A marriage and family therapist and author of Persephone and Delphina: Treating Women’s Depression Through Myth and Archetypal Stories, Nadine Macaluso currently works as a private practitioner in Southern California. Beyond her professional responsibilities, Nadine Macaluso remains a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and the International Association for the Study of Attachment.

Below is a brief overview of the theory of attachment.

Question #1: What is attachment?

Answer #1: Experts define attachment as the “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings.” The learning/behaviorist attachment theory proposes that individuals learn to become attached, while the evolutionary theory argues that children are preprogrammed to become attached to others.

Question #2: What are the different cycles of attachment?

Answer #2: There are various stages or cycles of attachment, including infancy, preschool age, school age, adolescence, and adulthood.

Question #3: Where did the theory of attachment originate?

Answer #3: The attachment theory originated in the 1930s with John Bowlby, a psychiatrist in London who worked with children who were emotionally disturbed. Dr. Bowlby first arrived at the theory of attachment after witnessing how distressed young children became when they were apart from their mothers.

As a marriage and family therapist, Nadine Macaluso provides counseling to individuals, couples, and families in her Manhattan Beach, California-based private practice. To keep abreast of the latest developments in the industry, Nadine Macaluso maintains her affiliation with the Depth Psychology Alliance and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) is preparing to host its upcoming Fall Symposium, which will take place Nov. 8-9, 2013 at the Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort in Anaheim, California. The symposium will offer opportunities for continuing medical education, as well as workshops that address topics such as what therapists should be aware of when counseling military clients; how to handle clients who have suicidal tendencies; and strategies for counseling adolescents.

Representing more than 30,000 members, the CAMFT is dedicated to promoting the profession of marriage and family therapy as an art and science. The organization is also committed to advancing and protecting the interests of its members and upholding the highest standards of professionalism.