Loss

The classic work of psychology that transformed our understanding of how children mourn the loss of a parent
 
“[Bowlby’s] contributions have given psychoanalysis a shot in the arm.” ―Sunday Times

Intimate attachments to other human beings are the hub around which a person’s life revolves. Psychiatrist John Bowlby pioneered attachment theory to explain how our experience of attachment in infancy and childhood condition our enjoyment of life in maturity. Loss builds upon his previous analysis of the child-parent relationship by exploring how children respond to the temporary or permanent loss of a mother-figure. Blending psychoanalytic theory with empirical observation, he offers rare insight into the dynamics of mourning in very young children, the subsequent experience of depression, and the processes of accommodation and healing.
 
Gracefully upending the Freudian understanding of loss, personality development and psychopathology, Loss is a fitting conclusion to Bowlby’s groundbreaking Attachment and Loss trilogy.