From the standpoint of attachment theory, crying may be seen as a two-person phenomenon involving two reciprocal systems of behaviour, attachment and care-giving, that interact within the intersubjective field. Thinking consciously about the attachment-care-giving aspects of crying - or not crying at times when it would be expected or appropriate - brings an expanded perspective for understanding the intricacies of the intersubjective process. The presence or absence of crying, as well as the type of crying, provide valuable information about the dynamics and meaning of the therapeutic relationship as well as the state of past and current attachment bonds. Following Bowlby, we can distinguish the crying of protest, the crying of despair, and the tearless crying of detachment. A deeply integrated understanding of attachment and care-giving behaviours relative to crying may also help the relational analyst or psychotherapist to more consciously monitor affect attunements and misattunements and the dynamics of affect regulation.