Attraction and Attachment

Book excerpt: Here is a fascinating exploration of the powerful forces of attachment and attraction that determine the formation and styles of couples’relationships. What factors attract one person to another? What determines whether or not a healthy relationship is formed? As therapists know, there is much in this world that passes for love but is really the result of leftover dependency needs and unresolved attachment issues. Attraction and Attachment: Understanding Styles of Relationships examines issues of attachment in relationships, discusses the validity of the concept of codependency as one aspect of attachment, and explores various aspects of attraction.The contributing authors consider some of the many styles of relationships that are called love and examine some of the basic sources of attraction. Attraction and Attachment includes an in-depth evaluation of the concept of codependency, a review of the literature on attraction, methods for achieving equilibrium in sexual intimacy, and some of Virginia Satir’s insights on fear and making changes. Just a few of the specific topics explored in these important chapters include: the relationship of childhood attachment experiences and successful long-term marriages the influence of therapists’implicit philosophies on treatment options and their effectiveness in therapy a review of biological, psychological, and social psychological literature on mate selection a definition of codependency a study of the link between codependency and depression couples’acceptance of alternative treatment formatsPsychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers, as well as substance abuse counselors and pastoral counselors, can discover new insights on attraction and attachment in this provocative book. All mental health professionals can find new ways of looking at the foundational elements of relationships that are invaluable to them in their work with couples.