Attachment Trauma and its Legacies Across Development: A Clinical Commentary

This commentary offers a critical and appreciative examination of Farina and Schimmenti's contribution to the understanding of attachment trauma as a pervasive, developmentally formative phenomenon. It discusses the authors proposal of an "attachment trauma frame" articulated through three core objectives, extending the conceptualization of trauma and attachment trauma beyond event-based models through an exploration of compelling facets, contributions, and important cautions. Further child specific considerations pertaining to importance of the psychological and neurobiological consequences of attachment trauma within clinical practice with children and families are offered. This work calls for developmentally and relationally attuned systems of care that address the broader intersubjective and systemic ecosystems in which children develop. It concludes with a call for future research to deepen intersectional and culturally responsive understandings of attachment trauma across diverse populations.