The Italian Confederation of Christian Family Counseling held a seminar on psychological attachment and religious experience

The Italian Confederation of Christian Family Counseling (Cfc) held its fifth study seminar for ecclesiastical counselors, ethicists, and workers on October 23 at Casa La Salle in Rome. The seminar addressed how childhood attachment styles influence how lay Catholics, priests, and religious people perceive God.

Rosalinda Cassibba, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, presented on the theories of psychiatrist John Bowlby. She explained that humans seek protective figures to serve as a secure base for exploring the world and a safe refuge during fear. These early relationships create internal models that shape lifelong attachment styles, categorized as secure, avoidant, or anxious-ambivalent.

Cassibba stated that these categories apply to a believer's relationship with God. A person with a secure attachment may experience God as an affectionate and attentive presence. Conversely, those with an avoidant style may perceive God as distant or impersonal.