Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	p. 11
	Introduction	p. 13
	Attachment Theory
	Overview of Attachment Theory	p. 23
	What is attachment theory?	p. 24
	Why are attachment relationships important?	p. 25
	What happens when attachment relationships are insecure, unavailable or frightening?	p. 26
	What happens as the child grows older?	p. 28
	Attachment Theory: Caregiving and its Impact on Attachment and Exploration	p. 31
	Characteristics of the attachment relationship	p. 31
	Attachment and exploratory behaviour	p. 32
	Dimensions of caregiving	p. 33
	How attachment behaviour changes through childhood	p. 36
	The internal working model	p. 39
	Attachment Theory: Patterns of Attachment	p. 45
	The secure attachment pattern	p. 45
	The organized insecure attachment patterns	p. 48
	The disorganized/controlling attachment pattern	p. 54
	Non-attachment	p. 58
	Difficulties in Development: The Impact of Loss and Trauma	p. 59
	The attachment relationship and development	p. 59
	Moving into foster and adoptive homes	p. 63
	Supporting children with the experience of loss and separation	p. 64
	Helping children recover from the trauma of early adverse parenting	p. 65
	Safe place visualization	p. 68
	Parenting Children with Difficulties Experiencing Relationships as Secure	p. 71
	How can an understanding of attachment theory influence parenting?	p. 71
	How can we increase feelings of safety for the child?	p. 73
	Therapeutic help	p. 78
	Parenting and Patterns of Attachment	p. 83
	Parenting the child with an ambivalent attachment pattern of relating	p. 84
	Parenting the child with an avoidant attachment pattern of relating	p. 86
	Parenting the child with a disorganized/controlling attachment pattern of relating	p. 88
	Parenting the child who has not learnt to selectively attach	p. 90
	A Model for Parenting the Child with Difficulties in Attachment Relationships: Providing a Secure Base
	Introduction to the Model and Creating a Secure Base	p. 95
	The challenge of parenting children with difficult attachment relationship histories	p. 98
	Empathy and Support from the Secure Base	p. 101
	What is empathy?	p. 102
	Supporting internal experience and managing behaviour	p. 103
	Understanding the impact of past experience on parenting	p. 110
	Understanding your own attachment history	p. 113
	Attunement and Empathy	p. 115
	What is meant by attunement?	p. 116
	Managing difficult behaviour within attuned relationships	p. 118
	How to help children experience attunement through relationship-based play	p. 121
	Helping children develop understanding through attuned relationships	p. 123
	Protecting the Family Atmosphere and the Development of Emotional Regulation	p. 125
	What is a family atmosphere?	p. 126
	Developing emotional regulation	p. 128
	Additional theory: The process of attachment and the developing brain	p. 130
	Creating a Feeling of Belonging for the Child	p. 137
	The use of family rituals and claiming behaviours to help children feel that they belong	p. 138
	Helping children who are angry	p. 139
	Looking After Yourself	p. 145
	Making time for reflection and relaxation	p. 146
	Stress and coping	p. 150
	Making changes	p. 151
	Stress thermometer	p. 153
	A Model for Parenting the Child with Difficulties in Attachment Relationships: Building Relationships and Managing Behaviour
	Helping the Child to Enjoy Being Part of the Family	p. 157
	Enjoyment and belonging	p. 158
	Additional theory: Socialization and shame	p. 161
	Learning to Parent with PACE and Building Relationships with Stories	p. 165
	What is meant by PACE?	p. 166
	Building relationships with stories	p. 171
	Stories written for children	p. 173
	Providing Structure and Supervision	p. 181
	Using structure and supervision to help the child feel secure	p. 182
	Managing Confrontation and Coercive Interactions	p. 187
	How to step aside from confrontation	p. 188
	Coercive patterns	p. 190
	Helping children develop problem-solving abilities	p. 195
	Thinking, Feeling and Behavioural Choices	p. 197
	Thinking, feeling and behaving	p. 198
	The ABC of behaviour	p. 201
	Rewards	p. 203
	The use of choices and logical consequences	p. 205
	Managing Special Difficulties: Lying, Stealing and Self-harm	p. 209
	Children and young people who self-harm	p. 209
	Managing risk of suicide	p. 213
	Creating a safety plan	p. 214
	Helping the child who lies and steals	p. 216
	Conclusion	p. 221
	The house complete	p. 221
	References	p. 225
	Further Reading	p. 227
	Glossary	p. 231
	Subject Index	p. 233
	Author Index	p. 239