Attachment and Adjustment Issues

Attachment and Adjustment Issues

Attachment theory is a psychological theory that describes how early relationships between infants and their caregivers shape the development of emotional bonds and social behaviour throughout life. According to this theory, infants develop an attachment style based on the responsiveness and availability of their primary caregiver.

Attachment styles can be categorised into four types: secure, anxious-ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganised. Securely attached individuals tend to have positive beliefs about themselves and others and are comfortable with intimacy and emotional closeness. Anxious-ambivalent individuals tend to be preoccupied with relationships, have negative views of themselves, and seek constant reassurance. Avoidant individuals tend to be emotionally distant, have difficulty with intimacy and trust, and may have negative views of others. Disorganised individuals may have inconsistent or conflicting behaviours and emotions in relationships.

Attachment styles can affect adjustment issues throughout life, such as in romantic relationships, friendships, and work relationships. For example, individuals with a secure attachment style tend to have more satisfying relationships and higher levels of overall well-being. In contrast, those with insecure attachment styles may experience more difficulties in their relationships and have lower levels of life satisfaction.

The good news is that therapy, such as attachment-based therapy and gestalt therapy, can help individuals develop a more secure attachment style. With proper support, we can learn to form healthier relationships and feel more fulfilled in our interactions with others.

Get support from an attachment therapist with real-world experience:

Sometimes, it can be daunting to take the first step in opening up about your developmental trauma and attachment issues. With the help of a compassionate and understanding Gestalt attachment therapist near me, you can begin the path to healing. 

Here at the Relational Clinic, our resident Gestalt therapist is Nate Petersen, a PACFA-registered Counsellor and Gestalt-trained Psychotherapist. Nate has first-hand experience working through his developmental trauma and attachment issues. His combined professional and lived experience drives his passion for supporting others in overcoming their attachment and adjustment issues.

Book an appointment

If you’re struggling with attachment and adjustment issues in your relationships and would like to understand how your primary attachment style might be getting in the way, the compassionate team at the Relational Clinic are here to help. With years of real-world, lived psychotherapy experience and a passion for helping people achieve their desired state of body and mind, you can trust us to develop the skills needed to become more securely attached.

Feel free to contact us to learn more about our services, or book an appointment and begin your journey to integrating and resolving your attachment and developmental trauma issues.

FAQs

  • Nate practises Gestalt therapy, which is highly effective in working with these types of relational issues, or as we like to refer to them; creative adjustments. Gestalt therapy is, at its core, a relational therapy that strongly emphasises the relationship we have with ourselves, others and the world around us.

    In Gestalt therapy, the relationship between the therapist and client is a crucial piece in the process of healing and change. We go by the axiom that people are hurt in relationships and healed by them; this can be very different from other forms of therapy where the therapist is seen as the matter expert. The therapeutic relationship between therapist and client is often a microcosm or reflection of the client's relationships outside the therapy space's four walls.

    The process of raising the client's awareness of how they connect and disconnect with themselves and others allows clients to see first-hand, in a safe and accepting space, how their patterns of relating might be getting in the way of forming lasting, secure attachments.

  • The length of time it takes to integrate and change long-held patterns of relating is always unique to the individual. The process isn't always linear and can be challenging at times. However, if the client can trust the process and lean into their resistance with the therapist's support, they can learn to make new choices and changes relatively quickly.

    Generally speaking, people can expect to spend anywhere from a few weeks to several months or longer in treatment. A typical therapy session is 50 minutes.

  • Gestalt Psychotherapy has been shown to be a very effective treatment in dealing with attachment, adjustment and developmental trauma issues. With the therapeutic relationship being a central focus of the work, clients are able to integrate and heal their early developmental and relational wounds in a safe and compassionate space.

    Clients often report feeling a new sense of self, empowerment and agency over their lives, making new choices and challenging and changing long-held beliefs and patterns of relating.