Product Description
Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a psychiatric condition affecting children that is characterized by inappropriate and sometimes disturbing ways of relating socially to others, including parents. Relatively rare, RAD is thought to arise from a failure to form close attachments to primary caregivers in early childhood due to abrupt or prolonged separation, neglect, or abuse. In the United States, the incidence of RAD increased in the 1990s as Americans began to adopt an unprecedented number of formerly institutionalized children from orphanages abroad and from within American child welfare systems. To help resolve the extreme behavioral problems exhibited by their children, many adoptive parents are now turning to a controversial but popular treatment: attachment therapy. In The Road to Evergreen, Rachael Stryker provides an in-depth exploration of the theory, implementation, and culture of attachment therapy as it is practiced in Evergreen, Colorado, the center of RAD treatment in the United States.To understand RAD and the Evergreen model, Stryker conducted interviews with client families at an attachment clinic in Evergreen, other American adoptive families, participants in the Denver foster care system, and personnel at international adoption agencies and orphanages. At the center of Stryker's analysis is the disjuncture between the ideal of family life and the reality of caring for formerly institutionalized children. American parents who have pledged to offer unconditional love are at a loss when children offer indifference, hostility, destructiveness, or outright violence in return. Stryker demonstrates that the Evergreen model, with its goal of emotionally rehabilitating adoptees to prevent their eventual exile from families, is an important component of a cultural logic for preserving adoptive family in the United States. However, the therapy does not always deliver the promised happy ending. Stryker's clear and balanced account of attachment therapy will be useful in informing and reforming both adoption practice and pediatric psychology. ... Read more

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Since 1986, when disorganized attachment was first defined by Mary Main and Judith Solomon, a great deal of interest has been shown in this addition to the standard Ainsworth classification system. This groundbreaking volume brings together eminent researchers and clinicians to present current, original theory and data on the nature of disorganized attachment, its etiology, and its sequelae. Contributors report on the social, psychological, and biological contributions to disorganization. Longitudinal findings are presented on developmental outcomes in middle childhood; special populations are examined, including children with disabilities; and new assessment methodologies are described. Advancing our understanding of a significant subgroup of infants and children with attachment-related difficulties, the volume represents an important contribution to the empirical attachment literature.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Pathologizing Motherhood
As a professional in this field of work I was interested in learning more about the relatively new attachment classification of "D" which supposedly leads to psychopathology in later life. The collection of articles written by various researchers in the field only confirmed how little we really know about the subject, and the articles are little more than guesswork and ideological interpretations dressed up as knowledge and science. At least the authors consistently suggest that more research needs to be done in this area. Particularly treacherous was the chapter on children with disabilities, and how D symptoms were separated from symptoms of a developmental/neurological disorder, yet how they did this remains a mystery. Anyone familiar with developmental disorders, will find D traits suspiciously similar. The researchers then concluded that D is not neurological, suggesting it is learned behavior, but more recent research (2007-2008) has suggested this is far from clear-cut. Throughout the book, 'mother behavior was scrutinized and analyzed to such an excruiating degree, that it was almost dehumanizing. The authors in some chapters concluded that, because there are so many differences in the behaviors of mothers with a "D" child, stopping short of using the word "unexplainable", there must be more subtle and covert behaviors that cause infant disorganization. Frightening or frightened behaviors in the mother were thought to be the cause, YET these same "frightening moms" also produced non-D kids! Wait a minute .... the D-offspring moms were frightening BUT they also did not allay the child's fears with the right facial expression, word or gesture at the right time after frightening their child. The consequences of mom not tweaking herself in just the right way so that the child won't be afraid, is a future psychopath? Sorry, but something is wrong here: people have been bringing up children for millennia in thousands of different styles. What of the millions of children in times past who were not brought up in such an anxious, child-centered, self-obsessed, mother-blaming cultures as the modern western anglo-saxon world? If their findings are anything to go by, humanity was already doomed to extinction 1000s of years ago from the mass production of pathological human offspring when children were nothing more than slaves. Even more confusing are the obscure 'symptoms' of D at the end of the book, which make objective observation almost impossible. Recent research has disproven a lot of this book's wishy-washy Freudian claims. Researchers are now talking "child thresholds" and it's possible that D could wind up a form of developmental disorder, rather than yet one more result of `mother pathology'. A much better read is Paranoid Parenting by Frank Furedi.
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This article describes autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and shows that early intervention may change developmental pathways so that some children with the potential for ASD can join the social world & succeed in school. Written for parents and professionals, this article discusses the neurobiology, executive function, attachment, trauma, & self-regulation (NEATS) issues related to ASD. ... Read more

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This book builds a key clinical bridge between attachment theory and psychoanalysis, deploying Holmes' unique capacity to weld empirical evidence, psychoanalytic theory and consulting room experience into a coherent and convincing whole.  Starting from the theory–practice gap in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, the book demonstrates how attachment theory can help practitioners better understand what they intuitively do in the consulting room, how this benefits clients, and informs evidence-based practice.

Divided into two sections, theory and practice, Exploring in Security discusses the concept of mentalising and considers three components of effective therapy – the therapeutic relationship, meaning making and change promotion – from both attachment and psychoanalytic perspectives. The second part of the book applies attachment theory to a number of clinical situations including:

• working with borderline clients
• suicide and deliberate self-harm
• sex and sexuality
• dreams
• ending therapy.

Throughout the book theoretical discussion is vividly illustrated with clinical material, personal experience and examples from literature and film, making this an accessible yet authoritative text for psychotherapy practitioners at all levels, including psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, mental health nurses and counsellors.

Product Description
This digital document is a journal article from Eating Behaviors, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Sociocultural and attachment processes were integrated into a single model predicting eating disorder symptomatology to determine their relative influence. Using normative, self-report data from 146 female undergraduates, path analyses tested the fit of a conceptual model with two hypothesized pathways: (1) higher awareness of sociocultural values about appearance would lead to less perceived appearance satisfaction which would, in turn, lead to eating disordered behavior, and (2) attachment avoidance and anxiety (modeled separately) across mother, father, and romantic partner domains would predict psychological correlates of eating disorders, thereby increasing risk for disordered behaviors. Although both were significant, the sociocultural path was slightly stronger (@b=-.46; path from attachment/psychological correlates to behaviors @b=.27). Further, attachment avoidance exhibited stronger effects than anxiety (explaining 31% and 25% of variance in psychological correlates, respectively). Results underscored the need to consider multiple factors in eating disorder research and treatment programs. ... Read more

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Parenting a child who has a disorder of attachment is the hardest job any parent could have. It requires rethinking your parenting instincts, experience with other children, and advice on child rearing. It means making conscious, therapeutic parenting decisions hour after hour, day after day, week after week. This manual is designed to help parents of children who have disorders of attachment learn to parent their children effectively. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Practical guide for attachment disorders'
This book is an excellent handbook which not only describes attachment disorders but provides practical advice on how to deal with issues that might occur when looking after a child with an disorder of attachment.

The book provides advice for both new carers and for experienced carers.Examples and appropriate methods of responce are provided through out the book.

An essential read for adoptive parents
This is an easy to read comprehensive handbook for anyone who has adopted or fostered children with attachment disorders. It cites case histories and gives examples of re-parenting techniques that I found extremely useful. What was also particularly interesting was the necessity to examine ones own parenting before being able to deal with parenting an emotionally fractured child. I would recommend it to anyone who is struggling to fathom the often inexplicable behaviour of a child with an attachment disorder. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is a journal article from Eating Behaviors, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
The purpose of this study was to propose and test a model of attachment insecurity in a clinical sample of 268 eating disordered women. Structural relationships among attachment insecurity, BMI, perceived pressure to diet, body dissatisfaction, restrained eating, and negative affect were assessed. A heterogeneous sample of treatment seeking women with a diagnosed eating disorder completed psychometric tests prior to receiving treatment. The data were analysed using structural equation modeling. Fit indices indicated that the hypothesized model fit adequately to the data. Although cross-sectional in nature, the data suggested that attachment insecurity may lead to negative affect. As well, attachment insecurity may lead to body dissatisfaction, which in turn may lead to restrained eating among women with eating disorders. Attachment insecurity could be a possible vulnerability factor for the development of eating disorder symptoms among women. ... Read more

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Avoiding hard-to-understand medical jargon, the four-volume “Gale Encyclopedia of Children’s Health” uses language that parents can understand, while still providing enough depth to benefit today's health science students. The set provides in-depth coverage of pediatric diseases and disorders, along with issues related to physical and cognitive/behavioral development.

Product Description
Attachment in adults. Attachment theory, Attachment measures, Attachment disorder, Reactive attachment disorder, Attachment therapy, Object relations theory, Emotionally focused therapy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

$1.50 per page
Be forewarned that this is a small book. It is clearly described in the book specifications that I didn't inspect very well. I learned my lesson. The book is a little over 100 pages and printed on smaller sized paper. Subtract from that more than 50 pages allocated to childhood attachment and childhood attachment disorders. The book is titled Attachment in Adults, so why so much about children? There is also a chapter on Object Relations theory! Go figure. When all those pages are subtracted, I paid about $1.50 per page for this book.

Anyway, I learned my lesson. I will do better sizing up the books and reviewing the TOC before purchasing.

The content, what little there is, is good. The authors list 100s of references which is great. But, I still say, save your time and money. Buy Mikulincer's or Rholes' book on adult attachment. These authors give full value to the topic. ... Read more

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Explore and understand new approaches in Borderline therapy Most persons with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have endured massive empathetic failure at the hands of mental health providers. Empathetic Treatment of Borderline Personality: A Disorder of Trauma, Attachment, and Dissociation offers a new sympathetic, relational approach to treating this much maligned and misunderstood disorder. Presented along with a new reading of the origins and psychodynamics of the condition are treatment examples that can be readily applied to research and clinical practice. This text helps to clear a path through the enigmatic symptoms that often leave both patients and therapists bewildered and frustrated.

In addition to being a critical reexamination of traditional theories, Empathetic Treatment of Borderline Personality: A Disorder of Trauma, Attachment, and Dissociation addresses BPD in light of recent research on relational trauma, child development, and dissociative processes. This provides a better understanding of the disorder's evolution and an updated definition to work within. Through vivid case studies and understandable, research-based theory, an innovative vision of the therapist-patient bond is brought to light. This new approach to BPD therapy meets patients at the level of their own experience to provide them with a more secure base of attachment and supportive relationship. These unique, wide-ranging discussions and rational treatment techniques are readily useable and create the foundation for a more effective and empathetic alliance between those afflicted with BPD and their therapists.

Topics addressed in Empathetic Treatment of Borderline Personality: A Disorder of Trauma, Attachment, and Dissociation include:

the etiology of BPD
de-pathologizing historical concepts of BPD
the trauma/dissociation spectrum and multiple self states model
relating BPD and chronic relational trauma
BDP and post-traumatic symptoms
victim and abuser states
passive attachment and rage
disorganized attachment and development of dissociated self-states
dissociative processes in borderline defenses
transference and countertransference
alternating victim and perpetrator self-states and treatment
current approaches to treatment
the therapeutic alliance

Empathetic Treatment of Borderline Personality: A Disorder of Trauma, Attachment, and Dissociation is an important resource for psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and students, researchers, and academics in the mental health field. ... Read more

Product Description
Attachment theory. History of attachment theory, Attachment-based therapy (children), Reactive attachment disorder, Attachment disorder, Attachment therapy, Emotionally focused therapy ... Read more

Product Description
Attachment disorder. Attachment in children, Attachment theory, Reactive attachment disorder, Attachment measures, Attachment-based therapy (children), Attachment therapy ... Read more