Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between attachment style, religiousness/spirituality, and the expression of compassionate love by licensed mental health professionals. Specifically, this study sought to examine if those with insecure attachment styles would express lower levels of compassionate love for close others, a specific close other, and strangers and humanity. In addition, this study also sought to examine if there would be a positive correlation between levels of religiousness/spirituality, and the expression of compassionate love. Lastly, this study sought to examine if there would be a negative relationship between attachment insecurity and religiousness/spirituality. A total of 156 (49 male, 109 female) mental health professionals participated in this study. The study was conducted via an online Qualtrics based survey that was distributed via snowball sampling through email and social media. Results indicated that mental health professionals with higher levels of insecure attachment also report lower levels of compassionate love for close others, and a specific lose other, however, a relationship was neither detected between attachment insecurity and compassionate love for strangers and humanity, nor with religiousness/spirituality. Results also indicated that a positive relationship exists between higher levels of religiousness/spirituality and the expression of compassionate love for a specific close other; however, this was neither the case for strangers and humanity, nor close others. Also explored were implications of this study's findings and directions for future research.