What is Attachment Theory?

Attachment theory was initially developed by the work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth in the mid 1900s. They explored how infants and toddlers attach to their primary caregivers and examined how that attachment follow them throughout their life. Today, attachment has become widely discussed in the psychotherapy and wellness world as a popular theory to examine adult functioning in relationship to oneself and to others. The Adult Attachment Interview was developed for research only by researchers George, Kaplan and Main, but was recently released for clinicians to utilize in practice due to its level of importance.

It is hypothesized that 50% of the population has a secure attachment and 50% has an insecure attachment. Within the insecure attachment model there are three categories: Anxious (preoccupied), Avoidant (dismissive), and Disorganized (fearful avoidant). These attachment systems can impact our relationship with ourselves and with romantic partners and even friendships and occupationally. Good news: as adults, we can move from an insecure attachment to a secure attachment!

Luckily, with the tool, the Adult Attachment Interview we are able to explore your history and examine patterns and both big T and little t traumas. We can start to understand to our triggers. Once we have that awareness we can start to create coherence of our narratives. And when that happens, new skills and new ways of functioning become a reality. Life makes little more sense and things begin to align in a way you didn't realize was possible prior.

Kali is most clinically influenced and informed by the work of Dr. Dan Siegel and Ester Perel.