Product Description

Becoming a Family helps adoptive parents recognize and respond to the signs of broken attachment. This practical guide offers clear and effective strategies for parents to help their children overcome their uncertain past and embrace the love of their new parents.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #403461 in Books
• Published on: 2005-12-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

About the Author
Lark Eshleman, Ph.D., is the founder and director of the Institute for Children and Families. A psychotherapist, Dr. Eshleman has trained orphanage workers in Croatia to work with children before they are adopted. A frequent speaker and writer on emotional trauma, she lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Great information on attachment in adoption
I don't entirely agree with the other reviewer who said that this book is too scary. It *could* be scary, but the author bends over backwards to preface everything by telling you *not* to be scared off & that extreme cases are relatively few. I certainly did not get the impression that he believe that intervention is necessary for attachment. He does a great job of provides tools to assist in healthy attachment from day 1, as well as helping to discover if there are issues to be aware of later on. I am normally one to shy away from "scary" topics, but this book made me feel well-equipped - not scared. Note: I am now editing my review after having read section 3 of the book (the final section). That did get scarier... but this book still provided a lot of insight & helpful advice for promoting attachment.

Good, but deserves a warning before reading!
Warning... this book could instill a LOT of fear! Granted, it is an excellent book in describing a healthy attachment and how to achieve this with your adopted child; only that is NOT the book's primary purpose. The author wants to illustrate what is not healthy, and how often these "unhealthy" attachments occur, specifically in international adoptions. The author write this book firmly in the belief that no matter how much love you shower upon your adopted child/children they will always lack the ability to bond unless intervention is taken.

So, if you choose to read this book, it is best to read as a "heads-up." Because, even though this book appears more "doom and gloom," there really are a lot of great suggestions to help build this much needed bond with your adopted (even bio) child/children, and the author also suggests the best types of therapies for these children with RAD (reactive attachment disorder) as they will not respond to "normal" therapies.

Unfortunately, the negative seems to so overpower the positive that if you aren't careful, you may be left re-thinking your adoption all together.

Good Intro to attachment - Light read
I found this book extremely helpful in giving a succinct overview of the attachment process when adopting. It is a must read for all parents thinking about or planning to adopt. However, it should lead to reading other more in-depth books for those who decide to adopt for sure.