Attachment Theory and Research


Book Description

This volume showcases the latest theoretical and empirical work from some of the top scholars in attachment. Extending classic themes and describing important new applications, the book examines several ways in which attachment processes help explain how people think, feel, and behave in different situations and at different stages in the life cycle. Topics include the effects of early experiences on adult relationships; new developments in neuroscience and genetics; attachment orientations and parenting; connections between attachment and psychopathology, as well as health outcomes; and the relationship of attachment theory and processes to clinical interventions.




Attachment Theory and Research


Book Description

As interest in attachment theory continues to grow, misconceptions of the theory are becoming increasingly common. Important texts on major theoretical and empirical contributions are often too extensive for non-specialist readers or not readily available to clinicians. Designed to address a significant gap in literature, Attachment Theory and Research: A Readerpresents a carefully curated selection of book chapters and journal articles on the subject—complemented by previously unpublished material by the founder of the theory. This valuable new resource provides practitioners, students, policymakers, and general readers an accessible and up-to-date view of the concepts, development, and diversity of attachment theory. The Reader comprises 15 succinct chapters by many of the most influential researchers in the theory, covering the basis of attachment theory and the current state of the field. The book brings together a wide range of works, many of which challenge common assumptions and offer intriguing new insights on attachment theory and research. Topics include psychoanalytic theories of separation anxiety, concepts of anxiety, stress, and homeostasis, the origins of disorganized attachment, cultural differences in caregiving practices, reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED), the future prospects of attachment theory, and more.




Attachment Theory and Research in Clinical Work with Adults


Book Description

Written with the practicing psychotherapist in mind, this invaluable book presents cutting-edge knowledge on adult attachment and explores the implications for day-to-day clinical practice. Leading experts illustrate how theory and research in this dynamic area can inform assessment, case formulation, and clinical decision making. The book puts such concepts as the secure base, mentalization, and attachment styles in a new light by focusing on their utility for understanding the therapeutic relationship and processes of change. It offers recommendations for incorporating attachment ideas and tools into specific treatment approaches, with separate chapters on psychoanalytic, interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral, and emotionally focused therapies.




Adult Attachment


Book Description

Adult Attachment: A Concise Introduction to Theory and Research is an easy-to-read and highly accessible reference on attachment that deals with many of the key concepts and topics studied within attachment theory. This book is comprised of a series of chapters framed by common questions that are typically asked by novices entering the field of attachment. The content of each chapter focuses on answering this overarching question. Topics on the development of attachment are covered from different levels of analysis, including species, individual, and relationship levels, working models of attachment, attachment functions and hierarchies, attachment stability and change over time and across situations, relationship contexts, the cognitive underpinnings of attachment and its activation of enhancement via priming, the interplay between the attachment behavioral system and other behavioral systems, the effects of context on attachment, the contribution of physiology/neurology and genetics to attachment, the associations/differences between attachment and temperament, the conceptualization and measurement of attachment, and the association between attachment and psychopathology/therapy. TEDx talk: The Power of (Secure) Love by Omri Gillath: https://youtu.be/PgIQv-rTGgA Uses a question-and-answer format to address the most important topics within attachment theory Presents information in a simple, easy-to-understand way to ensure accessibility for novices in the field of attachment Covers the main concepts and issues that relate to attachment theory, thus ensuring readers develop a strong foundation in attachment theory that they can then apply to the study of relationships Addresses future directions in the field of attachment theory Concisely covers material, ensuring scholars and professionals can quickly get up-to-speed with the most recent research




Attachment Theory in Clinical Work with Children


Book Description

Attachment research has tremendous potential for helping clinicians understand what happens when parent–child bonds are disrupted, and what can be done to help. Yet there remains a large gap between theory and practice in this area. This book reviews what is known about attachment and translates it into practical guidelines for therapeutic work. Leading scientist-practitioners present innovative strategies for assessing and intervening in parent–child relationship problems; helping young children recover from maltreatment or trauma; and promoting healthy development in adoptive and foster families. Detailed case material in every chapter illustrates the applications of research-based concepts and tools in real-world clinical practice.




A Primer for Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)


Book Description

From best-selling author, Susan M. Johnson, with over 1 million books sold worldwide! This essential text from the leading authority on Emotionally Focused Therapy, Susan M. Johnson, and colleague, T. Leanne Campbell, applies the key interventions of EFT to work with individuals, providing an overview and clinical guide to treating clients with depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress. Designed for therapists at all levels of expertise, Johnson and Campbell focus on introducing clinicians to EFIT interventions, techniques, and change processes in a highly accessible and practical format. The book begins by summarizing attachment theory and science – the theoretical basis of this model – together with the experiential approach to change in psychotherapy. Chapters describe the three stages of EFIT, macro-interventions, such as the EFIT Tango, and various micro-interventions through clinical exercises, case studies, and transcripts to demonstrate this model in practice with individuals, highlighting the unique benefits of EFT as a cross-modality approach for treating emotional disorders. With exercises interwoven throughout the text, this book is built to accompany in-person and online training, helping the practicing clinician offer targeted and empirically tested interventions that not only alleviate symptoms of distress but expand the client’s emotional balance, agency, and sense of self. As the next major extension of the EFT approach, this book will appeal to therapists already working with couples and families as well as those just beginning their professional journey. Psychotherapists, psychologists, counselors, social workers, and mental health workers will also find this book invaluable.




Adult Attachment


Book Description

With contributions from leading investigators, this volume presents important theoretical and empirical advances in the study of adult attachment. Chapters take stock of the state of knowledge in the field and introduce new, testable theoretical models to guide future research. Major topics covered include stability and change of attachment orientations across the lifespan; influences of attachment on cognitive functioning; and implications for the ways individuals experience intimacy, conflict, caregiving, and satisfaction in adult relationships. Also explored are the ways attachment theory and research can inform therapy with couples and can further understanding of such significant clinical problems as PTSD and depression.




Handbook of Attachment, Second Edition


Book Description

From foremost authorities, this comprehensive work is more than just the standard reference on attachment-it has “become indispensable” in the field. Coverage includes the origins and development of attachment theory; biological and evolutionary perspectives; and the role of attachment processes in personality, relationships, and mental health across the lifespan.




Clinical Implications of Attachment


Book Description

First published in 1987. This study records findings of a study group set up to explore a variety of issues related to attachment, including the predictive utility of Strange Situation assessments, the conditions under which insecurity is related to subsequent difficulties, the origins of individual differences in attachment security, and intervention strategies that might prove useful in ameliorating the developmental risks that appeared to be associated with insecure attachment relationships




The Myth of Attachment Theory


Book Description

The Myth of Attachment Theory confronts the uncritical acceptance of attachment theory – challenging its scientific basis and questioning the relevance in our modern, superdiverse and multicultural society – and exploring the central concern of how children, and their way of forming relationships, differ from each other. In this book, Heidi Keller examines diverse multicultural societies, proposing that a single doctrine cannot best serve all children and families. Drawing on cultural, psychological and anthropological research, this challenging volume respects cultural diversity as the human condition and demonstrates how the wide heterogeneity of children’s worlds must be taken seriously to avoid painful or unethical consequences that might result from the application of attachment theory in different fields. The book explores attachment theory as a scientific construct, deals with attachment theory as the foundation of early education, specifies the dimensions that need to be considered for a culturally conscious approach and, finally, approaches ethical problems which result from the universality claim of attachment theory in different areas. This book employs multiple and mixed methods, while also going beyond critical analysis of theory to offer insight into the implications of the unquestioning acceptance of this theory in such areas as childhood interventions, diagnosis of attachment security, international intervention programs and educational settings. This volume will be a crucial read for scholars and researchers in developmental, educational and clinical psychology, as well as educators, teachers-in-training and other professionals working with children and their families.