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There Is Always a Child in the Room
ByJo Oxley(Even When the Client Is 58) At some point in attachment-informed practice, many counsellors have a quiet realisation. The client sitting in front of us may be an adult – articulate, capable, reflective – and yet something else is present too. A fear that feels too big.A longing that feels strangely young.A reaction that seems…
Repairing What Was Never Repaired
ByJo Oxley(Why This Is Where Attachment Work Truly Lives) There’s a common misconception in therapy that change happens in moments of insight. A realisation lands.A pattern makes sense.A link to childhood becomes clear. These moments matter – but in attachment-informed work, they’re rarely where the deepest healing occurs. That happens somewhere else entirely. It happens in…
Building a Picture of a Client’s Internal World
ByJo OxleyHow I Build a Picture of a Client’s Internal World I’ve been thinking about how I start to build a picture of a client’s internal world. Not just by listening to the story, although of course the story matters. I’m also listening to the body, the pauses, the shame, the little flinches, the way the…
The Science of Connection: How Oxytocin Supports Breakthroughs in Therapy
ByJo OxleyHow Oxytocin Supports Breakthroughs in Therapy As counsellors, we see first-hand how attachment wounds shape our clients’ struggles. But beyond theory, there’s a biological side to healing too—our brains are wired for connection, and neurochemicals play a vital role in the therapeutic process. Oxytocin, often called the “bonding hormone,” is key. It’s released through safe,…
Music as an Attachment Figure
ByJo OxleyCan music be more than just background noise? For many, it becomes a lifeline—an emotional surrogate offering containment, regulation, and a sense of presence. This post explores how music can act as a secure base in the absence of safe attachment figures, grounded in both personal experience and therapeutic insight
This Is Not Just a Request for Attention. This Is a Protest Against Disconnection: A Therapeutic Reframe from David Wallin
ByJo OxleyWhat if “attention-seeking” is actually a protest against disconnection? Explore David Wallin’s powerful reframe of client behavior through the lens of attachment theory—and how it can transform your therapeutic presence
