How Attachment Issues Undermine True Intimacy

Sue Johnson On Identifying And Healing The Wounds Of Attachment

Attachment theory has profoundly altered our understanding of how early childhood injuries negatively affect clients throughout their lives.

But the theory offers little guidance on how to recognize and address attachment issues underlying other problems.

In this video clip, Susan Johnson shows how attachment issues can interfere with a couple’s ability to be intimate, and she offers concrete, practical guidance about what therapists can do to identify and address those issues in ways that lead to stronger emotional bonds.

Watch the video on YouTube.

Rich Simon

Richard Simon, PhD, founded Psychotherapy Networker and served as the editor for more than 40 years. He received every major magazine industry honor, including the National Magazine Award. Rich passed away November 2020, and we honor his memory and contributions to the field every day. 

Susan Johnson

Dr. Sue Johnson is an author, clinical psychologist, researcher, professor, popular presenter and speaker and a leading innovator in the field of couple therapy and adult attachment.  Sue is the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Couples and Family Therapy (EFT), which has demonstrated its effectiveness in over 30 years of peer-reviewed clinical research. Sue Johnson is founding Director of the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) and Distinguished Research Professor at Alliant University in San Diego, California, and Professor, Clinical Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, Canada, as well as Professor Emeritus, Clinical Psychology, at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Johnson is the author of numerous books and articles including Attachment Theory in Practice: EFT with Individuals, Couples and Families (2019) The Practice of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: Creating Connection (3rd edition, 2019) and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy with Trauma Survivors (2002).