ABSTRACT
The origins of John Bowlby's work lay in his early work with children displaced through war or institutionalization. Bowlby had also sought to bridge "the chasm between clinician and researcher". His preparedness to leave the closed world of psychoanalysis of his time in order to make links with other disciplines, such as ethology and academic psychology, was vital in the building up of attachment theory. The 2001 Bowlby Lecturer, Michael Rutter, discussed institutional care and the role of the state in promoting recovery from neglect and abuse. His lecture was a testament to the continuing relevance of Bowlby's thinking to contemporary social issues. An understanding of the relevance of this to therapeutic practice was a vital element in the foundation of The Bowlby Centre. The Bowlby Lecturer for 2000, Allan Schore, presented important developments in the new field of neuro-psychoanalysis, describing emerging theories of how attachment experiences in early life shape the developing brain.
