This accessible book draws on unique evidence from oral histories and little-known archive material to shed new light on the working relationships which led to John Bowlby’s shift from psychoanalysis to ethology as a frame of reference – and ultimately to the development of attachment theory. A unique exploration of the origins of Bowlby’s ideas and the critical transformation in his thinking – offers an alternative to standard accounts of the origin of attachment theory Explores the significance of Bowlby’s influential working relationships with Robert Hinde, Harry Harlow, James Robertson and Mary Ainsworth Provides students, academics, and practitioners with clear insights into the development of attachment theory Accessible to general readers interested in psychology and psychoanalysis

This accessible book draws on unique evidence from oral histories and little-known archive material to shed new light on the working relationships which led to John Bowlby’s shift from psychoanalysis to ethology as a frame of reference – and ultimately to the development of attachment theory. A unique exploration of the origins of Bowlby’s ideas and the critical transformation in his thinking – offers an alternative to standard accounts of the origin of attachment theory Explores the significance of Bowlby’s influential working relationships with Robert Hinde, Harry Harlow, James Robertson and Mary Ainsworth Provides students, academics, and practitioners with clear insights into the development of attachment theory Accessible to general readers interested in psychology and psychoanalysis

Attachment Theory is one of the most important theoretical developments in psychoanalysis to have emerged in the past half-century. It combines the rigorous scientific empiricism of ethology with the subjective insights of psychoanalysis, and has had an enormous impact in the fields of child development, social work, psychology, and psychiatry. This is the first known book to appear which brings together John Bowlby and post-Bowlbian research and shows how the findings of Attachment Theory can inform the practice of psychotherapy. It also provides fascinating insights into the history of the psychoanalytic movement and looks at the ways in which Attachment Theory can help in the understanding of society and its problems.

Helping both parents and psychologists to arrive at a better understanding of the inner emotional world of the infant, this selection of key lectures by Bowlby includes the seminal one that gives the volume its title. Informed by wide clinical experience, and written with the author's well-known humanity and lucidity, the lectures provide an invaluable introduction to John Bowlby’s thought and work, as well as much practical guidance of use both to parents and to members of the mental health professions.

Encounters with John Bowlby: Tales of Attachment is an insightful, heartfelt and faithful homage to John Bowlby (1907-1990), the ‘father’ of attachment theory. The book unfolds as a touching and absorbing biographical journey into his life and work, where Bowlby is portrayed vividly through his individual, family and group attachment history, as well as his personal and professional development. This is a thoroughly researched and unique volume: a creative hybrid of scholarly erudition and passionately-delivered real life experiences covering the entire field of attachment. The work is co-constructed from the privileged position of sitting at the feet of the founder of the theory, drawing on his lifelong research and knowledge. The reader can learn from and identify with stirring, true stories that illustrate the struggle to become attached, to survive, and to grow. Encounters with John Bowlby will appeal to anyone who is interested in personal development and relationships. It will be of special interest to mental health professionals, psychotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, psychoanalysts and group analysts, as well as other healthcare professionals, such as general practitioners and paediatricians. The text will also be useful to students undertaking doctoral courses or attending other courses related to attachment and John Bowlby.

This is an open access title available under the terms of a [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International] licence. It is free to read at Oxford Clinical Psychology Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. Attachment theory is among the most popular theories of human socioemotional development, with a global research community and widespread interest from clinicians, child welfare professionals, educationalists and parents. It has been considered "one of the most generative contemporary ideas" about family life in modern society. It is one of the last of the grand theories of human development that still retains an active research tradition. Attachment theory and research speak to fundamental questions about human emotions, relationships and development. They do so in terms that feel experience-near, with a remarkable combination of intuitive ideas and counter-intuitive assessments and conclusions. Over time, attachment theory seems to have become more, rather than less, appealing and popular, in part perhaps due to alignment with current concern with the lifetime implications of early brain development Cornerstones of Attachment Research re-examines the work of key laboratories that have contributed to the study of attachment. In doing so, the book traces the development in a single scientific paradigm through parallel but separate lines of inquiry. Chapters address the work of Bowlby, Ainsworth, Main and Hesse, Sroufe and Egeland, and Shaver and Mikulincer. Cornerstones of Attachment Research utilises attention to these five research groups as a lens on wider themes and challenges faced by attachment research over the decades. The chapters draw on a complete analysis of published scholarly and popular works by each research group, as well as much unpublished material.

As Bowlby himself points out in his introduction to this seminal childcare book, to be a successful parent means a lot of very hard work. Giving time and attention to children means sacrificing other interests and activities, but for many people today these are unwelcome truths. Bowlby’s work showed that the early interactions between infant and caregiver have a profound impact on an infant's social, emotional, and intellectual growth. Controversial yet powerfully influential to this day, this classic collection of Bowlby’s lectures offers important guidelines for child rearing based on the crucial role of early relationships.