How Attachment Theory Shows Up In Private Practice

What is attachment theory, and how does it show up in our private practice?

Attachment theory is how we were cared for, nurtured, responded to, heard, seen, and held space for by our parents and caregivers. Your upbringing will directly shape how we do it for ourselves, our relationships, and our business. Attachment is often related to our romantic relationships. However, it can be connected to anything in our lives. Depending on your attachment style, your private practice can either benefit or be hindered.

Secure Attachment

When we are securely attached, our family members were responsive to us growing up. They paid attention to us and met our needs before we could verbally tell them what we needed. When we are secure, later on in life, we will believe that the world is safe. We feel valued in society, and we understand that we are worthy. Plus, it helps us create close connections with other people. We can be open and honest with others. In a private practice setting, we can ask for help. If we start a group practice, we can ask our employees for feedback, and we remain emotionally stable.

Anxious Attachment

If you identify as someone with an anxious attachment style – you anticipate abandonment; it will be challenging to start a business. For example, if you put an offer out on the internet, and no one responds, then you are going to think, “nevermind!” You may need validation and approval. If you don’t get likes on your post, you may feel like you’re not good enough.

Avoidant Attachment

If you are somebody with an avoidant attachment style, you may rely on yourself and be a single person team. You can probably be productive in your business. However, close relationships may not be your strong point. Just like you build trust and rapport with your clients, you build trust and rapport with strangers. So, you might post and ghost. That way, you won’t be able to see the response that you get on social media.

How To Improve Our Private Practices

Listening to entrepreneurial podcasts outside of the therapy world can help with your business. “Dumb is better than perfect” is a saying that you’ll hear a lot. Sometimes, we don’t trust ourselves as an authority on our subject. It’s all about our mindset. What makes someone knowledgeable, helpful, and an expert?

At the end of the day, you don’t need all the degrees on the wall or a certain amount of years of experience. You can be an authority! It doesn’t matter what your background is. The primary way we can make a difference in someone else’s life is through our relationships. It’s essential to do our inner work and know that there will always be people behind you on the journey and people ahead of you.