Jessica Kingsley Publishers

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A Matter of Security

The Application of Attachment Theory to Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy

Edited by Friedemann Pfäfflin and Gwen Adshead

Number 25 in the Forensic Focus series

Paperback: £29.99 / $47.95

2003, 234mm x 156mm / 9.25in x 6in, 272pp
ISBN: 978-1-84310-177-2, BIC 2: JMK MMF

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`This is a fascinating book which will be of interest to those concerned with forensic contexts. It combines theoretical and practical content and provides an excellent source of literature for further reading. This is a book at the frontier of knowledge in a specific domain that offers a useful first source for thinking about how attachment theory can be applied in forensic situations.'

-Journal of Interprofessional Care, October 2006

`A Matter of Security is an invigoration collection of essays in which attachment theory is used as a framework to explore a variety of issues in forensic psychiatry. The variety of content and methodologies makes A Matter of Security an invaluable resource for anybody working in or thinking about forensic psychiatry'.

- Metapsychology Online Book Reviews

`This book is a `must read' for all clinicians working in forensic psychiatry. It explores the psychodynamic theory of attachment and ways in which this theoretical base can be used to offer new ways of thinking about, and working therapeutically with, mental disorders in offenders. The authors of the various chapters represent a wide range of disciplines from a variety of forensic settings, demonstrating the flexibility of this theoretical framework.' -Mental Health Practice

As a psychodynamic theory of both normal development and psychopathology, attachment theory has particular utility for forensic psychiatry. A Matter of Security provides an attachment theory based account of the development of arousal and affect regulation, which offers a new way of thinking about mental disorders in offenders. This book also discusses the development of personality in terms of interpersonal functioning and relationships with others, which is essential to understanding both interpersonal violence and abnormal personality development. Attachment theory also offers a model of therapeutic work with patients that have particular resonance with forensic work because it uses the language of security. This collection focuses on attachment theory applied to forensic psychiatry and psychotherapy.