Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) has become a gold standard in supporting individuals with behaviours of concern, emphasising proactive strategies, environmental adjustments, and skill-building to improve quality of life. Yet, behaviours rarely happen in isolation—they are deeply rooted in relationships and early experiences. This is where attachment-informed approaches, including attachment therapy, can enrich PBS practice.
Table of Contents
What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)?
PBS is a person-centred framework designed to understand the reasons behind behaviours of concern and to support individuals in positive, constructive ways. It focuses on:
- Preventing behaviours by making environments supportive and predictable
- Teaching new skills that replace behaviours of concern
- Enhancing quality of life through meaningful activities and relationships
At its heart, PBS is not about “managing” behaviour but about creating conditions where people can thrive.
Where Does Attachment Come In?
Attachment theory tells us that our earliest relationships shape the way we understand safety, trust, and connection. When attachment needs are not met, individuals may develop patterns of behaviour that reflect distress, fear, or difficulty trusting others. For children and adults alike, this can show up as aggression, withdrawal, controlling behaviours, or high anxiety—all things that often bring people into PBS services.
Attachment therapy focuses on building safe, trusting, and responsive relationships. It helps individuals re-learn that others can be reliable, nurturing, and safe. This fits naturally within PBS because strong, supportive relationships reduce the need for behaviours of concern in the first place.
The Synergy Between Attachment Therapy and PBS
- Understanding Behaviour Through a Relational Lens
PBS already asks “what is this behaviour communicating?” Attachment therapy deepens this by considering whether the behaviour signals unmet needs for safety or connection. - Proactive, Not Reactive
Both frameworks prioritise prevention. Attachment therapy helps carers and practitioners notice early signs of distress and respond with empathy, reducing escalation. - Skill Development
In PBS, individuals learn replacement skills; in attachment therapy, they learn relational skills such as trust, co-regulation, and emotional expression. These complement each other. - Quality of Life and Belonging
A person’s wellbeing is not just about independence but about feeling secure and valued. Attachment-informed PBS ensures relational needs are part of any support plan.
Practical Examples
- A child who lashes out in class may not just need behaviour strategies but also reassurance that adults will remain calm and available, even when they make mistakes.
- An adult in supported living may show challenging behaviour around changes in staff—an attachment-informed PBS plan would emphasise consistent, predictable caregiving and relationship-building with key workers.
Challenges and Considerations
- Practitioners need training in both PBS and attachment therapy to apply them ethically and effectively.
- Attachment-informed work takes time; quick fixes are not realistic.
- Collaboration with families, schools, and care teams is essential to create a consistent relational environment.
Conclusion
Integrating attachment therapy within the PBS framework strengthens both. It ensures that behaviour support is not just about reducing behaviours of concern but about addressing the deeper need for safety, trust, and connection. By bringing relationships into focus, we move closer to Positive Behaviour Support’s ultimate goal: helping individuals lead fulfilling lives where they feel secure, valued, and connected.
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