Attachment in Common Sense and Doodles: A Practical Guide

Attachment is a word used to describe a simple idea – the relationship with someone you love or whose opinions are important to you – so why is so much of the language relating to attachment so obscure, and why is it so challenging to help children who lack healthy attachment bonds? Attachment in Common Sense and Doodles aims to bring some clarity and simplicity to the subject. Providing grounded information and advice accompanied by a series of simple 'doodles' throughout, it explains attachment in language that is easy to understand and describes how to apply this information in everyday life. It describes how the attachment patterns in children who are adopted or fostered differ, summarises the latest research in the field and provides advice on how to repair attachment difficulties and to build secure, loving relationships. Covering all of the 'need to know' issues including how to spot attachment difficulties, build resilience and empathy and responding to problematic behaviour, this book will be an invaluable resource for families and professionals caring for children who are fostered, adopted or who have experienced early trauma.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements. Foreword by Camila Batmanghelidjh. Preface. 1.What is Attachment and Why Does it Matter? 2. Can Attachment Patterns Change? 3. What is 'Good Enough' Care, and What Does it Do? 4. Shaping Behaviour. 5. Effects of Parenting on the Infant's Brain. 6. Through the Generations. 7. Changing Patterns – The Tug of War of Attachment. 8. Arousal Revisited. 9. The Calm and the Storm. 10. Diagnoses. 11. Understanding Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours. 12. Parenting with PACE. 13. Layers. 14. Shame and Changing the Norm. 15. Roles and Belonging. 16. Stories. 17. Time Holes and Triggers. 18. Patterns That Suck Us In. 19. Heroes. Appendix 1: The Impact of Poor Early Care. Appendix 2: Additional Reading. References. Index.

About the Author :
Dr Miriam Silver is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who specialises in parenting, attachment issues and the impact of early trauma. She has led a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services team providing services for looked after and adopted children as well as conducting court expert witness work in Care proceedings. She holds two academic posts and has conducted research in risk and resilience factors in adoptive matching and the development, mental health and wellbeing of children who no longer live with their biological family. For several years she was chair of the national network of Clinical Psychologists working with Looked After and Adopted Children within the British Psychological Society.

Review :
This book is aimed at providing information on attachment theory and practice for people who adopt or foster looked-after children... There are also specific tips and advice for parenting... On the whole this book is a very accessible and information-rich resource... I would recommend this book to anyone working in mental health services... it is helpful within a looked after children context and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to parents in such situations. This really enjoyable book is extremely accessible for adoptive and foster parents, as the chapters are easy to read and short enough to be manageable even for families with a busy life. This is a book that does what it says in the title - provide a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to the subject of attachment. Attachment in Common Sense and Doodles will undoubtedly improve and increase knowledge and understanding of attachment and looked-after children, providing an important resource with which to plan and deliver the best possible provision for some of our most vulnerable and needy youngsters. Dr. Silver takes sophisticated psychological issues and uses real-life case studies, creative excercises and simple sketches to succinctly explain the issues and give caregivers tools to deal with them. "Attachment in Common Sense and Doodles" is aimed for foster parents, social workers, adoptive parents and others who work with children who have grown up with trauma, neglect or abuse. That said, I recomment it for a much wider audience. While this book is written for those who work with children placed away from the home, I would recomment it to all parents and professionals who work with children. These are issues that a crucial for all kids, and the book does an excellent job of explaining why they matter and what to do. The book can also a be good tool for parents who are themselves survivors of less-then-ideal parenting... I highly recommend this book. It is an incredibly well-written book that will really give caregivers the tools they need to help their children thrive. The chapters are brief and easy to navigate, ideal for those put off by more traditional academic textbooks. Most chapters are supplemented by discussions of example cases and activities conducted with clients, helping to demonstrate Dr Silver's experience and expertise in her field. As a mental health professional, this brings the book to life and acts as an inspiring insight into the creative ways in which a wide range of families can be helped to improve their relationships with their children With theory as her cloth and ideas as her cottons, the author creates a rich tapestry that clearly and beautifully evokes the dance between children and their caregivers that is the story of attachment. From its earliest antecedents in the maternal womb to its revelation and evolution across the lifespan, the content of this book offers hope and validation of caregiving that sets children up for a lifetime of success, happiness and insightful caregiving of their own children. Though written with the caregivers of looked after children in mind, there is a depth and breadth to this book that will satisfy a broad audience of adults who hold a caring concern for all children. Miriam Silver [has produced] one of the most accessible narratives I have seen on the subject of attachment... her techniques are realistic, clearly well practiced and intelligently selected... I hope you'll pick up Attachment in Common Sense and Doodles and enjoy the grin that will take over your face as you marvel at how cleverly you've been taken step by step through the attachment journey. Surely there's nothing more wonderful than seeing some grand and potentially nebulous theory be so well packaged into bite-size chunks. Enjoy one of the most delicious intellectually informed clinical thought meals you're going to have in your life. It did the trick. This book is definitely my attachment security blanket. Attachment is at the heart of so much of what we all do - but it has never been so well explained as it is here. This book will enable all those involved in family law to provide clearer help than ever before. I have shared copies with foster-parents, family law colleagues, clients, sixth formers and university students, as well as a National Childbirth Trust (NCT) class. They have all been huge enthusiasts too. This has to be the most accessible and positive book which I am yet to read on attachment theory. Wow - there is always hope, even when there doesn't seem to be! I really enjoyed this. Attachment in Common Sense and Doodles, by Dr. Miriam Silver, claims to be a Practical Guide. It more than delivers on the promise!... Parents, teachers, social workers, therapists and any professionals who work with troubled and troublesome children will find something of value that can help to make more sense of "challenging" behaviour, and to find ways of responding that do not cause the child to become more anxious... Information, advice, and various simple "doodles" explain attachment and describe how parents and professionals can apply the information and techniques for recognising attachment difficulties and responding with empathy from a resourceful stance, with an abundance of great advice on how to repair attachment difficulties by building and sustaining secure, loving relationships. An excellent book! Eminently readable, engaging, informative and thought provoking: Miriam Silver's Attachment in Common Sense and Dooodles is aimed primarily at foster carers and adoptive parents. It is, however a must-read for anyone who has contact with children and young people who have experienced early trauma, abuse or neglect... It is organised into short, well-presented and informative chapters... Each chapter is clearly referenced, and footnotes provide the reader with easy signposting to further reading... Chapters are interspersed with 'doodles', reflections, activities and case examples...For the non-professionals, it is a brilliant book that serves to lay down the foundations of attachment and subsequent behaviour patterns. For the professional, it is a quick reference, an accessible summary and a springboard to other texts and writers. Here is an excellent guide to the complex theory of attachment and trauma... Along the way the author uses case studies and the theories are reinforced by the memorable doodles of the title. There are helpful activities for young people and carers... I particularly liked the way that this book really is directed to parents and carers. Miriam silver is writing about many things from our perspective and is hugely understanding of the frustrations we sometimes feel... The author deals with critical issues such as spotting attachment difficulties, how to nurture empathy and how to tackle problematic behaviour.l I would certainly recommend that you add this to your must-read list.