The Lived Experience of Couples with Attachment Trauma (Insecure Attachment) in Marital Relationships: A Phenomenological Research

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the lived experiences of married couples who have undergone attachment trauma (insecure attachment). It employed a qualitative methodology, specifically utilizing interpretive phenomenology and the Van Mannen analytical method. All couples referred to counseling centers in Kermanshah in 2020 constituted the target population, and criterion-based purposive sampling was used to select the sample. The clients completed the Carver Measure of Attachment Qualities. Those who exhibited insecure attachment and were more likely to participate in the study were interviewed in a semi-structured format until saturation was reached. The final tally of participants was fourteen, comprised of eight females and six males. Data were collected, recorded, coded, and classified into main themes and sub-themes. The data were analyzed utilizing Van Manen’s method of theme analysis, which extracted themes in accordance with three distinct approaches—general, selective, and fragmentary. Thirty subthemes and five overarching themes are discerned through this analysis: disturbed communication patterns, the presence of mental disorders and emotional regulation difficulties, domestic violence and aggression, disrupted sexual relations, and troubled romantic and interpersonal relationships. The emotional dissolution of a married couple’s existence is the result of communication patterns that have been disrupted by attachment trauma. Therefore, it is imperative to implement training programs and conduct enrichment courses that are grounded in the adult’s attachment style in order to mitigate couple conflicts.

Keywords

• couples
• insecure attachment
• lived experiences
• marital relationships