Adult Attachment, Page 2

The Berkeley Adult Attachment Interview was used to assess parents' patterns of attachments [Main et al., 1985]. This interview procedure elicits details of early family life, relationships with parents, and unresolved emotional issues. It assesses the adult's early attachment experiences and their current "state of mind" about attachment. Based on their responses, adults are assigned to one of four categories, each equivalent to and predictive of infant/childhood attachment patterns.

  1. Secure-autonomous
    • coherent view of attachment.
    • secure base provided by at least one of their parents.
    • do not portray their childhood as trouble free; objective regarding the positive and negative qualities of their parents.
    • able to reflect on selves and relationships (little self-deception); comfortable talking about attachment issues; communicate in a clear, direct and honest manner.
    • worked through painful issues from childhood and can discuss these issues without much anxiety or stress; insight into the effects of early negative emotional and family experiences; understanding and some level of forgiveness towards their parents.
    • able to depend on others; accept the importance of relationships in their lives.
    • most of their own children were rated as securely attached.
  2. Dismissing
    • unable or unwilling to address attachment issues in coherent and serious way; dismiss the value and importance of attachment relationships.
    • guarded and defensive answers; often not able to accurately remember their childhood; do not want to reflect on their past.
    • idealized their parents; deny true facts and feelings associated with negative parental behavior (e.g., abuse and neglect).
    • avoid the pain of early rejection and their need for love and affection through various defensive strategies.
    • three-fourths of their own children were avoidantly attached.
  3. Preoccupied
    • confused and incoherent regarding memories; unresolved about early hurt and anger in family relationships.
    • childhood characterized by disappointment, frustrating efforts to please their parents, and role reversals ("parentification").
    • remain emotionally enmeshed with parents and family-of-origin issues; unaware of own responsibility in current relationship problems.
    • most of their own children have ambivalent attachments.
  4. Unresolved
    • experienced severe trauma and early losses; have not mourned lost attachment figures and not integrated those losses into their lives.
    • frightened by memories and emotions associated by early trauma; may dissociate to avoid pain; confused and incoherent regarding past events.
    • extremely negative and dysfunctional relationships with their own children, including abuse and neglect; script their children into past unresolved emotional patterns and dramas.
    • produce disorganized-disoriented attachments in their children.

Corrective Attachment Therapy

One and two-week intensive therapy programs are available for individuals and couples. These programs provide an opportunity for adults to explore and modify attachment experiences, both past and present, in a safe and constructive professional environment. The goal is to understand and change attitudes, behaviors and patterns of relating that are barriers to achieving healthy, fulfilling and loving lives and relationships.

References

Colin, V.L. (1996). Human attachment. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Feeney, J. & Noller, P. (1996). Adult attachment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Feeney, J.A. (1999). Adult romantic attachment and couple relationships. In J. Cassidy & P.R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment (pp.355-377). New York: Guilford.

Herman, J.L. (1992). Trauma and recovery. New York: Basic Books.

Higgins, G.O. (1994). Resilient adults: Overcoming a cruel past. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Johnson, S. & Sims, A. (2000). Attachment theory: A map for couples. In T. Levy (Ed.), Handbook of attachment interventions (pp.169-191). San Diego: Academic Press.

Levy, T. & Orlans, M. (1998). Attachment, trauma and healing: Understanding and treating attachment disorders in children and families. Washington, D.C: Child Welfare League of America.

Parkes, C.M., Stevenson-Hinde, J. & Marris, P. (Eds.) (1991). Attachment across the lifecycle. New York: Routledge.

Sable, P. (1997). Disorders of adult attachment. Psychotherapy, 34(3), 286-296.

Simpson, J.A. & Rholes, W.S. (1998). Attachment in adulthood. In J.A. Simpson & W.S. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships. (pp. 3-21). New York: Guilford.

Sperling, M.B. & Berman, W.H. (Eds.)(1994). Attachment in adults: Clinical and developmental perspectives. New York: Guilford.

Verrier, N.W. (1993) The primal wound. Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press.

Weiss, R.S. (1991). The attachment bond in childhood and adulthood. In C.M. Parkes, J. Stevenson-Hinde, & P. Marris (Eds.), Attachment across the lifecycle. (pp.66-76) New York: Routledge.

West, M.L. & Sheldon-Keller A.E. (1994). Patterns of relating: An adult attachment perspective. New York: Guilford.

Wickes, B.R. (2000). Integrating concepts from western psychological and Buddhist perspectives. In T. Levy (Ed.), Handbook of attachment interventions. (pp. 111-128). San Diego: Academic Press.

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