The History of the International Attachment Network
The International Attachment Network (IAN) has its origins in a community of clinicians, researchers and practitioners who came together to advance the understanding and application of attachment theory.
Established in 1992, IAN developed through the work of people closely involved in the development, research and clinical application of attachment theory. Over more than three decades, the Network has supported professional dialogue, education, research and international collaboration, helping to connect developments in attachment theory with clinical practice and wider professional understanding.
IAN’s Origins and John Bowlby’s Legacy
The International Attachment Network was established in 1992 by former colleagues of John Bowlby, the British psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who developed attachment theory.
From its beginnings, IAN sought to continue the dialogue between research and clinical practice that had been central to the development of attachment theory. Its founding aims were:
To strengthen collaboration between clinicians and researchers working with attachment theory
To promote knowledge, understanding and the responsible application of attachment theory
A Community for Attachment Thinking
From its early years, IAN brought together clinicians, researchers and leading thinkers in attachment theory to exchange ideas, discuss emerging research and explore its implications for clinical and professional practice.
IAN meetings, seminars and conferences provided opportunities for internationally recognised figures to present and discuss their work. Early speakers included Allan Schore, Daniel Stern and Colwyn Trevarthen, alongside many other influential researchers and clinicians whose work contributed to the continuing development of attachment thinking.
Download: History of the International Attachment Network → here.
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IAN’s Contribution to Attachment Theory & Practice
IAN’s founding members included clinicians and researchers who contributed to the development, discussion and clinical application of attachment theory. Among them were Dr Mario Marrone, former Chair and current Executive Committee member, and Dr Tirril Harris, former Chair.
Through research, writing, teaching and clinical practice, members of the IAN community have explored attachment theory in relation to areas including psychoanalysis, trauma, neurobiology, the body, disability, neonatal care, migration, violence, politics, and group and family therapy.
Collectively, IAN deepened the academic profile, public policy role and international awareness of attachment theory.
IAN established the UK's first dedicated course in attachment theory at University College London (UCL) and in 1999 IAN launched the first journal in attachment theory, its official journal, the Journal of Attachment and Human Development (Taylor Francis). It featured a notable editorial team of Mario Marrone, Howard Steele, John Bing-Hall, Tirill Harris and Peter Fonagy. Today it remains a leading international authority on attachment theory and research and as well as the official journal of the International Attachment Network it is now also the official journal of the Society for Emotion and Attachment Studies (SEAS).
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IAN, UCL & Attachment & Human Development
IAN played an important role in developing opportunities for the study and discussion of attachment theory within professional and academic settings. This included establishing a dedicated course in attachment theory in association with University College London (UCL), bringing clinicians and researchers together around developments in attachment research and its clinical applications.
In 1999, IAN launched its official journal, Attachment & Human Development. Its early editorial team included Mario Marrone, Howard Steele, John Byng-Hall, Tirril Harris and Peter Fonagy.
The journal continues to publish international research on attachment and human development and remains the official journal of the International Attachment Network (IAN) and the Society for Emotion and Attachment Studies (SEAS).
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Attachment Theory, Public Policy & European Collaboration
IAN has a longstanding interest in bringing attachment perspectives into dialogue with public policy, mental health and professional practice.
In the late 1990s, IAN, represented by its then Chair Dr Mario Marrone, became involved with the European branch of the World Federation for Mental Health in Brussels as part of the Mental Health for Children Aged 0–6 programme (1997–2000), in liaison with the European Union.
In 2001, IAN organised an international conference in Luxembourg, sponsored by the European Parliament, bringing together clinicians and academics from across Europe to develop professional connections and opportunities for research collaboration.
This international and interdisciplinary approach has remained an important part of IAN’s development, reflecting its commitment to connecting attachment theory with wider questions of mental health, relationships and society.
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The Growth of IAN Internationally
International collaboration has been part of IAN’s development from its earliest years. Spain played an important role in this history, hosting IAN conferences and professional activities and contributing to the development of connections between clinicians, researchers and others interested in attachment theory.
Over time, IAN’s international relationships expanded across Europe, Latin America and other parts of the world. Through national groups, international correspondents, conferences, training, research and professional collaboration, IAN has helped connect people working with attachment theory across different cultural and professional contexts.
Today, IAN continues to develop these international connections, encouraging the exchange of knowledge and dialogue between clinicians, researchers, academics and practitioners around the world.
Explore IAN’s International Network → here.
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More than three decades after its foundation, IAN continues to bring together clinicians, researchers, academics and practitioners with a shared interest in attachment theory and its contemporary applications.
Through professional training, events, research collaboration, publications and international dialogue, IAN works to strengthen understanding of attachment theory and encourage its thoughtful application across psychotherapy, mental health, healthcare, education, social care and wider society.
Building on its history of collaboration between clinicians and researchers, IAN continues to create opportunities for people working with attachment theory to exchange knowledge, develop practice and contribute to the continuing evolution of the field.
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Throughout its history, IAN has sought to bring attachment thinking into new professional, clinical and social contexts.
Examples of this work include international conferences bringing together the global attachment community; dialogue with organisations responsible for the care and wellbeing of children; professional workshops exploring emerging approaches to trauma and psychological care; and engagement with wider social and public-policy issues where attachment, separation and relationships are particularly relevant.
In 2017, IAN co-hosted an international attachment conference with the Society for Emotion and Attachment Studies (SEAS) in London, bringing together clinicians, researchers and practitioners from around the world.
Read the Full History of IAN
The story of the International Attachment Network spans more than three decades of clinical thinking, research, education and international collaboration.
For a more detailed account of IAN’s development — from its early origins and connections with colleagues of John Bowlby to the growth of an international attachment community — explore the fuller history of the Network.
Read the Full History of IAN → here.
“Whether a child or adult is in a state of security, anxiety, or distress is determined in large part by the accessibility and responsiveness of his principal attachment figure.”