Authors' introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reviews the attempt the authors have made to forge the approaches together and also some developments that they have made in the evolving journey. It focuses on the therapeutic process. AV was initially trained in the structural approach, which was developed to help families struggling with emotional disconnection and parental authority. The book draws together ideas from systemic and narrative therapies with ideas from attachment theory. Attachment theory can be seen as over-narrow in its emphasis on the dyadic process between a parent and a child, or between two intimate partners.