A Secure Base

As Bowlby himself points out in his introduction to this seminal childcare book, to be a successful parent means a lot of very hard work. Giving time and attention to children means sacrificing other interests and activities, but for many people today these are unwelcome truths. Bowlby’s work showed that the early interactions between infant and caregiver have a profound impact on an infant's social, emotional, and intellectual growth. Controversial yet powerfully influential to this day, this classic collection of Bowlby’s lectures offers important guidelines for child rearing based on the crucial role of early relationships.

“'One of the most influential forces in child psychiatry and psychology, Dr. Bowlby challenged basic tenets of psychoanalysis and pioneered methods of investigating the emotional life of children.' - The New York Times”

'One of the most influential forces in child psychiatry and psychology, Dr. Bowlby challenged basic tenets of psychoanalysis and pioneered methods of investigating the emotional life of children.' - The New York Times

John Bowlby

In Secure Base, written ten years after the groundbreaking Making and Breaking of Affectional Bonds, Bowlby further develops the main features of Attachment Theory, by now widely recognised as a most productive conceptual framework within which to organise the evidence. He presents the same ideas in a variety of different contexts, clarifying and emphasising distinctive features of the theory. This collection is used by students as a lucid introduction to the field of developmental psychiatry, by professionals, as well as by those keen to extend their existing knowledge.

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