Recovery from Trauma & Attachment Disorders: Informational Article on the film "Good Will Hunting" -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

In the film Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon’s character (Will) is a man who was physically and mentally abused by his foster parents as a child. This first disrupted attachment relationship primed him adversely for his future relationships.

When a child’s needs aren’t met, he doesn’t cultivate attachment seeking behaviors, his behaviors develop in the way of meeting his own needs.(Richardson, 9/25/08) The abuse that Will suffered creates a spiral of terror, avoidance, loneliness and isolation. This insecure attachment creates a complex trauma referred to as the “Cycle of Doom.”(Richardson, 9/25/08) 

Will grew course in ways of fighting, vulgarity, and heavy drinking. These traits were also fostered by his close friends in this Boston neighborhood. He was close to them, but not anyone else. Essentially, Will’s self-development was interrupted early in life without anyone to form healthy relatedness with.

Later, Will is discovered to be a mathematical talent and is thrown into a world of new relationships. He meets a young woman, a math professor and a therapist. All whom he gets to know and like, but acts distant and pushes them away whenever cornered. This dominant action of Will’s is a normal reaction for someone who has been dis-empowered in the past. 

These three new relationships of his take a downturn, until his best friend tells him that he owes it to him (Will's friend played by Ben Affleck) to do well for himself, and be all that he can be with his abilities. This triggers something in Will to try something different. He sees his therapist who asks him about the abuse he’s been through. Will tells him he knows he has problems with attachment and fear of abandonment.

This therapist (played by Robin Williams) tells Will over and over again that, “it’s not your fault.” Will starts crying and seems to have a breakthrough in his recovery. The next time he meets with the therapist, Will tells him he is going to try one of the jobs he was offered by the math professor, he’s going after the young woman he was afraid of getting involved with. This is an example of Will’s growth, “[an] innate capacity and need to form attachments with others (relatedness).”(Henry, 9/11/08) 

By the end of the film, Will and the therapist became very close, like father and son. They helped each other heal from past scars, and move out of fear. They start to take new risks which they agree are an examples of new-found competence in life.

Will begins the healing process by taking the first steps with new relationships. Gaining healthy attachments which allow him to foster esteem for himself and others, he can move on to higher echelons in the hierarchy of needs. 

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, when an individual has needs filled they can progress. Once fulfilled, one can move from basic health needs to needs of safety and security, then on to social needs and needs of esteem, where an individual is able to achieve needs of self-actualization. Like Will moving from emotional reactivity, violent behavior and other previously needed defense mechanisms, to affiliation with a mate, concrete thought and abstract thought.

*Bibliography posted with related articles published in this blog. The premise of this paper was developed by Dr. James Henry.