Attachment styles and clinical psychology intersect in a significant way. Patients often come to Licensed Clinical Psychologists with Mental Health Conditions and symptoms that stem from insecure attachments formed in childhood. Finding ways to address and mend the ruptures of childhood insecure attachment is a necessary endeavor for expert Psychologists.
To do this, many professionals turn to Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Psychoanalysis treatment can play a significant role in understanding the causes of insecure attachment and the influences specific attachment styles have on an adult patient’s life. Explore how psychoanalysis can repair lifelong attachment issues with this overview.
What is Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy?
Psychoanalytic theory seeks to understand subconscious parts of the mind through a deeper knowledge of attachment and transference. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, also known as Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, uses the principles and theories of psychoanalysis to gain insight into the emotional issues that act as the foundation for a patient’s current mental health challenges.
A patient’s underlying emotional conflicts can present themselves in their relationship with their psychologist. In Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Licensed Clinical Psychologists explore subconscious thoughts and feelings by analyzing this psychologist-patient relationship. In doing so, both patient and psychologist gain a deeper understanding of the influential experiences and relationships from a patient’s past that continue to affect them during appointments and throughout their daily life.
Addressing the Effects of Lifelong Attachment Issues
Psychoanalysis repairs lifelong Attachment issues by helping Psychologists identify and address insecure attachment styles through two key principles: transference and resistance.
Transference revolves around the idea that formative experiences create deeply ingrained patterns which influence an individual’s unique behaviors and reactions to situations. A baby whose mother ignored him when he cried learns that he cannot depend on others for comfort or support. As a result, he does not turn to his romantic partner when he needs comfort or support as an adult. The emotional isolation that stems from the child’s relationship with his mother gets transferred to his relationship with his partner.
Resistance is the natural urge to shy away from the self-exploration that comes with psychoanalysis. Gaining a deeper understanding of the subconscious processes that define thoughts and behaviors can be an intense and uncomfortable experience. Patients might feel threatened or overwhelmed, causing them to avoid specific conversations or even try to discontinue treatment altogether.
Forging Secure Attachments in Treatment
Licensed Clinical Psychologists use Transference and Resistance to address the inner turmoil that stems from childhood Insecure Attachment and help patients build a Secure Attachment style as adults.
In psychoanalysis, Resistance acts as a detector of unhealthy subconscious thought patterns. Resistance to a particular topic can indicate that the patient has buried feelings about the subject and would benefit from uncovering and exploring those emotions through Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy also seeks to amplify Transference in the clinical setting by bringing the patient’s Transference patterns into the patient-psychologist relationship. This intertwines closely with Transference-Focused Treatment, wherein a patient projects positive or negative feelings onto the psychologist in order to highlight and examine internalized thoughts and emotions.
Addressing and resolving insecure attachment requires expert, nuanced treatment. Dr. Blair and her team offer anxiety treatment services and evidence-based treatments to guide patients through their clinical experience. Achieve your clinical objectives and start the path toward healing when you make an appointment with Blair Wellness Group.
