Attachment, Resilience, and Psychoanalysis Commentary on Hauser and Allen's “Overcoming Adversity in Adolescence”

Abstract

Hauser and Allen present a novel technique for describing the narratives of resilient adolescents based on their observation of factors associated with resilience and the role of attachment theory in understanding the quality of resilience-promoting relationships. This contribution is discussed in light of their previous work in the field and current resilience research. Contemporary lessons from developmental research and psychotherapy process research are also described in the context of this article. An integration of narrative techniques for hypothesis generation, quantitative measures for hypothesis testing, attachment research, and theories of mechanism of action in psychodynamic psychotherapy is proposed.