Foundations of Embodied Attachment
- Attachment trauma as a body-based experience
- Nervous system activation patterns in insecure attachment
- Polyvagal hierarchy and physiological states of safety, mobilization, and collapse
- Intersections of attachment, affect regulation, and sensory processing
- Risks and limitations of the research
Assessing and Recognizing the Body’s Story
- Postural and movement indicators of hyperarousal and shutdown
- Breath patterns, tone of voice, and micro-expressions as cues for dysregulation
- Somatic countertransference and therapist attunement to body cues
- Distinguishing trauma-related activation from relational withdrawal
Somatic Strategies for Regulation and Safety
- Grounding and orienting exercises for autonomic stabilization
- Breathwork and rhythmic movement for downregulation and containment
- Sensory-based interventions: weighted input, bilateral tapping, and gentle stretching
- Interoceptive awareness practices to restore internal safety and self-trust
Rebuilding Relational Connection Through the Body
- Co-regulation techniques within the therapeutic relationship
- Dyadic movement and mirroring to strengthen attunement
- Integration of somatic and attachment-based frameworks (Polyvagal, AEDP, IFS)
- Embodied rituals for trust repair and long-term relational resilience


