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

This book explores adult attachment theory and research and its close fit with social work. It examines the broad range of clinical social work including public and private practice and with racial-ethnic groups, gays and lesbians, trauma survivors and others.

The applicability of attachment theory and research to social work and social policy relating to infants and children is well-established. Yet, its usefulness for enhancing the understanding of adults and their needs, both individually and as a group, has been less featured in the attachment literature. Adult Attachment in Clinical Social Work Practice is a wide-ranging look at attachment theory and research, its application to adults, and its natural fit with the social work profession. This edited volume covers the applicability of adult attachment theory to the clinical social work profession's various domains that include human behavior, practice, policy, research, and social work education. It addresses the broad spectrum of clinical social work, including practice in a variety of public and private settings and with a number of diverse populations, including racial-ethnic groups, gays and lesbians, trauma survivors, and child welfare parents. The book highlights the underemphasized contribution of the social work profession to the development of attachment theory and research.

I. Theory Development Regarding Adult Attachment.-The Origins of an Attachment Approach to Social Work Practice with Adults.-Contemporary Theory and Research on Adult Attachment: Where is the Field Today.-Clinical Social Work and Regulation Theory: Implications of Neurobiological Models of Attachment.-II. Applications to Adult Clinical Practice.-Separation, Loss, and Grief in Adults: An Attachment Perspective.-Listening Closely: The Significance of the Therapist's Voice Intensity, Rhythm, and Tone.-Using a Mentalization-Based Framework to Assist Hard-to-Reach Clients in Individual Treatment.-Attachment and Caregiving for Elders within African American Families.-Attachment in the Family Context: Insights from Development and Clinical Work.-Applications of Attachment Theory to Group Interventions: A Secure Base in Adulthood.-III. Attachment Applications to Policy, Research, and Education.-Policy Implications of Attachment Processes in Adulthood: Caregiving and Family Preservation.-Contributions of Social Workers to Attachment Research.-Implications of Attachment Theory for Social Work Education