ABSTRACT
The Adult Attachment Interview work uses a combination of interview techniques along with another instrument, the Strange Situation Test observation, combined with coding and statistical methods to build a sound empirical basis for the study of development and psychopathology from childhood into adulthood. This chapter argues that the size of the perceived gulf between the tasks of researcher and clinician has been exaggerated. These findings suggest that for the clinician, struggling to understand the patient in the early phases of the therapy, different approaches to building a relationship may be crucial to the outcome of the work. Patients with a dismissive style of relating may need to be helped to express themselves through the active engagement of the therapist; while preoccupied patients may need much help in structuring their overwhelming thoughts and feelings in order to find a way to relate successfully.
