How to Find an Attachment-Based Therapist
If you are searching for an attachment-based therapist, you may already have a sense that your current challenges are rooted in relationships, whether past or present. Attachment wounds can shape how you experience closeness, conflict, trust, boundaries, and even your sense of self.
Whether you’re navigating complex trauma, relationship anxiety, people-pleasing, emotional shutdown, or fear of abandonment, working with an attachment-focused therapist can provide a framework for deeper healing.
But how do you know what to look for?
Below are key factors to consider when searching for an attachment-based therapist.
1. Clear Training in Attachment and Trauma
Attachment work goes beyond simply discussing relationships. An attachment-based therapist should have training in models that explicitly address early relational wounds and nervous system patterns.
Some evidence-based or attachment-informed approaches to look for include:
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Somatic Attachment Therapy
When reading a therapist’s website, notice whether they explicitly mention attachment wounds, complex trauma, or relational trauma, rather than anxiety or depression in general terms.
2. A Trauma Specialist
Attachment wounds are often intertwined with complex or developmental trauma. A skilled attachment therapist should understand:
How early experiences shape core beliefs
The role of the nervous system in relational triggers
Why protective strategies (avoidance, perfectionism, over-functioning, emotional withdrawal) develop
How to pace therapy to avoid overwhelm
Attachment healing requires safety. Look for language that emphasizes regulation, collaboration, and gradual processing.
Additionally, attachment is often rooted in relational trauma. This may show up as:
Fear of intimacy and fear of abandonment at the same time
Emotional dysregulation or shutdown
Shame
People-pleasing or hyper-independence
Repeating painful relational patterns
Ask potential therapists whether they work specifically with complex trauma and attachment wounds. Specialization in this area matters.
3. An Emphasis on the Therapeutic Relationship
Attachment-based therapy is not just about techniques—it is about the therapeutic relationship.
In this way, the therapeutic relationship itself becomes part of the healing process. A strong attachment therapist will:
Prioritize emotional safety
Welcome feedback
Model secure attachment dynamics, such as up-front practice policies and appropriate clinical boundaries
If you feel consistently dismissed or unseen in early sessions, that may be important information.
4. A Balanced Approach: Insight + Nervous System Work
Attachment wounds are not resolved through insight alone. While understanding your patterns is helpful, healing also involves nervous system integration and emotional processing.
An attachment-focused therapist may incorporate:
EMDR for processing past trauma
IFS for working with protective or polarized parts (i.e. the part that wants intimacy and connection, and the part that fears closeness)
Somatic grounding tools
Mindfulness-based regulation strategies
When searching for attachment therapy in your area, look for a clinician who integrates both cognitive understanding and deep healing modalities.
6. Practical Considerations
When choosing an attachment-based therapist, also consider:
Location or telehealth availability in your area (In my practice, I offer in-person sessions centrally located in Denver, as well as telehealth sessions for those throughout Colorado)
Specialization in other areas (if relevant), such as addiction, disordered eating, or anxiety
Fee structure and insurance options
Scheduling and availability
Attachment-Based Therapy in Denver, CO
Attachment wounds are patterns that typically formed in response to early environments and relationships. With intentional, relationally-focused therapy, these patterns can shift toward greater security and self-trust.
If you are looking for an attachment-based therapist in Denver who specializes in trauma, with training in EMDR and Internal Family Systems, I offer therapy designed to support lasting healing from attachment wounds. If you’re ready to explore attachment-focused therapy in Colorado, I invite you to reach out to schedule a consultation to see if we’re a good fit and get started.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gigi Woodall, LMFT
Trauma & Eating Disorder Therapist in Denver
Hi, I’m Gigi—a Denver-based trauma and eating disorder therapist and clinical supervisor passionate about helping people heal and reconnect with themselves. My work focuses on exploring how early experiences, relationships, and protective parts of the self shape our inner narratives. Through a compassionate and individualized approach, I help clients challenge limiting beliefs and step into a more authentic, intuitive way of living.
Prior to private practice, I worked at nonprofit organizations and eating disorder treatment centers. I'm also a proud Denver chapter member of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP), a clinical supervisor for pre-licensed therapists, and am on my way to becoming a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS).
With training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and eating disorder treatment, I provide a safe, supportive space for those navigating recovery, trauma, and self-discovery.
Looking for support on your healing journey? Book a free consultation to see if we’re a good fit.