Discovering the Role of Emotionally Focused Therapy in Gender-Specific Patterns of Attachment Trauma Leading to Emotional Dysregulation in Adult Romantic Relationships
Authors
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, United States International University, Nairobi (Kenya)
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, United States International University, Nairobi (Kenya)
Article Information
DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2025.910000152
Subject Category: Social science
Volume/Issue: 9/10 | Page No: 1803-1810
Publication Timeline
Submitted: 2025-10-02
Accepted: 2025-10-10
Published: 2025-11-06
Abstract
Emotionally Focused Therapy seeks to build attunement and address attachment injuries that affect the quality of our relationships. This study attempts to explore the gendered perspective of attachment trauma that leads to emotional dysregulation in adult romantic relationships and the impact that emotionally focused therapy can have in building relationship satisfaction, where gender plays a role in shaping how we perceive and respond to these injuries. The findings, therefore, seek to emphasise how understanding the influence of gender can enhance therapeutic approaches.
Keywords
Emotionally Focused Therapy, Gender, Attachment
Downloads
References
1. Ajayi, K., Das, S., Delavallade, C., Ketema, T., & Rouanet, L. (2022). “Gender Differences in Socio-Emotional Skills and Economic Outcomes.” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, 10197. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
2. Barker, M. (2021, September 11). “Gender, Attachment and Trauma - Rewriting the rules.” Rewriting the Rules. https://www.rewriting-the-rules.com/gender/gender-attachment-and-trauma/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
3. Bazyari, K., Hooman, F., Shoushtari, M. T., & Saadi, Z. E. (2024). “Effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples in Improving Emotion Regulation and Relationship Distress of Emotionally Divorced Couples.” Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, (In Press). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
4. Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment: Second Edition. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
5. Brubacher, L. L. (2024). The revolutionary science of love as an attachment bond. In Routledge eBooks (pp. 67–89). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003242673-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
6. Matias, M., Ferreira, T., Vieira, J., Schulz, M. S., & Matos, P. M. (2020). “Attachment, emotion regulation, and well‐being in couples: Intrapersonal and interpersonal associations.” Journal of Personality, 88(4), 748-761. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
7. Chaplin, T. M. (2014). “Gender and Emotion Expression: A Developmental Contextual Perspective.’ Emotion Review, 7(1), 14–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073914544408 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
8. Domic-Siede, M., Guzmán-González, M., Sánchez-Corzo, A., Álvarez, X., Araya, V., Espinoza, C., ... & Marín-Medina, J. (2024). “Emotion regulation unveiled through the categorical lens of attachment.” BMC psychology, 12(1), 240. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
9. Delgado-Herrera, M., Aceves-Gómez, A. C., & Reyes-Aguilar, A. (2024). “Relationship between gender roles, motherhood beliefs and mental health.” PLoS ONE, 19(3), e0298750. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298750 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
10. Eilert, D. W., & Buchheim, A. (2023). “Attachment-Related Differences in Emotion Regulation in Adults: A Systematic Review on Attachment Representations.” Brain Sciences, 13(6), 884. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13060884 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
11. Formella, Z., & Ugwuanyi, B. (2024). The Role of Attachment Theory in Understanding and Treating Personality Disorders: A Clinical Psychology Perspective. 10(3), 36–46. https://doi.org/10.56201/jhsp.v10.no3.2024.pg36.49 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
12. Fujimura, T., & Umemura, H. (2018). “Development and validation of a facial expression database based on the dimensional and categorical model of emotions.” Cognition & Emotion, 32(8), 1663–1670. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2017.1419936 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
13. Kaur, A., Kailash, S. Z., Sureshkumar, K., Sivabackiya, C., & Rumaisa, N. (2022). “Gender differences in emotional regulation capacity among the general population.” International Archives of Integrated Medicine, 9(1), 22-28. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
14. Kolk, V. D., & Bessel, A. (2014). “The body keeps the score: brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma.” https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BB19708339 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
15. Larsson, M., & Engsbäck, S. (2024). “Gender differences in emotion regulation: A systematic review of late positive potential findings.” [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
16. Moradi Janati, A., Salehi, S., & Shaygan Majd, F. (2024). “The Mediating Role of Emotional Regulation in the Relationship between Attachment Styles and Psychological Well-being.” Caspian Journal of Health Research, 9(2), 85-94. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
17. Messina, I., Calvo, V., & Grecucci, A. (2023). “Attachment orientations and emotion regulation: new insights from the study of interpersonal emotion regulation strategies.” Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process, and Outcome, 26(3). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
18. Marganska, A., Gallagher, M., & Miranda, R. (2013). “Adult attachment, emotion dysregulation, and symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety disorder.” American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 83(1), 131–141. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajop.12001 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
19. Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2018). “Attachment Theory as a framework for studying relationship dynamics and functioning.” In Cambridge University Press eBooks (pp. 175–185). https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316417867.015 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
20. Nightingale, M., Awosan, C. I., & Stavrianopoulos, K. (2019). Emotionally Focused Therapy: A Culturally Sensitive Approach for African American Heterosexual Couples. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 30(3), 221–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/08975353.2019.1666497 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
21. Puder, D. (2024, September 19). “Dr. Sue Johnson on Emotionally Focused Therapy: Attunement and Attachment in Modern Psychotherapy — Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast..” Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast. https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-194-dr-sue-johnson-attunement-attachment-and-the-development-of-emotionally-focused-therapy [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
22. Synovec, C. E. (2020). “The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (Reprint Edition).” Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 36(4), 411–414. https://doi.org/10.1080/0164212x.2020.1839623 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
23. Tang, X. (2024). “The effects of attachment styles on resilience and emotion regulation.” Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, 26, 755–759. https://doi.org/10.54097/shp3g660 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
24. Van Polanen, M., Colonnesi, C., Fukkink, R. G., & Tavecchio, L. W. C. (2016). “Is caregiver gender important for boys and girls? Gender-Specific Child–Caregiver interactions and attachment relationships.” Early Education and Development, 28(5), 559–571. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1258928 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
25. Weber, R., Eggenberger, L., Stosch, C., & Walther, A. (2022). “Gender Differences in Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance and Their Association with Psychotherapy Use—Examining Students from a German University.” Behavioral Sciences, 12(7), 204. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12070204 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
26. ormatting Checklist for Two-Column Papers [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
Metrics
Views & Downloads
Similar Articles
- The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
- Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
- Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
- The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
- Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar