Healing Attachment Wounds with Elizabeth Ferreira

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

Attachment wounds are emotional injuries that develop based on painful experiences with those we care about. These experiences create a kind of blueprint we carry around for how relationships work, and when that internal model is based on fear and pain, it's hard for our relationships to thrive. Somatic therapist Elizabeth Ferreira joins the show to help us understand how we can heal old wounds and develop more secure forms of relating.

Elizabeth and Forrest explore how early experiences shape our relationships, with a particular focus on a common paradox: deeply wanting connection while simultaneously fearing intimacy. They discuss fearful attachment, how Elizabeth approaches working with attachment wounds in clinical practice, complex PTSD, self-abandonment, facing our dreaded experience, setting healthy boundaries, and navigating relationships where fearful attachment patterns are present.

About our Guest: Elizabeth Ferreira is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist working in California. She specializes in somatic approaches to trauma work.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:05: Elizabeth’s personal experience of fearful attachment

7:40: Working with a therapist to heal attachment

11:55: Elizabeth’s experience learning to create boundaries

21:35: Internal Family Systems, and how to dialog with our parts

27:15: Working with our protective part, and self-criticism

31:00: Dialoguing with our inner child without a therapist

38:15: Healthy anger, grief, and patience

42:25: What helped Elizabeth be vulnerable in relating to Forrest

53:10: Disorganized moments, identifying needs, and taking in the good

1:00:20: Intent, impact, and reasonable limits

1:05:20: Becoming your own secure attachment figure, and healing in community

1:09:10: Recap

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