Empathic Care for Children with Disorganized Attachments: A Model for Mentalizing, Attachment and Trauma-Informed Care

Disorganised attachment is the most extreme form of insecure attachment. This book is a practical guide to caring for children and young people with disorganised attachment and related emotional and psychological difficulties.

Synthesising attachment, trauma and metallisation theory into a useful practice model, Empathic Care for Children with Disorganised Attachments proposes ways of meeting the needs arising in children and young people with disorganised attachments. Focusing on the importance of interpersonal bonds to facilitate the child's capacity to mentalise, it aims to equip the reader with the appropriate skills to provide effective, sustained and, most importantly, empathic care to the most vulnerable and troubled children. This structured psychotherapeutic approach to caregiving will enable the development of child–carer relationships and can be used to create informed, safe environments that support both the young person and the caregiver.

This useful guide will be invaluable to health and social care professionals including residential carers, therapists, counsellors, and those working with vulnerable and troubled children and young people including those supporting foster and adoptive families.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

1. A Recovery Model.
2. Attachment.
3. Trauma.
4. A Mentalizing Approach.
5. Attachment and Trauma-Informed Care.
6. Interventions for Attachment Style.
7. Mentalizing and Emotional Arousal.
8. Plan, Do, Reflect, Review.

Appendix. Community of Communities: Core Values.

References

Index.