Trauma and Attachment

This monograph explores questions about the relational and interpersonal aspects of the links between attachment and trauma as they emerge in clinical practice, together with ways in which trauma is experienced emotionally and physically in the body and how this might be expressed interpersonally in the therapeutic encounter. This is discussed through personal and clinical narratives of leading researchers, clinicians, and writers.The spectrum of trauma the contributors seek to elucidate ranges from cumulative relational trauma in a family setting, to sexual and physical abuse, to war and natural disasters. Through the inclusion of individual narratives of trauma, we are told stories that lead us into the process of survival and remind us of human tenacity and dignity in the face of overwhelming trauma. Contributors discuss survival strategies, attempts to soothe and regulate our terror states, ranging from dissociation to repression and substance abuse. Themes of secrecy, disavowal, and repetition are encountered as aspects of the complex ways in which we are able to adapt and evolve in response to adversity. The impact of trauma on our emotional and bodily states, as well as how it ruptures whole communities, are part of our conversation. Neuroscience and findings about how traumatic experience is processed and stored psychically and bodily contribute to our perception of what may be possible in clinical practice and how trauma-focused work may differ from more classical models in technique and approach.