Attachment style is an unconscious relational template that we refer to when we form and maintain relationships throughout our lives. Developed during early childhood, these patterns significantly influence how we interact with loved ones, friends, colleagues, and even strangers. For individuals living in Lisbon, psychotherapy can be a powerful tool for understanding attachment styles and fostering healthier connections.

What are Attachment Styles?

Psychologists have identified 4 primary attachment styles: secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganised.

Secure attachment is associated with a strong sense of trust, emotional openness, and the ability to form healthy, lasting relationships. Individuals with a secure attachment style typically feel comfortable depending on others and allowing others to depend on them.

In contrast, insecure attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, and disorganised) can create difficulties in personal relationships. For example, anxiously attached individuals may seek constant reassurance and fear abandonment, which can be tiring for others. Avoidantly attached people often resist emotional closeness, preferring to maintain distance, which can feel like indifference or coldness. Those with a disorganised attachment style may experience a mix of both, with fluctuating emotional states and inconsistent relationship patterns.

How Attachment Styles Affect Mental Health

Insecure attachment styles can manifest in various mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. These patterns often develop in response to inconsistent or inadequate care during childhood, where emotional needs were either unmet or inconsistently met. As adults, individuals with insecure attachments may struggle with trust, intimacy, and emotional regulation.

For those in Lisbon, psychotherapy can help break these unhealthy patterns. Through various therapeutic techniques, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Brainspotting (BSP), or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), a skilled psychotherapist can help you explore and rewire these deep-seated behaviours.

Psychotherapy in Lisbon for Attachment Issues

If you struggle with insecure attachment styles, psychotherapy in Lisbon offers a safe space to explore these patterns. A therapist can help you identify the root causes of your attachment style, offering guidance on how to build more secure relationships. Over time, psychotherapy can improve your emotional regulation, increase self-awareness, and foster more meaningful connections with others.

If this sounds like an area for growth that you would like to explore, please feel free to schedule a free initial Zoom chat with Alicja to find out how therapy can help you heal from the attachment wound. Working with attachment issues involves developing a  personalised treatment plan to help you navigate your emotional world. Whether you have difficulty forming secure relationships or simply want to improve your emotional wellbeing, psychotherapy in Lisbon can provide the support you need.

Seeking professional help is the first step toward healthier, more secure relationships. Counselling in Lisbon could be the key to unlocking deeper, more fulfilling and nurturing connections.

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*The information provided in this blog post is for general educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical or mental health professional advice. If you are struggling with any of the issues described in this post, please seek appropriate personalised help from a qualified mental health professional.

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Sources:

American Psychological Association (2007) Attachment and the Experience and Expression of Emotions in Romantic Relationships: A Developmental Perspective www.apa.org

Bowlby, J. (1969) Attachment and Loss, Vol. 1: Attachment. New York: Basic Books.

Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of Attachment: A Psychological Study of the Strange Situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.