Changes in Relationship-Specific Attachment in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy

Emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT; Johnson, The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy (1st/2nd edition). Brunner‐Routledge, New York, 2004) is an effective treatment of relationship distress (Johnson et al., Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 1999; 6, 67). However, less is kno...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marital and family therapy 2016-04, Vol.42 (2), p.231-245
Main Authors: Burgess Moser, Melissa, Johnson, Susan M., Dalgleish, Tracy L., Lafontaine, Marie-France, Wiebe, Stephanie A., Tasca, Giorgio A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anxiety
Attachment
Attachment Behavior
Avoidance behavior
Behavior
Behavior Patterns
Clinical medicine
Clinical psychology
Control Groups
Couples
Couples therapy
Couples Therapy - methods
Emotionally focused
Emotions
Female
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Middle Aged
Object Attachment
Outcome Assessment, Health Care
Professional practice
Psychological distress
Psychotherapeutic Processes
Therapy
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Summary:Emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT; Johnson, The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy (1st/2nd edition). Brunner‐Routledge, New York, 2004) is an effective treatment of relationship distress (Johnson et al., Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 1999; 6, 67). However, less is known about EFT's impact on couples' relationship‐specific attachment bond. Using hierarchical linear modeling with a sample of 32 couples, we examined session‐by‐session changes in couples' relationship‐specific attachment anxiety and avoidance and pre‐ to posttherapy changes in their relationship‐specific attachment behaviors. Couples significantly decreased in relationship‐specific attachment avoidance, and those who completed a blamer softening significantly decreased in relationship‐specific attachment anxiety. Couples' attachment behavior significantly increased toward security. Finally, session‐by‐session decreases in relationship‐specific attachment anxiety and avoidance were significant associated with increases in relationship satisfaction across sessions. These results provide empirical support for the attachment‐based assumptions of EFT. Video accessible by clicking here Video accessible by clicking here
ISSN:0194-472X
1752-0606
DOI:10.1111/jmft.12139