Book Review: Wisdom, Attachment, and Love in Trauma Therapy: Beyond Evidence-Based Practice

Wisdom, Attachment, and Love in Trauma Therapy: Beyond Evidence-Based Practice, by Susan Pease Banitt, Routledge, ISBN 9781138289758, New York, 2019, 196 pages, $39.95.

    As a social work educator, I push evidence-based practice hard in the classroom. I find every opportunity to drive home the point that without science, our profession has no proof of effectiveness. After reading the book Wisdom, Attachment, and Love in Trauma Therapy, I have begun a process of self-reflection related to my teaching philosophy. I have begun to ask myself, “Have we forgotten the importance of the therapeutic relationship?”

    Pease Banitt does a remarkable job of reminding the reader that there is more to therapy than just the knowledge of evidence-based interventions. The book is divided into sections that take the reader through each component highlighted in the title of the book. The first component converges on wisdom. The chapters that focus on wisdom help the reader to link the power of relationship to neuroscience. The neuroscience elements are explained with ease. The author makes the most complex science seem easy to understand. Next is attachment. These chapters focus once again on the importance of the relationship with the client, but also weave in theoretical framework and concepts. Last is the topic of love, which contains a nice wrap-up including the essential qualities of a master therapist, sympathy vs. empathy, and the importance of self-care.

    This book is an excellent read for social workers both new and seasoned. It contains remarkable insight from a psychotherapist who is not afraid to challenge our western ideas of healing in trauma therapy. This insight is displayed in the clinical application notes, as well as in case scenarios that help bring the concepts to life for any reader. Both are strategically placed throughout the text. These elements serve as a great reminder to the seasoned social worker and as a teaching opportunity for the new social worker.

    Wisdom, Attachment, and Love in Trauma Therapy: Beyond Evidence-Based Practice is most certainly going into my teaching repertoire. The book is a gentle reminder of what our students need to understand before entering the world as professional social workers. It is also a recommended read for any social workers who are ready to self-reflect on their current practices.

    As social workers, we cannot help people heal without relationship. Pease Banitt’s book serves as an authentic reminder of the importance of a trusting and genuine therapeutic alliance.

Reviewed by Amy Ward, BSW, MSW, LCSW, University of Southern California doctoral student, East Central University, Social Work Program Director.