Attachment and Psychoanalysis: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications

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.