Attachment Processes in Couple and Family Therapy

Susan M. Johnson, EdD, until her death in 2024, was Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Distinguished Research Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Alliant International University in San Diego; and Director of the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy. "Dr. Sue" was the pioneering innovator of emotionally focused therapy (EFT). She published widely, including acclaimed books for professionals, bestselling books for general readers, and numerous articles, book chapters, and teaching videos. Her seminal contributions to couple therapy have been recognized with the Family Psychologist of the Year Award from Division 43 of the American Psychological Association and the Outstanding Contribution to Marriage and Family Therapy Award from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She was most proud of receiving the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors.Valerie E. Whiffen, PhD, Professor of Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa, has published widely in the area of depression, particularly focusing on women's depression. In recent publications, she has explored an attachment theory-based understanding of depression that co-occurs with marital distress. Dr. Whiffen teaches graduate courses in adult psychopathology and interpersonal theory, and supervises the clinical work of practicum students and interns in the American Psychological Association-accredited clinical psychology program at the University of Ottawa. She is a registered clinical psychologist and maintains a private practice specializing in the treatment of depression and marital distress.

• I. Relevance of Attachment Theory for Clinical Practice 1. Introduction to Attachment: A Therapist's Guide to Primary Relationships and Their Renewal, Susan M. Johnson2. Adult Attachment Theory, Psychodynamics, and Couple Relationships: An Overview, Dory A. Schachner, Phillip R. Shaver, and Mario Mikulincer 3. The Essential Nature of Couple Relationships, Cindy Hazan4. Stability and Change of Attachment Representations from Cradle to Grave, Elaine Scharfe5. Alternate Pathways to Competence: Culture and Early Attachment Relationships, Vivian J. Carlson and Robin L. HarwoodII. Models of Clinical Intervention6. Attachment Theory: A Guide for Couple Therapy, Susan M. Johnson7. Attachment Processes in Couple Therapy: Informing Behavioral Models, Joanne Davila 8. Caring for the Caregiver: An Attachment Approach to Assessment and Treatment of Child Problems, Roger Kobak and Toni Mandelbaum 9. Creating and Repairing Attachments in Biological, Foster, and Adoptive Families, Terry M. Levy and Michael Orlans10. Attachment-Based Family Therapy for Depressed Adolescents: Repairing Attachment Failures, Guy S. Diamond and Richard S. SternIII. Using an Attachment Perspective in Interventions with Particular Populations 11. The First Couple: Using Watch, Wait, and Wonder to Change Troubled Infant-Mother Relationships, Nancy J. Cohen, Elisabeth Muir, and Mirek Lojkasek12. The Journey of Adolescence: Transitions in Self within the Context of Attachment Relationships, Marlene M. Moretti and Roy Holland13. Implications of Adult Attachment for Preventing Adverse Marital Outcomes, Rebecca J. Cobb and Thomas N. Bradbury 14. Attachment in Later Life: Implications for Intervention with Older Adults, J. Michael Bradley and Gail Palmer15. Using an Attachment-Based Intervention with Same-Sex Couples, Gordon J. JosephsonIV. Specific Attachment Interventions for Particular Problems16. Looking Outward Together: Adult Attachment and Childbearing Depression, Valerie E. Whiffen17. Understanding the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse History on Current Couple Relationships: An Attachment Perspective, Pamela C. Alexander18. Attachment and the Experience of Chronic Pain: A Couples Perspective, Samuel F. MikailV. Conclusion19. What Attachment Theory Can Offer Marital and Family Therapists, Valerie E. Whiffen

For decades, the family therapy field seemed addicted to the idea that families and couples `operate like machines. Fortunately, attachment theory has come on the scene of late to give couple and family therapists a secure conceptual base for understanding what is fundamental to close, committed relationships. Johnson and Whiffen's outstanding new book organizes the best of what is known about attachment theory and family therapy, and will serve as a springboard for creative new developments in this important area for a long time to come.--Alan S. Gurman, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Medical School Johnson and Whiffen should be commended for providing a remarkable resource for couple and family therapists and researchers alike. This book brings together a stellar set of contributions offering a unique blend of basic scholarship and creative application. The result is essential reading for graduate students and a 'must-have' handbook for clinicians of all theoretical persuasions. Readers will find a theoretical framework for the field of couple and family therapy that is comprehensive, data-based, and integrative. I enthusiastically recommend this volume to anyone interested in couple and family functioning or strategies of intervention.--Steven R. H. Beach, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of GeorgiaThis impressive volume provides a theory-rich account of human attachment bonds and the development and treatment of relationship problems. It draws together leading researchers and clinicians in the areas of developmental psychology, social psychology, and couple and family therapy. The contributors offer new insights into the links among emotional experience, relationship behavior, and individual adjustment, together with valuable techniques for strengthening intimate relationships.--Judith A. Feeney, PhD, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, AustraliaThis book has been an excellent addition to my training curriculum. As a text in a graduate-level marriage and family therapy training seminar, the book provides students with an essential theoretical foundation for understanding the manifestation of attachment dynamics in a clinical setting. Its coverage of diverse clinical applications and populations is invaluable to the students as they work to integrate theory and practice.--Craig W. Smith, PhD, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, University of Nebraska-Lincoln - The editors of this book have done well in ensuring that, whenever possible, recommended therapeutic interventions are data based....The various chapters are well written; they are free of jargon and cohere beautifully into an integrated whole, balancing theory, clinical practice, and research. --Psychiatric Services, 12/17/2005Æ’Æ’ Dramatically changed the way I think about couple therapy....I quite literally found every chapter of this book useful in expanding my knowledge of attachment theory in the context of couple and family therapy. --Couples Research and Therapy Newsletter, 12/17/2005