Cinderella or wendy identity? Relational trauma due to insecure attachment in women ages 45-55

Title : Cinderella or wendy identity? Relational trauma due to insecure attachment in women ages 45-55

Abstract:

This research project aims to analyze the impact of relational trauma on the construction of meaning in life and personal identity in middle-aged women (45 to 55 years old). From an integrative clinical perspective, the study explores how complex trauma manifests through insecure attachment patterns, expressed behaviorally in what is known as the Cinderella Syndrome (avoidant attachment) and the Wendy Syndrome (anxious attachment). The theoretical framework draws from psychotraumatology, developmental psychology, and narrative identity theory, proposing a transdiagnostic understanding of the long-term effects of relational trauma in adulthood. It is proposed that these early relational wounds lead to identity fragmentation, existential emptiness, and difficulties in establishing healthy affective bonds. Beyond identifying these clinical dynamics, the project also seeks to develop an integrative psychological intervention proposal aimed at addressing the emotional, relational, and existential consequences of relational trauma in adult women.

Biography:

Dr. Angélica Ojeda García holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, a Master's degree, and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She also earned a Master's degree in Gestalt Psychotherapy from Gestalt University. In addition, she specializes in Brief Psychotherapy through training at the Mental Research Institute of Palo Alto and in Art Psychotherapy from the Mexican Institute of Art Psychotherapy. For the past 15 years, she has led the research group "Groups in Vulnerable Conditions, Quality of Life, and Psychosocial Intervention", and she currently directs the Happiness and Esteem Research Laboratory (LIFE).