Attachment and Psychoanalysis Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications

Although attachment theory was originally rooted in psychoanalysis, theory and research in each area have developed quite independently. This incisive book explores ways in which attachment theory and psychoanalysis have each contributed to understanding key aspects of human behavior-including infantile and adult sexuality, aggression, psychopathology, and psychotherapeutic change-and what the two fields can learn from each other. Morris Eagle critically evaluates how psychoanalytic thinking can aid in expanding core attachment concepts, such as the internal working model, and how knowledge about attachment can inform clinical practice and enrich psychoanalytic theory building.

Morris N. Eagle, PhD, ABPP, is Distinguished Educator-in-Residence at California Lutheran University and Professor Emeritus at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University. He is past president of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association, a recipient of the Sigourney Award for distinguished contributions to the field of psychoanalysis, and cofounder of the New York Attachment Consortium. The author, most recently, of From Classical to Contemporary Psychoanalysis, Dr. Eagle has published more than 100 journal articles and presents his work widely.

1. Historical Introduction, in collaboration with Everett Waters 2. Core Tenets of Attachment Theory, in collaboration with Everett Waters 3. Key Research Findings, in collaboration with Everett Waters 4. Understanding and Measuring Adult Attachment Patterns 5. Divergences between Attachment Theory and Early Psychoanalytic Theories 6. Divergences between Attachment Theory and Later Psychoanalytic Theories 7. Attachment and Infantile Sexuality 8. Attachment and Adult Sexuality 9. Attachment and Aggression 10. Attachment and Psychopathology 11. Implications of Attachment Research and Theory for Clinical Interventions 12. Convergence and Integration