Developmental psychology
Attachment theory, originally developed by John Bowlby, focuses on the importance of open, intimate, emotionally meaningful relationships. Attachment is described as a biological system or powerful survival impulse that evolved to ensure the survival of the infant. A child who is threatened or stressed will move toward caregivers who create a sense of physical, emotional and psychological safety for the individual. Attachment feeds on body contact and familiarity. Later Mary Ainsworth developed the Strange Situation protocol and the concept of the secure base.
Stan Tatkin
Stan Tatkin is the founder of the PACT Training Institute and the developer of PACT—A Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy. PACT is an integration of neuroscience, arousal regulation, and attachment theory. This therapy modality centers on early attachment and its effect on the development of the brain and the nervous system. Also, PACT encourages couples to participate in secure-functioning relationships, even if the individuals themselves do not have secure attachment.