Online Adult Attachment Interview

The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) Online is a structured attachment assessment conducted remotely to evaluate an individual’s attachment strategies and internal working models. It uses a set of standardized questions to explore early caregiving experiences and adult relational patterns. AAI results help inform coaching and attachment-focused interventions to support personal and relational growth.

  • The Adult Attachment Interview was developed by Mary Main, PhD and Erik Hesse, PhD as a standardized assessment of adult attachment states of mind. This online version follows the same interview protocol, adapted for secure remote administration and analysis.


Do I have insecure attachment?

Ever wonder why you connect with some people more easily than others?  The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) can be a powerful tool for understanding your attachment style, widely considered the Gold Standard assessment.

More Than Just a Quiz

Unlike online quizzes, the online adult attachment interview is a personalized interview conducted by a trained professional. It delves deeper, exploring your childhood experiences and how they influence your present relationships.

Benefits of Taking the AAI:

  • Self-Discovery: Gain valuable insights into your attachment style (secure, anxious, avoidant, disorganized).

  • Improved Relationships: Understand why you connect (or struggle to connect) with romantic partners, friends, and family.

  • Communication Boost: Learn how your attachment style impacts communication patterns and develop healthier ways to interact.

  • Greater Self-Awareness: Recognize unconscious thoughts and behaviors that might be hindering your relationships.

  • Break the Cycle: Discover how your attachment style was formed and take steps to build more secure connections in the future.

The AAI isn't just about the past; it's about the future. By understanding your attachment style, you can create healthier, more fulfilling relationships in all aspects of your life.

Ready to take the first step?  Contact us today to learn more about the online adult attachment interview and how it can help you unlock the full potential of your relationships.

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Discover your Attachment Story

The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) is a semi-structured, research-based interview designed to assess an individual's attachment style by exploring their early childhood experiences and how these have influenced their adult relationships. Developed by Mary Main and her colleagues, the AAI has become a widely used tool in both clinical and research settings to understand attachment patterns in adults.

Key Components of the AAI:

  1. Structure and Format: The AAI consists of 20 open-ended questions, taking about an hour to complete. The interviewer asks about the individual's childhood relationships with their primary caregivers, focusing on specific memories, experiences, and the emotional impact of those relationships. Questions may cover topics such as experiences of comfort, separation, loss, and instances of feeling threatened or rejected.

  2. Purpose: The main goal of the online adult attachment interview is to assess the "state of mind with respect to attachment." Rather than simply categorizing attachment styles, the AAI aims to reveal how individuals process and integrate their attachment-related experiences, and how these influence their current emotional and relational functioning.

Benefits of Taking the Adult Attachment Interview

The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) offers many benefits for individuals seeking to understand and improve their relational patterns and emotional well-being

  • The online adult attachment interview provides deep insights into your attachment style, helping you understand how early relationships with caregivers have shaped your current approach to relationships, trust, and emotional intimacy.

  • By revealing unconscious patterns and emotional responses, the AAI allows for greater self-awareness, leading to personal growth and more secure attachments in adulthood.

  • Understanding your attachment style can enhance your ability to form and maintain healthy, fulfilling relationships. The insights gained from the AAI can guide you in developing stronger, more secure connections with others.

  • The AAI can help identify how your attachment style influences your emotional regulation. With this knowledge, you can work towards better managing your emotions, leading to improved mental health.

  • For those in therapy, the online adult attachment interview can be a valuable tool for both you and your therapist. It provides a structured way to explore and address deep-seated attachment issues, offering a roadmap for targeted interventions and healing.

  • The AAI can help uncover unresolved traumas or attachment disruptions from childhood, providing an opportunity to address and heal these wounds, leading to a more secure and stable sense of self.

  • As a caregiver, understanding your own attachment style can inform your parenting approach, helping you foster a secure attachment with your own children and break the inter-generational cycle of insecure attachment patterns.

  • Those studying psychology, counseling, or related fields who want to deepen their understanding of attachment theory and its practical application through firsthand experience and in their work with clients.

Ready to find out your Attachment Style?

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FAQ

  • The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) is a structured, evidence-based interview used to assess adult attachment states of mind. It explores how individuals reflect on early caregiving experiences and how those experiences influence current relationships. The AAI focuses on narrative coherence rather than specific life events, helping identify underlying attachment strategies.

  • The Adult Attachment Interview Online follows the same standardized protocol as the in-person version but is conducted remotely via secure video. Participants answer a series of open-ended questions about childhood attachment experiences and relationships. The interview is recorded and later analyzed to identify attachment patterns and internal working models.

  • The AAI measures an individual’s attachment state of mind, including how they process, organize, and reflect on early attachment experiences. It evaluates narrative coherence, emotional regulation, and underlying attachment strategies. The interview does not assess parenting quality directly but examines how past experiences shape adult relational functioning.

  • Adults seeking deeper insight into their attachment patterns, relational behaviors, or emotional responses can benefit from the AAI Online. It is particularly useful for individuals experiencing relationship difficulties, unresolved childhood experiences, or attachment insecurity. The AAI is often used to inform attachment-focused coaching, therapy, or personal development work.

  • The Adult Attachment Interview typically takes between 60 and 90 minutes to complete. The online format allows participants to engage from a familiar environment, which may support comfort and openness. Additional time may be required for professional analysis and feedback, depending on how the interview results are used within coaching or assessment contexts.

  • Yes, the Adult Attachment Interview is a well-established, research-based assessment developed by Mary Main, PhD, and Erik Hesse, PhD. It has been extensively validated in clinical and academic research and is widely used in psychology, attachment research, and trauma-informed practice to understand adult attachment states of mind.

  • The AAI Online can be used as part of attachment-focused coaching by providing insights into attachment strategies and emotional processing. While the interview itself is an assessment tool, its results can inform coaching goals and interventions. The online format allows clients and practitioners to integrate attachment assessment into remote coaching work effectively.