Attachment and Family Therapy

Attachment & Family Therapy offers an integrative, family-based approach to understanding and addressing the psychological and relational needs of distressed children and their parents. The book blends attachment theory and basic developmental research with the diverse insights and methods of all schools of family systems theory. The problems addressed range from mild developmental issues, to autism, ADHD, disability, divorce and separation, psychosomatic disorders, and child protection and out-of-home placement. The solutions described involve not only traditional forms of family therapy, but also formulations and conceptualizations that combine individual, couples, and family work around specified issues. The authors present a sophisticated model of attachment that fits the breadth of clinical variation, focuses on family strengths, and is informed by insights from neurology and information-processing. This book is a tour de force! The authors have contributed one of the most significant theoretical developments within the family systems field for some time. Their book is part of a blossoming movement to integrate attachment theory with systemic theory and practice. They offer a powerful explanatory alternative to a DSM based description of distress in children and families that not only offers a compassionate, causal framework for the development of problems in families but also provides clear guidance for tailored assistance and intervention with children and their families.Arlene Vetere, Professor of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, Diakonhjemmet University College, NorwayI have long looked forward to this book and it in no way disappoints, combining as it does engaging clinical material with a clarity of conceptualising that has become regrettably rare in the world of contemporary family therapy. Crittenden and Dallos bring alive the remarkable explanatory power of the DMM in a synergy with family systems therapy, to produce a readable therapeutic guide that is truly more than the sum of its parts. David Pocock, Systemic Family Therapist and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, and Trainer in independent practice, UK This book presents a much-needed shift from infant-mother attachment to consideration of the wider family and professional system - including Dad! It offers an accessible, thoughtful and at times provocative approach to helping families struggling with a wide range of problems including those where children have autism or ADHD. The emphasis on assessment as a means of formulating an intervention plan, rather than diagnosis and prescription, is particularly welcome. Steve Farnfield, Senior Lecturer and Director of the MSc in Attachment Studies, University of Roehampton, UK