A Short Introduction to Attachment and Attachment Disorder began its life as a notes I wrote for a lecture I gave in 1999. The topic of the lecture was Assessing Attachment and the audience was Masters Degree students in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of South Australia. Between 1999 and 2008 these notes were developed and refined for ongoing use by me in teaching and training prospective Clinical Psychologists in my home town of Adelaide.
In addition, across the period 1999 to 2009 (the publication year of the book) my notes continued to form the basis of teaching and training I was invited to offer to social workers and youth workers who were employed in statutory and caregiving roles with children who had a confirmed history of abuse and neglect, adoptive parents and the professionals who supported adoptive placements, and those who support and teach children who have experienced developmental trauma in schools. My notes were also a key component of psychoeducation I provided to parents and caregivers of children who exhibit complex emotions and behaviours through my independent child and family psychology practice, Secure Start®.
Since the publication of the book, reviews suggest that it’s readership includes those who have experienced complex developmental trauma themselves; residential carers, kinship carers, foster carers, grandparents, parents and others who care for children with trauma histories and complex needs; and professionals who work with such children and their carers in the home, education and residential care contexts. As mentioned in an earlier post, the book has even been selected as recommended reading for the National Psychology Exam that will form a pre-requisite to registration as a Psychologist in Australia. I am also informed that it is used in nursing and social worker education in the UK.
When I made the decision to have my notes published as a book it was my hope that in doing so they would reach and assist the broadest possible audience of people with a caring concern for some of the most vulnerable children in any community. I am content to say that my hope is being realised.
Attachment and Resilience 
I’m a UK adoptive parent, our 3 girls came to us in 2010. Our social worker recently recomended your book to us, she’d been introduced to it as part a training programe she’d been on.
I’ve since recomended your book to many of my adoptor and foster friends.
Hello thefamilyof5! Thankyou very much for doing do! And I am glad to hear that it was recommended to you also! Three adopted children . . . You have your hands full! All the best. Colby
p.s. I have linked your blogsite to my own.