Book Review: Psychotherapy: Attachment Processes in Couple and Family Therapy

Psychotherapy Attachment Processes in Couple and Family Therapy Susan M Johnson, Valerie E Whiffen, editors. New York: The Guilford Press; 2003.411 p. US$42.00. Reviewer rating: Excellent Attachment theory was developed by John Bowlby as a theoretical framework to understand enduring emotional bonds that individuals develop in relation to certain people. It is only within the past 15 years or so that attachment theory has been recognized as a clinically valuable way of understanding significant adult relationships. From this understanding came research that demonstrated the meaningful link between attachment security or insecurity and well-being or distress. This edited text presents a broad look at the benefits and relevance of using an attachment-based framework when working with couples and families, regardless of the clients' ages. Its chapters are self-contained articles written by -experts regarded as leaders in the areas of couples therapy, family therapy, and attachment theory. The text has 5 clear sections. Section 1 addresses the issue of why (and how) attachment theory is relevant for clinical practice with couples and families. Here, the authors point out the universal and evolutionary basis of attachment. They provide readers with a solid foundation in the assumptions underlying attachment theory, offering key definitions outlining secure and insecure forms of attachment, as well as a discussion of the nature of attachment and pair bonding in adults. Further, they put attachment theory into a context that challenges readers to think about the variations in human attachment that may occur over one's lifespan and across cultures. Section 2 introduces readers to clinical interventions that incorporate attachment theory into their model of treatment. Specifically, the authors discuss emotion-focused therapy (EFT) for distressed couples; the value of attachment theory in behavioural interventions; and the use of attachment theory in interventions with children, in adolescents suffering from depression, and in adoptive families. In Sections 3 and 4, the authors expand on the discussion of clinical interventions, using an attachment-based framework. Separate chapters cover intervention with infants and mothers, adolescents and parents, heterosexual and same-sex couples, and older adults. The authors cohesively incorporate the research and theory components of their chapters with clinical illustrations such as case examples, session-specific therapist-client dialogue, and specific interventions. This allows readers to consolidate what they have learned theoretically with what they may see in their daily clinical practice. The authors demonstrate that attachment theory may serve as a valuable guide to clinicians when working with specific clients such as sexual abuse survivors and their partners, individuals with chronic pain and their partners, and women suffering from postpartum depression. …

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