★ A distillation of 40 years of clinical experience from Harvard‑trained experts! The author team brings together the academic legacies of Harvard Medical School (clinical psychology PhD, dual‑board‑certified psychiatrist) and the Cambridge Family Institute (clinical social work and systemic therapy specialist), blending four decades of frontline family therapy expertise to deliver an authoritative, peer‑validated resource.
★ Starting from a “relationship‑centered” approach, this book offers a practical roadmap for family intervention! Moving beyond a single‑pathology lens, it embraces a relationship‑focused perspective on mental health, systematically mapping the application of attachment theory to everyday family life and providing concrete intervention strategies and practical guidance for 18 complex family contexts, including ADHD, ASD, trauma, divorce, and depression.
★ This book delivers a dual‑perspective coverage: it serves as both a “pitfall‑avoidance guide” for parents and a “desk reference” for clinicians. Written in clear, accessible language, it makes extensive use of examples and analogies to lower the barrier to understanding, while also covering the entire process of selecting, assessing, and completing family therapy—perfectly meeting the needs of families seeking self‑guided reading as well as professionals requiring a clinical reference.

This book is intended for both families and clinicians, introducing the application of attachment theory to family life. The author clearly and concisely explores what families can do to maintain strong parent–child relationships and how they should respond when such relationships encounter difficulties.
Guided by a relationship-centered approach to mental health, the author strongly recommends that when family members face mental health challenges, family therapy should be the first point of entry into mental health services. Using numerous examples and metaphors, the book provides readers with a practical guide for navigating the ups and downs of family life.
The text offers a comprehensive overview of attachment-based strategies designed to foster positive family dynamics. It also examines family interventions tailored to a range of complex family dynamics and situations, including:

a. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
b. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
c. Bereavement/Grief
d. Marital/Partner Discord
e. During and after divorce
f. Adoption
g. Physical and emotional abuse
h. Trauma management
i. Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
j. Questions about a child’s gender or sexual orientation
k. Depression
l. Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder (Disruptive Behavior Disorders)
m. Childhood anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
n. Substance Use Disorders
o. Personality Disorders
p. Psychotic Disorders
q. Eating Disorders
r. Inpatient psychiatric care

John Stewart, Ph.D.
Dr. John Stewart is a seasoned psychologist with 40 years of clinical experience, specializing in psychological counseling for children, adolescents, families, and couples. His clinical work integrates interpersonal neurobiology, psychodynamic theory, emotion‑focused family therapy, attachment‑focused family therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.
He is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine, where he teaches attachment theory and family therapy to psychiatric residents and child psychiatry fellows, and co‑teaches a family therapy course with his co‑author, Erin. He co‑founded The Collaborative School and served as its clinical supervisor for over two decades; it is a K–12 full‑day therapeutic program grounded in attachment theory. He also directs Family Therapy Vacations, an intensive attachment‑based therapeutic program.
He has authored two books on the clinical application of attachment theory and has served as a consultant at institutions including Johns Hopkins University and the San Diego Unified School District. He previously directed the Attachment‑Focused Clinical Services Center in Portland, Maine, and was a co‑founder and clinical director of Maine’s Special Education–Mental Health Collaboration.

Erin Belfort, M.D.
Dr. Belfort is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine and Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program at Maine Medical Center. A Harvard graduate with dual board certification, she earned her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed her residency at Harvard Medical School, undergoing training in adult, child, and adolescent psychiatry in the Boston area. She has practiced psychiatry for more than a decade, working at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Faulkner Hospital, and the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. During her residency, she spent a year as a psychiatrist at the MIT Student Health Center, greatly enjoying her work with young adults on the cusp of college. Subsequently, she completed a two‑year fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School. She is proficient in a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches, including psychodynamic therapy, cognitive‑behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and family therapy.
She is actively involved in the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), serving on the Public Resources Committee and co‑chairing the Media Committee. She is an AACAP Distinguished Fellow, an honor recognizing child psychiatrists who have made outstanding contributions to the field, and also holds a seat on the AACAP Board of Directors. Additionally, she is a member of the Psychiatric Advancement Project (GAP), a prominent psychiatric think tank.
Dr. Belfort is passionate about teaching family therapy and is deeply engaged in writing and presenting on the impact of social media on adolescent mental and physical health, as well as on the complex dynamics of gender and sexual orientation.

Elizabeth Brenner, LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Elizabeth “Liz” Brenner is a clinical social worker with over 35 years of experience, serving as the Program Director for Couples and Family Therapy at the Cambridge Health Alliance and as a teaching assistant at Harvard Medical School, where she provides training to staff in the Alliance’s couples and family therapy programs.
From 2003 to 2009, she taught at the Family Institute of Cambridge (FIC) until its closure, during which time she served as Director of FIC’s intensive family systems therapy program. She founded Therapy Training Boston (TTB) to carry forward the legacy of the Family Institute of Cambridge and continue offering postgraduate training. As Director of TTB, she is the primary instructor for the institution’s intensive certificate courses in couple and family therapy, leads the annual Master Series lectures on couple therapy, and hosts numerous workshops each year.
She teaches a cross‑theoretical, socioculturally sensitive approach to family systems therapy. Liz has worked in group homes, child psychiatric inpatient units, residential facilities, family therapy centers, and private practice.
In 2017, Liz was awarded the “Outstanding Contribution to Social Work Practice” by the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
From childhood, she lived with her father, who had bipolar disorder, an experience that gave her a profound understanding of individual and familial resilience.

Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 The Family Dance
Chapter 2 We Are All Seeking Meaning
Chapter 3 The “What” and “Why” of Family Bonds (Attachment)
Chapter 4 The “How-To” of Family Bonds (Attachment)
Chapter 5 What You Can Expect in Family Therapy
Chapter 6 A Typical Course of Family Therapy
Chapter 7 Internal Family Systems (IFS Therapy)
Chapter 8 Family Therapy for Special Populations and Situations
Chapter 9 Family Therapy Concerning Adult Children and Siblings
Chapter 10 Choosing, Evaluating, and Completing Family Therapy
Chapter 11 Conclusion
Footnotes
References
Afterword