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

By Doris D'Hooghe and Layla Brack

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1032709111
• ISBN13: 9781032709116
• Release Date: December 2026
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 298 Pages