Individual attachment experiences, how and where we grew up, how we became who we are – all these collective memories design a kind of “autopilot” or “default program” by which we go through life. They determine the way in which we perceive, judge, evaluate and react to things and situations. In short: Attachment experiences determine our behavior. This is especially important in unfamiliar and challenging life circumstances.
Starting a new life in an unfamiliar place, like in another country or, whether out of a hunger for adventure, for professional reasons, for a better future or because of flight and displacement, is challenging and is usually accompanied by feelings of loss, sadness, fear, loneliness or even helplessness, shock and general worry.
Thus, in order to be ready to (re)build a new and fulfilled life, a therapeutic view of the complexity of the individual attachment-history and previous cultural experiences is particularly helpful.