2015 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
b
However, when discussing relationships within the context of attachment theory, the word ‘attachment’ is not a synonym for bond (or bonding). Bonding is a more general term, used with reference to many different kinds of relationship, whereas attachment is more specifi c, describing the use of another human being as a secure base and as the focus of proximity-seeking and safe-haven behaviours at times of heightened anxiety. Within attachment relationships, there is a sense of ‘turning to someone else for safety’ and for ‘felt security’.