Attachment, Relationship and Dating Therapy in Aspen, Colorado

We humans are social beings and therefore it is no surprise that connection within the context of relationships plays a critical role in our mental health and overall life satisfaction. From an early age within our earliest relationships and if we are lucky, we learn about our feelings, how to trust others, how to communicate verbally and nonverbally, how to have our needs met and how to build the capacity for empathy.

It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know their own beauty or perceive a sense of their own worth until it has been reflected back to them in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.

— John Joseph Powell

Everyone has an attachment style. It is formed in our earliest relationships with parents and caregivers and serves as a blueprint for how we understand and approach adult relationships – with romantic partners, family, friends and our children – throughout the course of our lives. This “attachment style” becomes hardwired into our brains and with it comes a range of emotions, thoughts and behaviors that serve as our default way of being in our romantic or other relationships.

Thanks to recent research, we now know that in trauma survivors, the parts of the brain that have evolved to monitor for danger remain overactivated. The slightest sign of threat, whether real or not, can trigger an acute stress response that is often accompanied by intense emotions and overwhelming physical sensations (3). This knowledge has also helped us to view trauma symptoms as methods of adaptation and survival that have become out of balance as opposed to signs of illness.

At Aspen Holistic Therapy, we take a holistic mind-body approach to your mental health and wellbeing. We believe that in order for real change and healing to occur, the mind, body, spirit and brain must all be attended to. Every person’s history and experience is unique, but a holistic approach tailored to your specific relationship struggles or attachment-related concerns would likely entail a combination of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), traditional Talk Therapy, EMDR, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Mindfulness based practices, somatic-based therapies and nutrition and lifestyle coaching.