An innovative way of explaining attachment theory

ABOUT THE EPISODE

What we cover

Developmental psychologist Suzanne Zeedyke uses the tiger and teddy metaphor to make attachment theory easier to explain.

• Attachment across the lifespan
• The tiger and teddy analogy
• Repairing internal teddy bears
• Adult relationships and attachment

How can the tiger-and-teddy metaphor make attachment ideas more accessible?

Developmental psychologist Suzanne Zeedyke uses the tiger-and-teddy metaphor to offer a practical way of talking about attachment. A memorable image can give therapist and client a shared language for ideas that might otherwise feel abstract or heavily theoretical.

The metaphor is a starting point for conversation rather than a complete explanation of a person. Its value lies in helping the client consider what resonates, while the therapist remains open to complexity and avoids forcing experience into a simple category.

How can attachment be considered across the lifespan?

The episode connects early attachment ideas with adult relationships and the possibility of repairing internal teddy bears. This makes attachment relevant to present patterns without treating childhood as a fixed prediction of everything that follows.

Therapy can explore how expectations of connection, comfort and relationship have developed and how they appear now. The focus remains on understanding the client's experience and identifying possibilities for repair, rather than assigning an attachment label as the endpoint.

Related listening: To move from attachment ideas into a practical imagery exercise, listen to How to Use the Nurturing Figures Exercise, covering compassion-focused and trauma-informed adaptations.