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Attachment in the Family Context: Insights from Development and Clinical Work

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Adult Attachment in Clinical Social Work

Part of the book series: Essential Clinical Social Work Series ((ECSWS))

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Abstract

The formation of stable relational bonds that function to provide security and ­support developmental growth is described as a primary task of family development across cultures (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1969/1982; Posada et al., 2002; Rothbaum, Rosen, Ujiie, & Uchida, 2002). Secure attachment bonds acquired within the family system confer developmental advantages on family members by providing safety, emotional security, adaptive mechanisms for the regulation of affective experience, the mediation of stress, and support for the development of autonomy and identity (Akister & Reibstein, 2004; Johnson, 2004; Schore & Schore, 2008; Siegel, 2001). Research on attachment relationships in families emphasizes the quality of ­psychological ties – whether secure or insecure – within the family as a more important mediator of developmental well-being than the particular structure of the family context (Shapiro, Shapiro, & Paret, 2001). This literature is particularly relevant to social work practitioners who seek to bring a strengths perspective to work with nontraditional families or parents and children in a broad range of social contexts and situations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA, USA

    Janet Shapiro

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  1. Janet Shapiro
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Correspondence to Janet Shapiro .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , National Catholic School for Social Serv, The Catholic University of America, Washington, 20064, District of Columbia, USA

    Susanne Bennett

  2. Sanville Institute, Sixth Street 2110, Berkeley, 94710, California, USA

    Judith Kay Nelson

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Shapiro, J. (2011). Attachment in the Family Context: Insights from Development and Clinical Work. In: Bennett, S., Nelson, J. (eds) Adult Attachment in Clinical Social Work. Essential Clinical Social Work Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6241-6_9

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