Developmental psychology
Attachment theory, originally developed by John Bowlby, focuses on the importance of open, intimate, emotionally meaningful relationships. Attachment is described as a biological system or powerful survival impulse that evolved to ensure the survival of the infant. A child who is threatened or stressed will move toward caregivers who create a sense of physical, emotional and psychological safety for the individual. Attachment feeds on body contact and familiarity. Later Mary Ainsworth developed the Strange Situation protocol and the concept of the secure base.
Gordon Neufeld
Gordon Neufeld (1946) is a developmental psychologist and author of the book "Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers" (co-authored with Canadian physician Gabor Maté) that has been translated into 10 languages.
The Neufeld approach (his attachment-based developmental model) is based on the attachment theory formulated by John Bowlby.
He developed a theory of attachment that includes six stages in the development of the capacity for relationship, the construct of polarization that explains both shyness and defensive detachment. His model of attachment is universal in both its application (adults as well as children) and implementation (school as well as home).