Therapy of Anxious Attachment

People with anxious attachment experience chronic self-doubt, and their relationships are often tense, complicated, and filled with aggression. Within the spectrum of this type of attachment, some individuals fall into a state of intense rumination after certain life events, reaching extremes — constant worry, outbursts of anger, and painful dependency. It is not easy to work with such clients, and traditional therapeutic methods often do not yield the desired results. This book examines the roots of anxious attachment, identified in specific characteristics of the relationships between parents and infants. It discusses the results of clinical studies focused on child development, typical mechanisms of psychological defense in adults, and the difficulties faced by psychotherapists. Additionally, it emphasizes the complicated dynamics of relationships in adulthood, including therapeutic alliances, where the threat of separation and loss activates an intense search for attachment. The goal of the book is to teach therapists to understand their clients from the perspective of attachment theory, explain the nature of the observed anxiety and demonstrated resistance, and offer useful techniques for therapeutic work.