An attachment injury is a deeply distressing relational experience in which trust, emotional safety, or connection with your significant partner is suddenly broken. This can occur through betrayal, emotional abandonment, repeated unreliability, or moments when one partner feels unprotected. Attachment injuries can leave lasting emotional wounds that shape how people relate, respond to closeness, and experience safety in relationships.

Emotional distance often develops without a crisis, betrayal, or defining issue. In high-functioning couples, it can emerge gradually, through slight shifts in how partners respond to each other, how available they are emotionally, and how much vulnerability feels safe to share. Couples who experience this drifting apart frequently report that nothing is ‘wrong’ in any obvious way, yet something essential is missing.

Walking into your first couples therapy session can feel daunting. You might be wondering what to expect, whether you’ll be put on the spot, or if your partner will finally hear what you’ve been trying to say. Perhaps you’re both hopeful, or maybe one of you is more hesitant than the other. Whatever you’re feeling right now it’s okay.

Are you stuck in the same arguments with your partner over and over? Do you sometimes look at them and wonder if you’ll ever truly understand each other? The disconnection you feel right now doesn’t have to be permanent—there is a clear, research-backed path forward.