Comparing Parental Attachment Development and Attachment to God

Abstract

This presentation aims to highlight the relationship between parental attachment styles and types of attachment to God. Counselors are trained to focus on holistic mental wellness, and attachment theory is one approach to the therapeutic process (Bock et al., 2021). Patterns of relating to others are constructed from one's early childhood experiences (Ainsworth, 1985; Granqvist & Kirkpatrick, 2008; Griffen & Bartholomew, 1994)) which can be observed through the individuals' style of attachment to God (Belavich &. Pargament, 2002). Maladaptive responses to adverse experiences affect the development of these patterns in relation to parents, others, and even potentially God (Kirkpatrick & Shaver, 1992). One paradigm that has been utilized in therapeutic practice and research is the Correspondence and Compensations models (Granqvist, 2002; Hall et al., 2009). This presentation will review these models, previous research findings, and extend a discussion based on this theoretical model.