Loading references…
Cambridge Centre for Attachment
The Meaning of the Child handbook, and the research and writing behind the method.
Edited by Ben Grey. Palgrave Macmillan, Palgrave Texts in Counselling and Psychotherapy.
A process of analysis is set out in full, including using the method to plan intervention, guide practice and conduct research, with contributions from researchers and practitioners applying the MotC in a range of settings. Available in softcover and ebook, and the first two chapters can be read free as the Kindle sample.
This book is essential and powerful reading for social workers, therapists and psychologists. The Meaning of the Child unlocks an understanding of attachment and caregiving for the reader and the effects of trauma and loss. The book will rightly play a part in shifting the assessment narrative on attachment to understanding and hope rather than blame and failure.
Barry Tilzey, Assistant Director, CAFCASSIn this thoughtful and engaging book, Ben Grey harnesses the rich potential of the field of attachment research, moving beyond its tendency to obsess about types of individual child or adult insecurity. His work instead focuses on understanding relationships in their social environment. This enables creative, solution-oriented thinking about caregiving and relationships in child welfare practice.
Robbie Duschinsky, Professor of Social Science and Health, University of CambridgeBen Grey and colleagues make a powerful case for recognising that relationships between parents and their children are best understood as a dynamic interplay of past histories, present socio-economic circumstances, and future hopes. Exploring the origins and nature of these meanings becomes the shared purpose of both practitioner and parent, leading to safer and better relationships between caregivers and their children.
David Howe, Emeritus Professor of Social Work, University of East AngliaIn this manual, Ben Grey has not only succeeded in offering a compassionate and context-sensitive approach to understanding parent-child relationships, but also in elegantly charting an attachment-informed approach to qualitative analysis. This unique integration is a remarkable achievement, and I recommend it highly to all clinicians and researchers engaged in supporting parents with their challenging role.
Dr Mark Hudson, Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of NottinghamThe Meaning of the Child Interview is a sensitive, nuanced, and practical means of developing a deeper understanding of caregiver processes, bridging the research-practitioner divide. This book is the definitive guide to this assessment practice: comprehensive, informed, and drawing on the latest research and theory.
Mick Cooper, Professor of Counselling Psychology, University of RoehamptonResearch, chapters and conference presentations by Dr Ben Grey and Juliet Kesteven. Open access versions are linked where available.
Loading references…
The complete MotC bibliography, including work by other researchers using the method, the wider literature it draws on, and pre-publication downloads where rights permit, is maintained on the MotC site.