Attachment and Dynamic Practice: An Integrative Guide for Social Workers and Other Clinicians

Contemporary attachment theory both enriches our understanding of human development and informs clinical practice. It examines the relational bonds between young children and their caregivers and traces its origins to several scientific and social fields, most notably psychoanalysis, social work, behaviorism, ethology, evolutionary theory, and biology.

The first portion of this book examines attachment theory and its relationship to other psychodynamic theories of development, from Sigmund Freud to Heinz Kohut, and then discusses the landmark contributions of John Bowlby, the "father" of modern attachment theory. The section concludes with a detailed summary of research on attachment, highlighting the work of Mary Ainsworth, Mary Main, Allan Sroufe, and Peter Fonagy.

The second portion focuses on clinical applications with child, adolescent, and adult client populations. Brief vignettes and lengthier case illustrations consider a variety of attachment disorders and treatment approaches, paying special attention to clinical method and technique, process dimensions, and transference and countertransference phenomena. Cases are set in a range of treatment venues, such as college and family counseling services, community mental health centers, and private practice, and involve clients of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds and sexual orientations.

Researchers have established that children's bonds with their caregivers are rooted in psychological as well as biological motives and have profound effects on later personality development. Attachment and Dynamic Practice offers a clear and accessible introduction to attachment theory and research, linking the field to a broad range of clinical situations and psychodynamic models.