From the Guidelines
To increase secure attachment, consistently respond to emotional needs with sensitivity, attentiveness, and appropriate care, as this approach has been shown to promote healthy brain growth, development of accurate mental maps of self and others, and protection from trauma 1. This can be achieved by creating a safe environment through emotional availability, offering comfort during distress, and maintaining predictable routines.
- Practice active listening by validating feelings and showing genuine interest in thoughts and experiences.
- Physical touch like hugs or hand-holding can strengthen bonds when appropriate.
- Develop trust through reliability, honesty, and following through on promises. For parents, practice responsive caregiving by promptly addressing a child's needs while encouraging independence, as this has been identified as a key factor in secure attachment development 1. In adult relationships, communicate openly about needs and boundaries while respecting each other's autonomy. Secure attachment develops when individuals feel consistently understood, supported, and valued, creating a foundation of trust that allows them to explore the world confidently while knowing they have a reliable base to return to, which is fundamental to relational health care and the ability to form and maintain safe, stable, and nurturing relationships 1. This security develops gradually through repeated positive interactions where emotional needs are recognized and met appropriately, and it is essential to recognize that attachment remains malleable beyond infancy, even into adolescence and adulthood, to some extent 1.
From the Research
Increasing Secure Attachment
To increase secure attachment, several interventions can be implemented, including:
- Attachment-based interventions for families with young children, which have shown to be effective in promoting children's attachment security and improving their mental health 2
- Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), a manualized evidence-based intervention that aims to improve the parent-child relationship and has been proven to be effective for various child behavioral problems 3
- Preventive parent-young child interaction interventions, which have been found to promote optimal attachment and reduce disorganized attachment among infants 4
- Evidence-based parenting interventions, such as those identified in a systematic review and meta-analysis, which have been shown to be clinically effective in promoting secure attachment in children with severe attachment problems 5
Specific Interventions
Some specific interventions that have been found to be effective in increasing secure attachment include:
- Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Toddlers (PCIT-T), a new attachment-based parenting intervention designed for children aged 12-24 months, which has been shown to improve parenting behavior, emotional availability, child behavior, and attachment 6
- Child Directed Interaction (CDI), a phase of PCIT that aims to improve the parent-child relationship by teaching parents to follow their child's lead and practice positive parenting skills 3, 6
Key Components
The key components of effective interventions for increasing secure attachment include: