RESEARCH_FILE
Susan M. Johnson
International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy / University of Ottawa
Known for:Developing the concept of the attachment injury and the model for resolving it in couples therapy
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“Every delay means they're lying again”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“The scanner was built from one real lie. This delay might be something else entirely. I'm noticing the scan, not assuming the result.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Identify one recent delay that triggered scanning. Write down what the delay meant according to your scanner. Find out what actually happened. Note whether they match. Repeat only if you find a genuine pattern, not a single match.
Key findings
- 2001
A betrayal at a moment of need creates a distinct 'attachment injury' that becomes a recurring impasse in couples therapy — different in kind from ordinary conflict, and unresolved by time or logic alone. Attachment Injuries in Couple Relationships: A New Perspective on Impasses in Couples Therapy ↗
- 2006
In the first empirical test of the Attachment Injury Resolution Model, 15 of 24 couples resolved the injury after emotionally focused therapy, with resolution associated with reduced relationship distress and greater forgiveness. Resolving Attachment Injuries in Couples Using Emotionally Focused Therapy: Steps Toward Forgiveness and Reconciliation ↗