Since Bowlby’s seminal works, Attachment theory, research and practice has steadily grown.
There are now many treatment approaches that have attachment theory as their basis.
A substantial body of research supports Bowlby’s original contention that the primary human drive is to seek the proximity and security of an attachment relationship.
This notion has since been expanded to consider the interaction between an individual and their attachment figures as “attachment systems” that act as a potential site for growth and maturity throughout the lifespan.
Conversely, mental health conditions are increasingly being described as “attachment disorders”. That is to say, attachment dynamics and outcomes in early childhood and throughout the lifespan are directly implicated in the origin and maintenance of many mental illnesses.
It is the attachment context that provides social and emotional development.
It is the attachment context that provides the conditions for the development of individual wellbeing, and for effectiveness in other activities and relationships in the wider world.
Geoff has published two peer-reviewed papers on Attachment in Mental Health and Therapy in Australia’s most important psychotherapy journal.
To contact Geoff please call 0432 075 088 or email geoff@geofffitzgerald.com.au