17/12/2025
!Time to decode therapist-speak!
The concept of "attunement" is commonly referred to in the context of a mother "attuning" to her child's needs. (i.e. "My baby is crying - do they need food, diaper change, sleep?) However, attunement is important in all relationships - including the one we have with ourselves. It's about paying attention to what's going on inside, what we need, and seeking to meet those needs. It's about turning toward the need with acknowledgement and care, not meeting the need perfectly every time.
The therapeutic space is one way that we can (hopefully) experience being attuned to within a safe relationship as adults. This can ultimately help us learn to attune to our own internal world and its cues, needs, and emotions.