ABSTRACT
Miriam Steele begins by reviewing the increasing roles of attachment, microanalytic, and neuroscience research in clinical practice, with particular attention to Beatrice Beebe’s original microanalytic studies and Safran’s creative use of Tronick’s rupture and repair findings, which inspired a new way of looking at therapeutic alliance. She then turns our attention to Julie, a traumatized nine-year-old who underwent multiple foster care placements early in her life and was eventually adopted at age seven. Steele suggests that the therapeutic context offered a consistent and empathic presence where the terrifying images permeating Julie’s internal world could find expression, thereby opening up the possibility of a more flexible internal working model – the hallmark of secure attachment. Steele reflects on ways in which developmental research guided and found extension in her work with Julie, including helping her to utilize the “mid-range” forms of engagement necessary in interactions with traumatized children.
