The development and organization of attachment: implications for psychoanalysis

As a result of John Bowlby's breach with the British Psychoanalytic Society nearly forty years ago, his work, specifically the development of attachment theory, was until recently largely expunged from the psychoanalytic record. However, thanks to developments in both psychoanalytic and attachment theories, a rapprochement has been forged, and a number of scholars are now seeking to integrate these two complementary perspectives. In this paper, the fundamental premises of attachment theory are discussed in light of their relation to psychoanalytic theory. In addition, their application to the clinical situation in both adult and child treatment is discussed.