Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help

Discover how an understanding of adult attachment—the most advanced relationship science in existence today—can help us find and sustain love

“Over a decade after its publication, one book on dating has people firmly in its grip.”
—The New York Times

We already rely on science to tell us what to eat, when to exercise, and how long to sleep. Why not use science to help us improve our relationships? In this revolutionary book, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Amir Levine and psychologist Rachel Heller scientifically explain why some people seem to navigate relationships effortlessly, while others struggle through adult attachment. Pioneered by psychologist John Bowlby in the 1950s, the field of attachment posits that everyone behaves in one of three distinct ways while in a relationship:

• Anxious people are often preoccupied with their relationships and tend to worry about their partner's ability to love them back
• Avoidant people equate intimacy with a loss of independence and constantly try to minimize closeness
• Secure people feel comfortable with intimacy and are usually warm and loving

Attached guides readers in determining what attachment style they and their mate (or potential mate) follow, offering a road map for building stronger, more fulfilling connections with the people they love.

Amir Levine, M.D., is an associate professor of psychiatry and the director of the SecureLab at Columbia University. He is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist and a neuroscientist. In his private practice, he supervises and trains therapists in novel attachment neuroscience–based treatments aimed at helping people become more secure. He sees individuals, couples, and families for consultation and treatment.

Rachel S. F. Heller, M.A., is a supervising psychologist who works both in the public sector and in private practice. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia University. In her work, she integrates attachment-based principles with cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and experiential-based approaches to help both children and adults.