is accepted by most psychologists and psychiatrists as the best explanation for how we develop the capacity to form relationships with others and relate to our environment. It asserts that the methods we use to relate to others, manage our needs, express our demands, and shape our expectations for the world are rooted in our relationships with our early caregivers. Through these interactions we learn to balance our feelings and need states with others and to establish our varying degrees of independence, dependence, power, and control. Attachment also impacts self-esteem through the experience of conflict with caregivers.

Attachment theory was developed by John Bowlby in the 1960s and suggests that infants are primed to form a close, dependant bond with a primary caregiver beginning in the first moments of life. Hardy (2007) writes,

The theory of attachment was originally developed by child psychiatrist John Bowlby around 1948 (Bretherton, 1992). Attachment theory is when a child attaches/bonds themselves to a parental figure, somebody who cares for the child. Bowlby believed that the impact on a child’s life is greatest when the child and caregiver form an attachment when the child is very young in age (infant). Bowlby stated that if the attachment between the child and caregiver was not secure, that the child could then start to develop delinquent behavior (Schmalleger, 2014). Bowlby stated within his attachment theory that children who were abandoned at an early age, who really had only one parent in their life (other parent could have for instance been in prison), or children that were abused (physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually), were going to

The formation of attachment begins at birth with the child forming some type or form of attachment with their parents or primary caregiver. Hopefully, the child is able to form a proper or secure attachment with their parent or primary caregivers because the attachment formed between the parents or primary caregiver acts the foundation for how well the child will be able to form attachments with others outside the immediate family (Gullone, Ollendick, King,2006).This is because the type or level of attachment the child was able to form with his or her parent generally predicts the type or level of attachment the child will form with others outside their intermediate family. However, as the individual interacts with the outside world more and

The research shows that female adolescents who were victims of childhood abuse or neglect are more likely to engage in self-harming behaviour in the form of cutting (Spielhagen and Schwartz 2013) as this is the way they gain sense of control over their body and pain as their soothing and problem solving skills are underdeveloped. Patricia did not enjoy warm, engaged and connected relationship with her mother when she was an infant. As an infant and young child she was very often left to soothe herself. Attachment theory suggest that when carers are addicted to drugs and distance themselves from their child, they send the message to the child that the parent's needs are primary and that the child needs to care for himsel (Bettman 2006). Now,

The theory from chapter 1 that I chose was attachment theory. Attachment theory, coined by John Bowlby, is a concept in developmental psychology that concerns the importance of "attachment" in regards to personal development. It states that the ability for an individual to form an emotional and physical "attachment" to another person gives a sense of stability and the means necessary to take risks, branch out, and grow and develop as a personality. One of Bowlby’s main points in attachment theory is “separation anxiety is experienced when attachment behaviour is activated and cannot be terminated unless reunion is restored” (Bowlby 1969). “They also, have trouble maintaining a boundary between someone else’s distress and their own” (Weinfield, Sroufe, 1999) and they do everything possible to prevent separation. Bowlby has four assumptions: “infants and young children develop emotional ties with individuals early in life, the way a child is treated early in life has a major contributing factor to their future relationships and the way their personality is formed, attachment behaviour can form an 'internal working model ' which guide the child 's thoughts, feelings and expectations as a result of the reactions of others towards their behaviour, it is difficult to alter attachment behavior but it is not impossible” (Green 2003). There are also five different attachments styles, secure, avoidant, ambivalent, disorganized, and reactive.Secure attachment style individuals are

John Bowlby, the backbone of attachment theories will be discussed throughout this essay to explain and evaluate the key theories of attachment. Health and well-being which is made up of four factors ‘physical, intellectual, emotional and social ' (Jones, 2016), will also be discussed within the essay. The definition of attachment is ‘an act of attaching or the state of being attached. ' (Dictionary, 1400) This will be showed in the assignment, using theorists to analyse the meaning. Sharing the strengths and weaknesses in some theorists will help conclude this assignment.

Styles of Attachment. Adult attachment is typically understood by use of a two-dimensional model that can be sorted into four quadrants: secure, dismissive, preoccupied, and fearful. (Unger & De Luca, 2014) Secure attachment is perceived as the ideal attachment orientation, resulting in low levels of both anxiety and avoidance, suggesting that the individual believes they are worthy of love, are trusting of others, and have a sense of relational competence. (Muller, Gragtmans, & Baker, 2008) The other 75% of the possible attachment orientations are labeled as “insecure,” implying a lack of availability of the individual’s caregivers in early infancy and either high in anxiety or avoidance. Within insecure attachment, measures suggest three

Many psychologists have come and gone, and many different theoretical orientations have been developed. With each orientation has come a new perspective on development, behaviour and mental processes. Some are similar, yet others could not be more contradictory. Attachment is one such theoretical orientation, developed by John Bowlby out of his dissatisfaction with other existing theories. Although Bowlby rejected psychoanalytical explanations for early infant bonds, the theory of attachment was influenced in part by the principles of psychoanalysis; in particular the observations by Ana Freud and Dorothy Burlingham of young children separated from

In order to develop consistency, it is important to understand the importance of the setting where, practitioner perceptions that characterises the setting (a microsystem) and interactions (proximal processes) within the setting can have an impact on a child’s behaviour. More’s (2013) research revealed that having a supportive peer group around provides practitioners with opportunities for joint thinking and problem solving and acts as a source of emotional support and that managing challenging behaviour can be made more effective by working as a team. In addition, practitioner perceptions of having a consistent group also help in managing behaviour. Frequent changes to the group can have implications for how consistently the behaviour policy