The psychotherapy relationship as attachment: Evidence and implications

Abstract

Research suggests that psychotherapy relationships formed by adult clients can exhibit all the essential elements of attachment bonds identified by Mikulincer and Shaver. Specifically, some clients: (i) regard their therapist as stronger and wiser; (ii) seek proximity through emotional connection and regular meetings; (iii) rely upon their therapist as a safe haven when they feel threatened; (iv) derive a sense of felt security from their therapist, who serves as a secure base for psychological exploration; and (v) experience separation anxiety when anticipating loss of their therapist. This paper presents a conceptual model describing how therapists can regulate therapeutic distance to create the relationship conditions best suited for clients with a hyperactivating versus deactivating attachment pattern. These therapists create a corrective emotional experience by offering the same client not one static attachment relationship, but rather a progressively changing series of relationships that promote more adaptive functioning.