Definition
Earned security describes people who developed insecure attachment in childhood but who function as securely attached in adulthood — typically through corrective relationships, therapy, or sustained reflection.
Why it matters
Earned security demonstrates that attachment change is real. It is one of the most hopeful findings in the field.
The Science
Adult Attachment Interview classifications include a specific category for earned secure individuals, whose adult outcomes closely resemble those who were secure from childhood.
The NSI Perspective
NSI treats earned security as one of the most important findings in modern relational science.
Clinical Implications
The therapist’s consistency is often part of what makes earned security possible for a client.
Practical Application
You are not stuck with what you learned in childhood. You are one relationship, one therapy, one repair away from something new.
References
- 1.Roisman GI, et al. Earned-security in retrospect. Child Dev. 2002;73(4):1204–1219.