Trauma and Attachment in the Perinatal Period: A Developmental Model of Dissociation

Trauma and Attachment in the Perinatal Period offers a groundbreaking understanding of how early relationships—especially during the perinatal period—shape trauma and dissociation across the lifespan. Trauma and Attachment in the Perinatal Period offers a groundbreaking understanding of how early relationships—especially during the perinatal period—shape trauma and dissociation across the lifespan. Rather than focusing on events or diagnostic categories, this book explores how trauma within attachment relationships disrupts six areas of development: relational, bodily, neurobiological, emotional, cognitive, and moral. It introduces three original concepts: unseen attachment trauma (subtle yet deeply damaging relational ruptures), Thanatos attachment (a death-oriented attachment style), and dissociative reactions (developmental disruptions rather than mere symptoms). Grounded in hope, the book shows how transcendence is already present in the unborn child and can re-emerge through healing relationships. In this book, trauma therapists will find a flexible, process-oriented approach that maps each client’s unique trauma consequences and links them to tailored interventions, transforming complex developmental insights into practical therapeutic guidance.