Emotional Neglect and the Adult in Therapy
Lifelong Consequences to a Lack of Early Attunement
14 January 2021
Description
A clinical examination of the ways in which early neglect can impact adults throughout their lives, and suggestions for therapists on how to help.
People who have experienced emotional neglect in the first months and years of life suffer negative consequences into adulthood. As adult psychotherapy clients, they require long-term work and delicate emotional attunement as well as a profound understanding of the experiences that have shaped their inner worlds. This book provides therapists with an in-depth view of the subjective experience of such “ignored children” and a range of possible theoretical models to help understand key features of their psychological functioning.
Kathrin A. Stauffer presents dos and don’ts of psychotherapy with such clients. She draws on broad clinical experience to help psychotherapeutic professionals deepen their understanding of “ignored children” and outlines available neurobiological and psychological data to assist therapists in designing effective therapeutic interventions.
Reviews
"I have already recommended this book to colleagues and clients and all have expressed a sense of relief at having the issues of neglect named in such a thorough, compassionate, and insightful way. The feeling that someone understands is a key piece of attachment repair, and in the words of one client, “I liked this book. She wasn’t just throwing techniques that don’t work at us. There was a lot of heart.” This is a book written for professionals that is also most appropriate for the layperson. It has definitely become a staple of my library." — Aline LaPierre, International Body Psychotherapy Journal
"This is a very scholarly, thought provoking and well researched book. Most therapists will immediately recognise the profile of clients they’ve worked with who fit the image Stauffer creates... an excellent book that offers expert and very sensitive insight into this client group." — BACP Therapy Today
