Clinical encounters with adoption

The impact of early loss

Abstract

This paper presents the hypothesis that a form of attachment relationship between mother and infant begins before birth. That infants who are adopted are aware of the loss of the biological mother in some way, and that this experience may influence the pattern of the attachment relationships formed within their adoptive families and with others. It is also suggested that the severence of this earliest attachment relationship is likely to resonate with other crises in later life bringing about a repetition or re-enactment of aspects of the original loss, and that this is especially likely to occur during the process of intensive psychotherapy.