aTTaChment

Supportive, attuned caregiving following parental separation can help children reorganise their attachment strategies towards greater balance and security. Katy offers parental sessions designed to support understanding of attachment, parental separation, and the potential impact on a child’s emotional and behavioural development.

Attachment theory provides a framework for understanding how children develop a sense of safety and security through relationships with their caregivers. Children rely on caregivers to help regulate stress and emotions, particularly during periods of change or uncertainty such as parental separation.

The Dynamic-Maturational Model (DMM) of attachment builds on attachment theory by recognising that children adapt their attachment strategies in response to perceived stress, risk, or inconsistency in caregiving. From this perspective, children’s behaviours are understood as self-protective and adaptive responses rather than signs of difficulty or dysfunction.

Parental separation can activate a child’s attachment system, particularly when accompanied by conflict, disruption to routines, or changes in caregiver availability. Some children may respond with increased emotional dependence or anxiety, while others may present as emotionally withdrawn or prematurely self-reliant. These patterns reflect the child’s attempt to manage stress and maintain a sense of safety.

Importantly, outcomes following separation are influenced less by the separation itself and more by the quality of caregiving that follows. Consistent routines, emotionally available caregiving, and clear, calm communication support children’s adjustment over time.

The Family Mediation Hub also works in collaboration with trusted attachment specialists who are able to provide comprehensive child and family attachment assessments where appropriate.