Attachment to the therapist.

Abstract

This study examines the ways in which therapists function as attachment figures for patients. Patients in long-term psychoanalytic therapy answered questionnaires about their feelings about their therapists and their closest personal relationships. Components of attachment prominent in the therapeutic relationships were looking up to the therapist and feeling the therapist was responsive to emotional needs. Stronger attachment to therapists was associated with greater frequency and duration of therapy, a stronger working alliance, and greater security of the patients' attachment style, as well as with the gender of the patient and therapist. Using attachment theory to understand psychoanalytic relationships emphasizes the unique importance of a therapist to a patient and can offer new perspectives on both therapeutic and attachment processes.There seems to be an increasing consensus that therapeutic change is based not only on cognitive factors such as awareness and insight, but also on the nature of the relationship between patient and therapist. And at least since Freud's (1912Freud's ( /1963aFreud's ( , 1905Freud's ( /1963bFreud's ( , 1915Freud's ( / 1963c writings on the concept of transference, there has been wide recognition that patients in psychotherapy often experience strong feelings toward their therapists. One useful way of understanding the therapeutic relationship when it works well is that the therapist, at least in certain respects, serves as an attachment figure, as a "secure base" from which the patient can explore his or her inner world (Bowlby, 1988). Although understanding the therapeutic relationship in this way makes a good deal of intuitive sense, there has been little empirical research on the therapist as an attachment figure.

Investigating the Interpersonal Dynamics Between Coaches and Athletes Based on Fundamental Principles of Attachment

“…Responses were rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The construct validity and internal reliability was supported in the validation of the CAQ (Parish, 2000) and has since been cross-validated in a study conducted by Parish and Eagle (2003). Cronbach's alpha for the three subscales within the current sample demonstrated satisfactory scores: proximity maintenance, α = 0.85; safe haven, α = 0.72; and secure base, α = 0.83.…”

“…Attachment researchers (Collins & Read, 1990;Davidovitz, Mikulincer, Shaver, Izsak, & Popper, 2007;Hazan & Shaver, 1987;Parish & Eagle, 2003) have extended infant-caregiver attachment to such adult relationships. Although recent empirical research on adult attachment has focused on areas such as leadership (Davidovitz et al, 2007), therapy (Parish & Eagle, 2003), and friendship (Granot & Mayseless, 2001;Wilkinson, 2008), most of the research conducted to date has focused on adult romantic relationships (see , for a full review).…”

“…According to attachment theorists (Ainsworth, 1989;Hazan & Shaver, 1987;Parish & Eagle, 2003), an attachment relationship occurs when an attachment figure fulfils three specific functions: (a) proximity maintenance, (b) safe haven, and (c) secure base. Proximity maintenance is fulfilled when the attached person feels the need to be in close proximity to the attachment figure.…”

Au Revoir: An Attachment and Loss Perspective on Termination

“…In many ways, the therapist does act as an attachment figure or at least a secondary attachment figure for the client (Farber et al 1995;Hill 2005;D'Elia 2001;Parish and Eagle 2001;Sterlin 2006). Treatment activates the attachment system in that it replicates many of the characteristics of the early parent-child bond.…”

Adult attachment insecurity and narrative processes in psychotherapy: an exploratory study

“…Indeed, Crowell et al (1996) found that when applying an AAIlike classifi cation strategy to an interview about employment experiences, there was no overlap of classifi cation in persons assessed with both interviews. It might be that psychotherapy is an attachment-relevant situation by design, in that the process of seeking help might activate the attachment behavioural system and thus, perhaps, the related discourse patterns (Dozier & Bates, 2004;Parish & Eagle, 2003). On the other hand, in psychotherapy, attachment relationships are not necessarily discussed, and the verbal activity of the therapist may be very different from that of the AAI interviewer, who consistently pushes for immersion in attachment themes.…”