The Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) is hosting the course ‘Tools for Moving from Anxious to Secure and Healthy Attachment in Your Relationships’ in Carmona. This training, part of the 24th edition of the Summer Courses, is directed by psychologist Lourdes Moya Sánchez, who highlights the cultural normalization of unhealthy relational dynamics.
According to the director, many individuals experience relationships from a state of constant alert, manifested through a need for approval, fear of rejection, hypervigilance, or difficulty tolerating uncertainty. Anxious attachment leads to interpreting situations through the lens of fear of abandonment, generating anxiety in the face of non-existent threats.
Moya points out that intensity, dependency, or control are often mistaken for affection or interest, hindering the establishment of balanced relationships. These emotional patterns, acquired since childhood, not only condition relationships with others but also one's relationship with oneself, affecting self-esteem and conflict management.
The course promotes the idea that secure attachment can be learned. It offers tools for emotional regulation, self-compassion, and nervous system self-regulation, aiming to replace automatic responses with more conscious ones. It addresses the ability to set boundaries, communicate needs assertively, and differentiate self-esteem from self-love.
The growing social interest in mental health has brought concepts like attachment and emotional dependency into the spotlight. Moya defines healthy relationships not by the absence of conflict, but by the ability to express needs, respect boundaries, and face differences with trust. Emotional security, she argues, lies in ensuring that fear does not dictate decisions.
The training also focuses on strengthening individuals' internal resources, developing self-esteem based on self-knowledge and the ability to face loneliness or uncertainty. The goal is for participants to acquire tools for relating from a place of calm, respect, and trust, in a continuous learning process.
