Affect Regulation and the Repair of the Self (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) First Edition

This book is the foundation of today's exploration of the brain's function in all aspects of experiencing and responding to emotional stimuli. It is professional, it's research is solid and has been proven valid through years of research following it's publication. As a beginning in gaining insight into the understanding of the how's and why's of brain functioning, begin here.

This text is full of valuable information and I am fairly certain that Allan Schore is a genius. I wish that I had a lot of free time to devote to reading this boo repeatedly, as I am sure I've missed quite a bit the first time around.

Schore has written an extremely practical book that is timely, well-researched and based on a great deal of experience. An extremely useful guide for clinicians and a much needed contribution to the field.

Repair of the self is a topic that is vital. Affect regulation is central to that. This book is not too practically useful, however. Schore does not seem to write as a therapist or clinician, providing insight into this very human task. Rather he seems to function as a journalist of sorts, reporting on the research reports in this area. This work is indeed a compendium. Schore has worked very hard. It does seem that Schore's contribution to the topic is not a 'fleshing out' of an idea, but rather is a demonstration that many different theoreticians agree on an important point.That point is, to heal emotionally, the right brain of the helper has to connect to the right brain of the sufferer, just as a mother does for an infant. A mother acting this way as a self-object for the infant allows the infant to develop a self. This is plan A. If Plan A goes wrong, and it often does, then the grown infant ends up sometimes in a therapist's office. Many schools of therapy believe that Plan A is not available to adults, and so they offer some Plan B or another. Schore is clearly with the camp that believes Plan A is still the way, even at midlife.Schore does not however, offer much practical advice on how to do this. Like most books on therapy, it is 99+% about the problem formation and less than 1% about problem solution. Knowing even correctly how a problem forms is not in itself a solution. Some therapists may indeed successfully act as self-objects for clients, but clearly just willing it wont produce this capacity in a therapist. For a rare experience of a therapist who has equal to say about the solution as he does the problem, read Alexander Lowen (or Wilhelm Reich)

This book should be required reading for parents and psychologists. It beautifully clarifies the attachment/bonding process neurologically AND interpersonally. The *repair* piece, however, is less-well elaborated upon.

Clearly for academics and intellectually driven practitioners. For others, including the educated lay audience, dry. Saying it's heavily theoretical is a compliment but not a recommendation.

Arrived as good as new and at a great price of $9.99 for a hardcover.

Thanks for the quick service. My book arrived as anticipated.