"Encounters with John Bowlby: Tales of Attachment" (Meet the Author Session)

Encounters (Ezquerro, 2017) is the most personal biography of John Bowlby so far. Additionally, the book covers an all-inclusive view of attachment theory, influenced by the six years of supervision and mentorship that the... [ view full abstract ]

Encounters (Ezquerro, 2017) is the most personal biography of John Bowlby so far. Additionally, the book covers an all-inclusive view of attachment theory, influenced by the six years of supervision and mentorship that the author had with the ‘father’ of the theory. In presenting this very recently published book for discussion, I aim to contribute to the overall objectives of the conference by backing the promotion of new understanding of distress and other difficulties in the ‘psychotic’ experience, from an attachment perspective. I also aim to support some of the specific goals of the conference, such as exploring change at all levels (individual, family, social, policy-making and service provision), by emphasising the relevance of attachment-based interventions in the treatment and management of ‘psychosis’.

Bowlby (1969) defined attachment as a meaningful and lasting psychological connectedness between human beings, and he pointed out that the traumatic rupture of attachments, like in child abuse and complex bereavement, is a risk factor in the development of ‘psychosis’. There is still a widely spread misconception that attachment is only ‘proximity-seeking’ while, in fact, it is about regulating the distance – about perceiving the attachment figure as a secure base from which to explore. According to Bowlby, the therapist must become the patient’s companion – working together to create a space that is safe and from which it is possible to recover from traumatic experiences, to venture new explorations, and to grow.

As the book unfolds, a ‘theory’ becomes a lived experience through insights into true stories of world-renowned and ordinary people. These include John Nash’s struggle to defeat his paranoid delusions, some 20 years after his first breakdown, and Jacqui Dillon’s steady journey during which she recovered from trauma-induced psychotic symptoms, with the aid of attachment-based psychotherapy, to become Chair of UK Hearing Voices Network.