Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children (Paperback)

by Daniel A. Hughes (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...offers clinicians a sturdy framework and practical strategy for facing these overwhelming cases." -- (Richard Bromfield, 1999)

"A courageous, innovative, and clinically sensitive work..." -- (Karen B. Walant, 1999)

"This important contribution to the clinical literature has the added bonus of being as riveting a page-turner as any novel." -- (Ellen F. Wachtel, 1999)

Product Description
"With the unmistakable authority of a clinician, Dan Hughes builds a stirring story around the composite figure of Katie-a fragmented, tormented, isolated little girl in foster care whose terror, shame, rage and despair drive her to deeds like lacing the family hamburger with her own feces-in order to expose the tragedy of the attachment-impaired child. A Jason Aronson Book"

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Jason Aronson; 1 edition (October 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765702371
• ISBN-13: 978-0765702371
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #134,679 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

124 of 128 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I devoured this book!, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

This book was so interesting and readable, I read it from cover to cover in a day. I'm not a foster parent, I'm a teacher, but I have dealt with emotionally disturbed children in my classroom (in fact, I'm dealing with one this year). This book gave me so much insight into why these children act the way they do. Now I understand why they have such a need to be in control of everything, why they will do destructive things with seemingly no motive whatsoever (breaking their favorite toys, destroying their favorite books, etc.) Now I understand why things always get worse just as they seemed to be getting better. Most importantly, now I understand why these kids can't handle praise and rewards, and why those stupid behavior modification programs the administrators and counselors always suggest always seem to make the problem worse. Thank you Daniel A. Hughes!

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely Story, A Terrific Modality, How Many Have Resources, December 16, 2000

By	"nursepam2000" (La Mesa, California United States) - See all my reviews

Although I was immensely moved by this book, and found the ideas presented thoughtful and compelling, there is a bit of Cinderella-esque fantasy involved. Most certainly Dr. Hughes illustrates the picture and the drama of the unattached child in a clear and concise manner, I would caution parents and would be parents, however, that within the confines of the foster care system, these therapeutic families and incredibly skilled therapists are not usually the norm.It would be my hope that one day every child be afforded the resources available to the fictional Katie Harrison. In the meantime, it does give foster and adoptive parents a roadmap to follow. And although there are cautionary statements throughout the book to indicate that these methods are not always successful, the hope is something to celebrate.Lastly, I hope people recognize that this child is not quite seven when she reaches her therapeutic foster placement and that with each passing year, the task in teaching children how to attach becomes greater. I highly recommend this book as a supplement to a more extensive library on attachment issues.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An answer to my prayers!, March 13, 2000

By	Maureen Fitzgerald (Rutland, VT) - See all my reviews

This is a must have book for anyone dealing with attachment disorder. I have read it over and over and learned something substantial each time. After about 6 months of failed attempts to find a therapist trained to work with my four year old daughter and I, I finally bought this book and dove in. I have been doing therapy with my daughter for about two months as described in the book and now we have a budding new relationship. A reciprocal one. She is beginning to love and trust. This is the missing peice of the puzzle. It makes sense.