This session will open with a description of the key theorists and researchers
in the area of attachment, and will compare and contrast their perspectives. A brief overview of the literature related to child and adult attachment will be discussed, including the implications of attachment theory in early care set- tings and in adult professionals engaged in therapeutic work. The distinction between the “Attachment” and “Love” systems and processes will be dis- cussed from psycho-dynamic and neurobiological perspectives. Finally, a child’s behaviors, suggestive of the various attachment categories, will be considered by the group, and the group will discuss how the concept of
attachment can be appropriately described in clinical notes and legal reports.

Participants will :
•  Describe the key attachment theories, theorists, and perspective List and describe the attachment
   categories described by Mary Ainsworth
•  Describe the work of Howes in understanding early childhood attachment in group settings
•  Discuss the implications of a professional’s adult attachment status in providing clinical services
•  Explain how the concepts of attachment, bonding and love differ
•  Discuss the implications of using the term “attachment” in clinical notes and legal reports