The Three Pillars Model was introduced to the world in 2016 by Harvard psychologists David S. Elliott, the late Daniel P. Brown, and 7 co-authors in the textbook Attachment Disturbances in Adults: Treatment for Comprehensive Repair (752 pages).

As described in the text, attachment security requires active engagement of both the Attachment System and the Exploratory System. 

For those of us with insecure attachment styles, whether anxious-preoccupied, disorganized (fearful), or dismissing (avoidant), one or both of these systems may be either limited or excessively activated.

Attachment repair involves the delicate activation or deactivation of these systems through the power of imagination and precisely tailored relational support until the envisioned experiences solidify into an internalized working model of security.

Pillar 1 employs a conversational guided meditation, a back-and-forth collaboration between the participant and therapist. The participant deeply relaxes, imagining themselves as a young child having vivid, nurturing experiences with ideal parent figures that embody the ten ingredients of attachment security. The therapist amplifies and guides each experience. [After Daniel P. Brown passed away, co-author David Elliott moved IPF Meditation to Pillar 3, to emphasize the foundational importance of the other pillars weaving their support throughout the meditation.]

Pillar 2 develops the participant’s Metacognition or Mentalizing capacity (similar to Vipassana Meditation), and Pillar 3 provides a practical understanding of the nature of collaborative, secure relationships.

Early research on The 3 Pillars Model showed a shift into attachment security after participants received 35-50 hours of IPF Meditation with a provider who shared session recordings for between-visit listening. Attachment Security was measured using the AAI (Adult Attachment Inventory). 

The treatment effect size was significant, at 6.23 (Cohen). Typical therapeutic models, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have a treatment effect size of 0.5 to 0.7.

The 3 Pillars Model is 10 times more effective.

Clearly, with the right relational support and the power of our imagination, we can transform how we experience our lives.