Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love

Section 1 begins with quotes that showcase three different situations centered around conflict in relationships. Levine and Heller discuss how therapists previously relied on gathering detailed information about clients’ “past history, previous relationships, and personality type” to treat issues with intimate relationships (4). However, Levine and Heller propose that attachment theory, the main topic of their book, offers therapists “a straightforward explanation” that applies to every situation involving romantic partnerships (4). They transition into an anecdote about their friend Tamara and her tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend Greg. Levine and Heller reflect on how they found it difficult to understand Tamara’s inability to leave Greg despite his unwillingness to commit and the toll her relationship anxiety was having on her life.

While working in the Therapeutic Nursery at Columbia University, Levine applied attachment therapy to reinforce the bonds between mothers and their children. Through his work and research, Levine learned more about how “adults show patterns of attachment to their romantic partners similar to the patterns of attachment of children with their parents” (7). Inspired by his research, Levine asked Heller to collaborate with him on creating Attached.

Levine and Heller detail the three types of attachment styles: secure, anxious, and avoidant.