Trauma-informed practice that incorporates attachment theory is an approach to therapy that recognizes the impact of trauma on an your individual attachment styles and relationships. It emphasizes creating a safe and supportive environment, understanding how past experiences influence present behavior, and promoting healing through secure attachment relationships.
This approach can benefit you by helping you process traumatic experiences, develop healthier attachment patterns, and build supportive relationships. For example, if someone has a history of childhood trauma, this therapy method can be of benefit as it helps them understand how their attachment style affects their current relationships while also providing strategies for cultivating more secure and fulfilling connections.
Using attachment theory in a trauma-informed therapy session, we work with you to explore your attachment history. We’ll also help you identify triggers related to your trauma and help you develop coping strategies for managing distress. Working closely with you, we’ll also help you acknowledge and understand how early attachment experiences have shaped both your beliefs and your behaviors – which fosters further insight and self-awareness. Some of the techniques that might be used to facilitate healing and aid in the integration of traumatic memories include grounding exercises, emotion regulation skills, and narrative therapy. Due to the sensitive and often complex nature of attachment theory in trauma-informed therapy sessions, we take care to that we are always working in a compassionate and non-judgmental space so that you can process your experiences, build resilience, and work towards building healthier relationships based on secure attachment principles.
“Therapy is about understanding the self that you are. But part of getting to know yourself is to unknow yourself-to let go of the limiting stories you’ve told yourself about who you are so that you aren’t trapped by them, so you can live your life and not the story you’ve been telling yourself about your life.”
Lori Gottlieb
