Attachment theory and clinical social work

Recent additions have rendered attachment theory potentially viable for clinical social work practice. The author examines its formulations and possible use, seeing it as an important alternative to other psychosocial approaches that attempt to explain how early childhood experiences may affect later mental health. The emphasis of this theory on the cognitive makes it congenial to those who favor cognitive approaches to individual therapy, and its emphasis on patterns of attachment makes it of appeal to family therapists.