We human beings are very social creatures. As a social species, our development in childhood and throughout our lives unfolds within the context of close relationships with others, particularly our early relationships with our caregivers.
The special relationship between caregiver and child is referred to as an “attachment”. An attachment is a specific type of bond to another person who we turn to for protection and care. Think about the last time you experienced hardship or intense stress — who did you turn to? We not only form attachments with our caregivers, we form these bonds with romantic partners, too. Our attachments to others can be either “secure” or “insecure” depending on whether we derive a sense of security from the relationship we have with the person we are attached to.
Beginning in infancy, our repeated, daily interactions with our caregivers teach us about ourselves, our caregiver and what to expect in relationships. It is through these early attachments we learn the fundamental rules for relating to other people. If our caregiver provides sensitive and
