Secure Attachment: Our Primal Need
By Dr. Harry Edhouse
The fundamental importance of ‘Secure Attachment’ between mother and child is a principle that sits at the core of the philosophy of this book. Forming a secure attachment should be our ideal objective when raising children.
A biologically and psychologically secure bond between infant and caregiver leads to trust, emotional regulation, curiosity and empathy. It is the natural state in evolution’s design for human wellbeing. Secure attachment is the optimal, thriving bond between child and caregiver. ‘Detachment’ on the other hand represents what happens when the natural bond is interrupted, neglected or betrayed.
Dr. Harry Edhouse (1924 - 2013)
MB., BS., B.Sc., (Hons.) FRANZCP, MAPS Child and Family Psychiatrist, Psychologist and Educator
Dr. Harry’s Story
‘Harry attended Medical School at Melbourne University, graduating in the early 1950’s and went on to study Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry and eventually also gaining a Bachelor of Science in Psychology while working as a Psychiatrist in Perth. He then went on to become the head of the Department of Child Psychiatry at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital in the early 1960′s. Later becoming the Medical Director of the Mothers and Babies Health Association in Adelaide in the early 1970′s. He also worked in Private Practice in both Adelaide and Melbourne. Harry finally retired after fifty six years of medical service in 2009 and relocated to Adelaide.
It is difficult to calculate or fully comprehend the enormous contribution made by Harry to tens of thousands of Australian families and individuals who came to him for treatment or counselling, or of the teaching programs he set up.
We hope you enjoy the book. It is essential reading for people who are serious about understanding the causes behind the now popular field of attachment theory.
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