The Mother and Her Child

Clinical Aspects of Attachment, Separation, and Loss

Contributions by Anni Bergman, Inga Blom, Jennifer Bonovitz, Virginia M. Brabender, M. Hossein Etezady, April E. Fallon, Newell Fischer, Alexandra M. Harrison, Anna Ornstein, Daniela Polyak, Ann G. Smolen Edited by Salman Akhtar

Publication date:

25 November 2011

Length of book:

176 pages

Publisher

Jason Aronson, Inc.

ISBN-13: 9780765708328

The Mother and Her Child: Clinical Aspects of Attachment, Separation, and Loss, edited by Salman Akhtar, focuses upon the formation of an individual's self in the crucible of the early mother-child relationship. Bringing together contributions from distinguished psychoanalysts and child observational researchers, it elucidates the nuances of mothering, the child's tie to the mother, the mysteries of secure attachment, and the hazards of insecure attachment. These experts also discuss issues of separation, loss, and alternate sources of love when the mother is absent or emotionally unavailable, while highlighting the relevance of such ideas to the treatment of children and adults.

Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: What Does a Mother Do?: An Overview
Salman Akhtar, M.D.
Chapter 2: A Secure Connection: The Tethering of Attachment and Good-enough Maternal Care
April E. Fallon, Ph.D., and Virginia M. Brabender, Ph.D.
Chapter 3: Secure Connections, the Extended Family System, and the Socio-Cultural Construction of Attachment Theory
Christine Kieffer, Ph.D.
Chapter 4: Attachment and Separation-Individuation: Two Ways of Looking at the Mother/Infant Relationship
Anni Bergman, Ph.D., Inga Blom,Ph.D., Daniela Polyak, B.A.
Chapter 5 Mother-Infant Attachment: The Demystification of an Enigma
Newell Fischer, M.D.
Chapter 6: Searching for a Lost Mother: A Parent-Child Treatment
Alexandra Harrison, M.D.
Chapter 7: The Use of Video in Infant Research and Clinical Practice: A Historical Perspective
Ann Smolen, Ph.D.
Chapter 8: Childhood Losses, Adult Memories
Anna Ornstein, M.D.
Chapter 9: When Mother Isn’t There: Finding Alternate Pathways to Development.
Jennifer Bonovitz, Ph.D.
Chapter 10: Before Self and Object Constancy: A Concluding Commentary
M. Hossein Etezady, M.D.
References
Index
About the Editor and Contributors

Only here can one find such an excellent updated and integrated theory of attachment, separation, individuation, and self psychology. The Mother and Her Child treats the reader to the latest findings from infant research with the welcome addition of observational data, analyses of videotaped sessions with mothers and their infants and with analysts with their child analysands. All of this is accomplished with an appreciation of the dance between the participants. The developmental tasks of the nurturer as well as those of the child are appreciated. Excellent contributions on loss, trauma, and their aftereffects expand our understanding of attachment and resilience. The seasoned clinician as well as the novice will find much to explore in this very thoughtful and comprehensive integration of the latest advances in psychoanalytic research, theory, and technique.