SOCIAL SAFENESS

Gilbert (2009) characterised social safeness as feelings of warmth and connectedness that play an especially important role in psychosocial functioning. Social safeness is a warm, soothing affective state often experienced with close, trusted others. Gilbert also suggested that in the absence of threat or opportunities for resource seeking, the social safeness system creates feelings of peace and safety and allows rest and recuperation. Social safeness may relate to attachment processes and contribute to the creation of familial bonds through the shared experience of these warm feelings (Gilbert et al., 2008).
Gilbert P. (2009). The compassionate mind: Coping with the Challenges of living. London: Constable Robinson
Gilbert P., McEwan K., Mitra R., Franks L., Richter A. & H. Rockliff (2008) Feeling safe and content:A specific affect regulation system? Relationship to depression, anxiety, stress, and self-criticism, The Journal of PositivePsychology: Dedicated to furthering research and promoting good practice, 3:3, 182-191, DOI: 10.1080/17439760801999461


