Adult Attachment in Clinical Social Work: Practice, Research, and Policy

Adult Attachment in Clinical Social Work highlights social work's contributions to attachment theory and research and the potential of these contributions to enhance clinical practice, inform social policy, and further empirical investigations. Designed for readers new to adult attachment, as well as those familiar with it, this book reviews assessment measures and research methods, summaries new findings and ongoing controversies, and clarities terms toward a common language. Clinical applications in individual, family, and group contexts are featured, with case examples from various populations and settings.

Included topics are:

Separation, loss, and grief in adults

The impact of neurobiology on affect regulation

Applications of attachment concepts to interventions with at-risk families of young children, adolescents, and elder adults

Clinical approaches for hard-to-reach individual clients and adults in group settings

The function of attachment in both familial and professional caregiving

Policy implications of adult attachment relevant to family preservation

Adult Attachment in Clinical Social Work is an essential text, breaking new ground in the attachment literature with immediate relevance for professionals and scholars in clinical social work and related mental health professions.