ABSTRACT
Trauma can be de®ned as a situation that is characterized by extreme fear, helplessness, loss of control and threat of annihilation. Under these conditions the human survival system is activated and supported by a chain of neurophysiological processes ± ®ght/¯ight/freeze are the basic options. Trauma may relate to a unique or catastrophic event at any point in the lifespan. Trauma may also be associated with ongoing events that are invasive and associated with early experiences and attachment dif®culties. Recent research in affective neuroscience has demonstrated that a person's attachment history affects their capacity to cope with later trauma (Schore, 1994; Siegel, 1999). Research has shown that secure attachment ± as measured by the strange situation procedure carried out at 12 months (Ainsworth et al., 1978) ± functions as a buffer against stress and cortisol elevation (Schore, 1994).
