[The development of psychological security in attachment--results and conclusions for therapy]

Attachment is a biological propensity of primate infants to form close protective relationships with their mothers. In humans it is the special relationship in which the organization of emotions, empathy and knowledge about oneself and others is combined and represented in inner working models. For this, it is innate to human nature to form joint attention structures in which language develops for learning individual and particularly emotional and cultural meanings by narrative interpretations of various experiences. These processes are essential for the development of human beings. Joint attention is initially and primarily formed between infants and attachment persons. Fathers in particular can be additional supportive attachment persons, as well as teachers, grandmothers etc. Sensitivity to infants' attachment needs is the key to understanding the development of secure or insecure attachment strategies. These strategies highly influence the development of psychological security in mature and adaptive, or psychological insecurity in less mature and less flexibly adapted adolescents and adults.