Only here can one find such an excellent updated and integrated theory of attachment, separation, individuation, and self psychology. The Mother and Her Child treats the reader to the latest findings from infant research with the welcome addition of observational data, analyses of videotaped sessions with mothers and their infants and with analysts with their child analysands. All of this is accomplished with an appreciation of the dance between the participants. The developmental tasks of the nurturer as well as those of the child are appreciated. Excellent contributions on loss, trauma, and their aftereffects expand our understanding of attachment and resilience. The seasoned clinician as well as the novice will find much to explore in this very thoughtful and comprehensive integration of the latest advances in psychoanalytic research, theory, and technique.

Ruth S. Fischer, MD, Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia

Dr. Akhtar and his colleagues are to be congratulated for producing a volume about mothers and their infants and children which can serve as a basic text in child development. The authors very clearly and carefully communicate the importance of integrating ideas from multiple perspectives. It is an unusually useful volume for all mental health professionals.

Leon Hoffman M.D., New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, coauthor of the Manual of Regulation-Focused Psychotherapy for Children (RFP-C) with Externalizing Behaviors