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. Examining the relational bonds between young children and their caregivers, it 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 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 children, adolescents, and adults. Brief vignettes and lengthier case illustrations consider a verity 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 service, community mental health centers, and private practice, and involve an ethnoculturally and clinically diverse clientele.

Jerrold R. Brandell is professor and chair of the Graduate Concentration in Interpersonal Practice at Wayne State University School of Social Work. A practicing psychoanalyst and social work clinician, he is founding editor of the journal Psychoanalytic Social Work. His many books include Psychodynamic Social Work; Celluloid Couches, Cinematic Clients: Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in the Movies; Of Mice and Metaphors: Therapeutic Storytelling with Children; and Theory and Practice in Clinical Social Work.

Shoshana Ringel was born in Israel and received her Ph.D at the Smith College School for Social Work. She is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and maintains a private practice in Maryland. The author of book chapters and numerous articles, her work has appeared in Clinical Social Work Journal, Psychoanalytic Social Work, and Smith College Studies in Social Work. Dr. Ringel is book review editor of Psychoanalytic Social Work and also serves on the editorial board of Clinical Social Work Journal.