Rediscovering Attachment Theory in 2022 forever changed my life. Despite my degree and my own therapeutic healing process spanning many years, I did not have strong familiarity with John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth, and Mary Main’s work. I’ve now spent three years immersed in the study of attachment, Jungian psychology, and Stephen Porges’ theory on polyvagal functioning. I have also spent time freelance writing for mental health websites and am working on a self-love and attachment healing workbook to be released in Fall 2025.
I believe learning about our attachment style is a powerful lens. It teaches us why we view ourselves the way we do, what draws us to others, shapes our choices, and ultimately, what we believe we deserve in this life. Drawing on years of investigating childhood trauma and learning from hundreds of members of the support group, I developed a holistic approach to attachment navigation and healing called the Free to Return Method™. Resting on four pillars, including attachment learning, understanding human need, regulating your nervous system, and doing parts work - engaging with these practices will be akin to taking many mini shamanic journeys - pathways to retrieving and reclaiming parts of yourself lost or left behind. You have good reasons and robust defense mechanisms that helped you survive thus far. But those defenses may be getting in the way of being your authentic self and having the types of vulnerable, nourishing relationships you want to have.
There is a path to addressing this. It is not a journey outward, but a return to self.
