ABSTRACT
In 1969 John Bowlby wrote: “The truth is that the least-studied phase of human development remains the phase during which a child is acquiring all that makes him most distinctively human. Here is still a continent to conquer” (p. 538). Many years have passed since these significant observations were written. Allan Schore is one of those scientists who has set off to conquer this continent. Over the last three decades he has thoroughly and extensively explored and expanded our knowledge of this fundamental scientific problem, along the way continuously integrating recent evidence from numerous disciplines. Through the lens of his affect regulation theory he has succeeded in identifying the relational origin of the basic neurobiological structures that underlie essential developmental functions, which continue to be expressed over the rest of the life span. Tirelessly – and I would say passionately – he continues to be intensely motivated to educate professionals in the mental health and related fields responsible for social policy. He strives to inform us about the far-reaching consequences of attachment and regulation, both positive and negative, especially during the early years of the life span to the health of the later-developing child, adolescent, and adult.
