by Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper & Bert Powell · 2017
Circle of Security Parenting, written for parents by the developers of the model.
Best for: Parents wanting to build a secure attachment relationship with their child, particularly when their own attachment history is complicated.
Ad / Affiliate link: We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Our full reading list.
Circle of Security is one of the most respected attachment-based parenting frameworks in clinical use. It was originally developed as an intensive intervention for vulnerable parent-child pairs; this book translates the model into something any parent can use.
The "circle" metaphor — the child needs both a secure base to come back to and a secure base to launch from — is one of the clearest pictures of healthy attachment we've seen. The book is particularly good on what trips parents up: when our own attachment history makes certain parts of our child's needs feel threatening.
This is one of the books Bhavini most often discusses in parent consultations. It's also useful for adults wanting to understand their own attachment patterns, even before they become parents.
A note. This is reading material, not clinical treatment. If you’re working through something difficult, books complement therapy — they don’t replace it. Book a session with our team for personalised support.
More books in attachment & circle of security.
Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
The most-recommended parenting book in evidence-based child psychology.
Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
Companion to Whole-Brain Child — how to discipline without breaking connection.
Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
Focuses on building resilience, curiosity, and emotional balance in children through insight-based parenting.
Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
A communication classic with decades of use in parent education programmes worldwide.
Haim Ginott
The original parent-communication book — still cited in clinical training as foundational.
John Gottman & Joan DeClaire
Gottman's evidence-based guide to emotion coaching — validated in parenting research and widely endorsed by psychologists.
Our team sees adults, adolescents, and children in person at Bella Vista and via telehealth across NSW. Medicare rebates with a GP Mental Health Care Plan; NDIS self- and plan-managed; private health depending on fund.