Attachment Theory Applied Fostering Personal Growth through Healthy Relationships

In this compelling book, prominent investigators Mario Mikulincer and Phillip R. Shaver review the state of the science of attachment-based interventions in psychotherapy and beyond. They critically evaluate a range of programs that aim to strengthen parent–child, couple, and therapist–client relationships. The theoretical and empirical underpinnings of each intervention are examined, as are specific techniques used to enhance felt security and foster personal growth. The book also looks at evidence-based interventions outside the mental health domain, including programs that target teacher–student relationships and academic performance. Looking to the future, the authors discuss emerging applications of attachment theory in medicine and health care, management and organizational behavior, and group and intergroup processes.

See also the related work from Mikulincer and Shaver, Attachment Theory Expanded: Security Dynamics in Individuals, Dyads, Groups, and Societies.

Mario Mikulincer, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Founding Dean of the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology at Reichman University in Israel. His research interests include attachment processes in adulthood, terror management theory, personality processes in interpersonal relationships, evolutionary psychology, human learned helplessness and depression, trauma and posttraumatic processes, and coping with stress. Dr. Mikulincer is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. He is a recipient of Israel’s EMET Prize for Art, Science, and Culture and of the Berscheid–Hatfield Award for Distinguished Mid-Career Achievement from the International Association for Relationship Research.
 
Phillip R. Shaver, PhD, is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. He has published numerous books, including Handbook of Attachment, and over 400 journal articles and book chapters. Dr. Shaver’s research focuses on attachment, human motivation and emotion, close relationships, personality development, and the effects of meditation on behavior and brain. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science and is past president of the International Association for Relationship Research, from which he received the Distinguished Career Award. He has also received an honorary doctorate from Stockholm University and Distinguished Career Awards from the Society of Experimental Social Psychology and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
 

1. An Overview of Attachment Theory and Research
2. The Broaden-and-Build Cycle of Attachment Security
3. Boosting Felt Security in the Laboratory: The Broaden-and-Build Effects of Security Priming
4.Enhancing Attachment Security in Relationships between Parents and Young Children
5. Enhancing Attachment Security in Relationships between Parents and Adolescents
6. Enhancing Attachment Security within Couple Relationships
7. An Attachment-Informed Approach to Individual Psychotherapy
8. Other Therapeutic Applications of Attachment Theory and Research
9. Attachment-Informed Practices in Working with Therapeutic Groups and Work Teams
10. Attachment-Based Applications in School and Educational Settings
11. Applying Attachment-Theoretical Principles in Medical Settings
12. Applying Attachment-Theoretical Principles in Organizations
13. Summing Up, Moving Forward
References
Index