The Search for the Secure Base: Attachment Theory and Psychotherapy

by Jeremy Holmes

In recent decades, attachment theory has gained widespread interest and acceptance, although the relevance of attachment theory to clinical practice has never been clear. The Search for the Secure Base shows how attachment theory can be used therapeutically. Jeremy Holmes introduces an exciting new attachment paradigm in psychotherapy with adults, describing the principles and practice of attachment-informed therapy in a way that will be useful to beginners and experienced therapists alike. Illustrated with a wide range of clinical examples, this book will be welcomed by practitioners and trainees in psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and in many other disciplines.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 9, 2001

About the author

Jeremy Holmes is a British psychiatrist, born in London in 1943.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_...

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Nicholas Hatcher]

Excellent book! The author does a great job expanding on the nuances of attachment theory and its applications in therapy. The author also demonstrated how the attachment perspective fits with other psychoanalytic schools of thought, especially the object relations tradition. A worthwhile read for anyone interested in incorporating an attachment lens.

[Sheziss]

Me gusta la conexión que hace el autor entre el psicoanálisis y la teoría del apego. De hecho, la teoría del apego surgió cuando un psicoanalista quiso romper con el esquema imperante en el psicoanálisis clásico, que ha evolucionado mucho desde entonces. Me ha gustado también que hubiese un espacio para el arte y para el dinero. Y un capítulo sobre la finalización de la psicoterapia. Muy ilustrativo.

[Lee-Anne Looker]

A profound but demanding exploration of attachment theory

Jeremy Holmes’ The Search for a Secure Base is a deeply insightful, intellectually rich exploration of attachment theory and its application within psychotherapy.

Drawing on Bowlby’s foundational work, Holmes expands the conversation into adult relationships, self-esteem, and the therapeutic process with impressive depth and clinical precision.

One of the book’s standout contributions is the concept of the “triangle of attachment,” which reframes attachment not as fixed categories, but as a dynamic balance between closeness, autonomy, and disorganisation.

This perspective offers a more nuanced understanding of human behaviour, particularly under emotional stress.

However, this is not an easy read. The writing is dense, highly theoretical, and at times inaccessible for those without a background in psychology or psychotherapy. While the insights are powerful, readers may need patience to extract their full value.

That said, for those willing to engage with its complexity, this book provides a foundational understanding of how early relationships shape our inner world—and how healing can occur through safe, attuned connections.

A rewarding read for practitioners, and a challenging but valuable one for committed learners of human behaviour.

[Nomis]

Its clear and easy to read, even if you are not studying psicology.

[Esther]

Ha sido un libro muy muy guay. No tiene 5 estrellas porque a veces se hacía un poco repetitivo y se enredaba mucho en temas de psicoanálisis. La verdad que lo que decía de Freud no me gustaba nada. En cambio, cuando mencionaba otros autores sí me generaban curiosidad.

Si no tienes nada de base de apego te va a gustar mucho, sobre todo el capítulo del trauma. A mí me ha servido para aterrizar y afianzar conceptos que ya sabía.

Lo recomiendo 👍

[Natalie Palmer]

good enough

[Rose]

This is a fascinating book into the mind of the borderline personality disordered person. It is written with compassion and understanding and does not presume that the client is attempting to be difficult, but rather trying the best they can with the circumstances they have been given.

[John]

There are few, if any, books as good as this on applying attachment theory to psychotherapy. The title ought to replace psychotherapy with psychonalysis as that is the author's bent and psychotherapy is a bit too broad. The writing is clear but could have been edited for a smoother read.

[Airlia]

As a student Gestalt practitioner I found this book hard going. I was hoping for some broader clinical applications of attachment theory to psychotherapy but this book is really grounded in psychoanalytic approach

[Ariana]

great book about attachment theory and practice.

[Lily]

great.