CLIENT ATTACHMENT STYLE AND THE PSYCHOTHERAPIST'S INTERPERSONAL STANCE

Attachment style is proposed as an important client variable that psychotherapists may need to assess in order to tailor their interpersonal stance in psychotherapy. We draw on Bowlby's attachment theory and describe the therapeutic implications of three adult attachment styles: Anxious/Ambival...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.) Ill.), 1993, Vol.30 (3), p.408-412
Main Authors: DOLAN, REGINA T, ARNKOFF, DIANE B, GLASS, CAROL R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attachment Behavior
Client Characteristics
Human
Interpersonal Interaction
Psychotherapeutic Outcomes
Psychotherapeutic Processes
Therapist Characteristics
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Summary:Attachment style is proposed as an important client variable that psychotherapists may need to assess in order to tailor their interpersonal stance in psychotherapy. We draw on Bowlby's attachment theory and describe the therapeutic implications of three adult attachment styles: Anxious/Ambivalent, Avoidant, and Secure. We then summarize some results from our psychotherapy research program, including the finding that attachment style was related to symptomatology and to therapists' perceptions of the therapeutic alliance. Case illustrations of clients displaying the three types of attachment style are presented to illustrate how therapists can productively alter their interpersonal stance to enhance treatment outcome.
ISSN:0033-3204
1939-1536
DOI:10.1037/0033-3204.30.3.408