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The making and breaking of affectional bonds: II. Some principles of psychotherapy: The Fiftieth Maudsley Lecture (expanded version)
This article provides a comprehensive overview of how clinicians utilize attachment theory to address various psychological conditions, particularly anxiety, depression, and emotional detachment. The assessment of patients is framed around their attachment and caregiving behaviors, alongside the exploration of significant past and present events that may exacerbate their symptoms. The author highlights challenges related to suppressed or falsified information during assessment. From this perspective, the psychotherapist’s role encompasses several interrelated tasks: (a) to create a secure base that allows patients to explore their identities and relationships; (b) to collaboratively examine the patient’s interpretations of current interpersonal dynamics, including the therapeutic relationship, and the resultant predictions and actions that may be inappropriate; (c) to assist patients in understanding their tendencies to misconstrue relationships, potentially tracing these patterns back to childhood and adolescent experiences with attachment figures. [NPID: attachment theory, psychotherapist, relationships, detachment, childhood, caregivers, psychology]
Year: 1977
