Attachment and Psychoanalysis: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications

by Morris N. Eagle PhD

Overview

Although attachment theory was originally rooted in psychoanalysis, the two areas have since developed quite independently. This incisive book explores ways in which attachment theory and psychoanalysis have each contributed to understanding key aspects of psychological functioning--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. Three chapters on attachment theory and research are written in collaboration with Everett Waters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781462508440
Publisher:	Guilford Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	12/27/2012
Series:	Psychoanalysis and Psychological Science Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	241
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Morris N. Eagle, PhD, ABPP, is Distinguished Educator in Residence at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, California, and Professor Emeritus at the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York. His publications include the books From Classical to Contemporary Psychoanalysis: A Critique and Integration, Recent Developments in Psychoanalysis: A Critical Evaluation, and The Interface of Psychoanalysis and Psychology (coedited with James W. Barron and David L. Wolitzky). He is also the author of more than 100 journal articles and 100 presentations. Dr. Eagle is a past president of the Division of Psychoanalysis (Division 39) of the American Psychological Association, a recipient of the Sigourney Award for distinguished contributions to the field of psychoanalysis, and cofounder, along with Everett Waters and Gary Cox-Steiner, of the New York Attachment Consortium.

Table of Contents

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

Interviews

Practitioners and trainees in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy; developmental and clinical researchers. May serve as a supplemental text in graduate-level courses.

Editorial Reviews

"This is the best and most systematic integration to date of these two bodies of theory, research, and clinical wisdom. Eagle is a foremost commentator on the evolution of psychoanalytic thinking. In this book, he provides a very welcome, mature, balanced, and fruitful bringing together of two traditions that have been separated for too long."—Peter Fonagy, OBE, FMedSci, FBA, FAcSS, Head, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Chief Executive, Anna Freud Centre

"Eagle has the rare combination of a scientist's mind and a clinician's heart. His exceptionally lucid exploration of commonalities, disparities, and unresolved questions between the literatures on psychoanalysis and attachment is a 'must read.' This is an ideal text for advanced students in clinical training. It also deserves the attention of practicing therapists, empirical investigators, and anyone interested in individual psychology, sexuality, aggression, security, and the mitigation of suffering."—Nancy McWilliams, PhD, ABPP, Visiting Professor Emerita, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

"Eagle, one of the foremost scholars in both psychoanalysis and attachment theory, has given us a wonderful gift. In this cogent, original account, he unravels the intricate relationship between these influential theories and brings their history and complexity to life in a most accessible way. Eagle integrates recent advances in developmental study and neuroscience and breaks important new ground in examining the relationships among attachment, sexuality, and aggression. His remarkably broad, deep knowledge and rich clinical wisdom leap off every page."—Arietta Slade, PhD, Professor of Clinical and Developmental Psychology, The City University of New York; Visiting Research Scientist, Yale Child Study Center

From the Publisher

For those interested in understanding the basicsand the nuancesof attachment theory and its application to research, as well as its emphasis on etiological factors, [ital]Attachment and Psychoanalysis[/ital] will be a good tool.

Metpsychology

Eagle has indeed made an important case for the relevance of attachment theory knowledge and work to primarily, psychoanalytic developmental theory and unfolding over a lifetime, most powerfully in earliest years, and secondarily, to the importance of empirical research as an avenue, additional to the clinical, to the understanding of the development and functioning of the human mind. For this, it can be strongly recommended reading for the psychoanalytic clinician eager to understand better what makes what he/she does in the consulting room work the way it does.

Psychoanalytic Psychology