Secure Attachment

Secure Attachment: Building Healthy Relationships with Attachment Theory (6)

 

Understanding secure attachment is essential for fostering trust, emotional intimacy, and resilience in relationships. Attachment theory provides valuable insight into how early experiences shape how we connect with others. By developing a secure attachment style, we can create more fulfilling relationships and enhance our emotional well-being.

What Is Secure Attachment?

Secure attachment is the ability to form stable, trusting and emotionally fulfilling relationships. This attachment style often begins in early childhood when caregivers are consistently responsive, emotionally available, responsive and supportive. These caregivers provide a reliable base, enabling children to explore the world with a sense of safety and value.

The Role of Attachment Theory

Attachment theory explains how early caregiving experiences influence emotional and relational patterns in adulthood. When children feel confident their needs will be met and their emotions and feelings validated, they develop secure attachments. This foundation allows individuals to form strong, healthy bonds later in life. Adults with secure attachment styles demonstrate emotional regulation, trust, and resilience – attributes that create a framework for meaningful connections and personal growth.

Characteristics of Secure Attachment

Securely attached individuals exhibit emotional stability and relational confidence. They manage their emotions effectively, navigate conflicts constructively and foster mutual trust. Their strong sense of self-worth enables them to thrive independently and within relationships. They respect boundaries, ensuring that these boundaries promote mutual respect and autonomy.

Relationships with Securely Attached Individuals

Being in a relationship with someone who has a secure attachment style often feels supportive and nurturing. These individuals communicate openly, express affection comfortably and respond empathetically to their partner’s needs. They approach conflict collaboratively, aiming for resolution rather than avoidance or escalation. Their relationships are defined by emotional closeness, honesty and a dependable source of support.

The Benefits of Secure Attachment

Secure attachment extends its benefits beyond relationships. People with this attachment style often enjoy greater life satisfaction, emotional resilience and lower stress levels. They are better equipped to handle challenges and maintain a positive outlook. Their ability to balance intimacy and independence fosters deeper, more fulfilling connections in both personal and professional settings.

Developing Secure Attachment

While secure attachment often originates in childhood, it is important to note that attachment styles can evolve over time. Developing secure attachment requires intentional effort, self-awareness and support. Therapy offers a safe space to explore past experiences, process emotions, feelings and reactions and cultivate healthier relational patterns. Building trust through relationships with emotionally available individuals helps create a sense of safety. Practising self-compassion reinforces a positive self-image, reducing reliance on external validation. Open communication further strengthens emotional intimacy and fosters deeper connections.

Building Secure Connections: A Practical Example

Consider a couple where both partners feel safe expressing their emotions, trusting they will be heard, listened to and supported in what they explain and say. This mutual trust is the hallmark of secure attachment. Small gestures, like acknowledging one’s feelings or listening with empathy, can nurture this connection. For instance, saying, “I felt anxious earlier, and I appreciate your understanding,” can deepen trust and foster emotional closeness and further openness.

Moving Toward Secure Attachment

Embracing the principles of secure attachment allows individuals to create more fulfilling relationships while fostering more profound self-confidence and emotional resilience. With effort, support and a commitment to personal growth, the journey toward secure attachment transforms connections with others and one’s sense of self-worth and emotional well-being.

Conclusion

Secure attachment is the foundation of healthy relationships. It provides emotional stability, trust and mutual support, creating a framework for personal and relational growth. Understanding attachment theory and working toward secure attachment can transform our connections with others and enhance our overall well-being.

For more insights on attachment theory and emotional growth, visit  this blog post

: www.carolinecrotty.ie

Fearful-Avoidant Attachment

Fearful-Avoidant Attachment: Break the Cycle (5)

 

As many know, I work one-on-one with adolescents and adults, offering online and in-person therapy. My work fills me with purpose and gratitude. I am fortunate to have a career that brings me joy rather than Sunday night dread. Thanks to a good friend who encouraged me to pursue a counselling and psychotherapy course y I found this path, and I’ll always be thankful to JQ.

Working in therapy is a privilege. I’m invited into people’s inner worlds as they navigate challenges, uncover strengths and make sense of their lives. However, I never claim to be an expert on anyone else’s life. Or an expert at all! I’m not a medic or a guru. My role is to listen, ask thoughtful questions and help people untangle the complexities of their minds and experiences. And truthfully, I learn just as much from my clients/patients as they do from me. Each day offers new insights, whether factual or simply fascinating.

In therapy, family dynamics often arise as a significant theme. Many people have experienced adoption, foster care, or the ripple effects of intergenerational trauma. For others, strained or unconventional family relationships shape their worldview and emotional responses. While family connections can be messy and challenging, they also hold potential for deep healing and growth. If repairing family ties is impossible, forming new, meaningful bonds with friends can bring similar support.

Lately, I’ve noticed a growing interest in attachment styles among my clients, many of whom have explored online resources to better understand their relationship dynamics. They are curious about how childhood experiences shaped their current approach to intimacy, trust/mistrust and conflict. Some wonder why they feel stuck in patterns of pursuing closeness while simultaneously pushing partners away. Relationships, while fulfilling, can also be profoundly complex and, at times, frustrating. When someone hasn’t experienced consistent love or reassurance in childhood, forming healthy attachments as an adult can be and feel quite daunting. This is where therapy can help – it provides a safe, objective space to explore various patterns and work towards meaningful change.

Attachment styles help us make sense of our patterns. Secure attachment, often seen as the ideal, is characterised by honesty, emotional closeness and balanced dependence. People with secure attachments thrive in relationships and also independently. They can regulate their emotions, maintain self-confidence and support their partners’ growth. It’s no wonder so many of us aspire to secure attachment.

This post focuses on fearful-avoidant attachment, also known as disorganised attachment. This attachment style is particularly complex because it’s paradoxical. People with this pattern crave intimacy and connection but also fear and distrust it. This inner conflict often creates a push-pull dynamic: “I want you close;  now you’re too close; too much for me; now I need you again…”  Such cycles make it difficult to establish stability or trust in relationships.

Understanding Fearful-Avoidant Attachment

Fearful-avoidant attachment often develops from early experiences of trauma, neglect, or inconsistent caregiving. These experiences leave lasting imprints, including difficulty trusting others and a fear of vulnerability. People with this attachment style can struggle to express their needs, fearing rejection or criticism. As a result, needs frequently go unmet, reinforcing feelings of loneliness and unworthiness (yet again, further contradiction).

Emotionally, fearful-avoidant individuals may experience heightened anxiety, mood swings, and difficulty regulating emotions. Cognitively, they might internalise feelings of inadequacy, believing they are undeserving of love or support. These beliefs can lead to behaviours that distance them from others, perpetuating a cycle of isolation and mistrust.

Breaking the Cycle: Towards Healing and Growth

While living with fearful-avoidant attachment presents challenges, it’s important to remember that attachment styles are not fixed. People can move towards a more secure attachment style with self-awareness, support, and intentional effort.

Therapy offers a safe and structured environment to explore the origins of fearful-avoidant attachment. Trauma-informed approaches can help individuals process unresolved feelings, develop healthier relational patterns, and learn to trust others. Through therapy, clients gain the tools to articulate their needs and explore boundaries that foster safety and connection.

Mindfulness and journaling are valuable practices for enhancing emotional awareness. These tools help people identify triggers and respond thoughtfully rather than reacting impulsively. Building trust through small, low-stakes interactions reinforces the idea that relationships can be safe and supportive.

Surrounding oneself with emotionally available and consistent people is equally crucial. Healthy relationships provide reassurance that intimacy does not have to equate to pain or rejection. Setting and respecting boundaries within relationships creates a sense of control and emotional safety, allowing people to engage without feeling overwhelmed.

Practising open communication strengthens relationships further. Small statements like “I felt anxious when…” or “I appreciate your support” can foster more profound understanding and emotional intimacy. Self-compassion also plays a pivotal role in breaking the cycle of fearful-avoidant attachment. People can counteract feelings of shame and self-criticism by treating themselves with kindness and recognising that healing is a process. Accepting slow progress is vital. This is not as simple as reading a book and being securely attached. . . .if only it were that easy!

Moving Forward

Awareness of relational patterns is the first step towards making changes. By recognising tendencies to withdraw or cling, people can pause, reflect and choose new responses that align with their goals. Progress may be gradual, but each tiny baby step in the right direction – whether it’s opening up to someone or managing emotions more effectively – is worth celebrating. They’re the little wins that keep us motivated to continue forward.

Breaking the cycle of fearful-avoidant attachment is not easy, but it’s possible. We can all shift towards secure attachment with professional guidance, supportive relationships, and a commitment to self-care. This transformation improves relationships and fosters a deeper sense of self-worth and emotional resilience.

www.carolinecrotty.ie

References

Cassidy, J., & Shaver, P. R. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications (3rd ed.). Guilford Publications.

Fraley, R. C., & Shaver, P. R. (2000). Adult romantic attachment: Theoretical developments, emerging controversies, and unanswered questions. Review of General Psychology, 4(2), 132–154. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.4.2.132

Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment in Adulthood: Structure, Dynamics, and Change. Guilford Press.

Siegel, D. J. (2012). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

Main, M., & Solomon, J. (1990). Procedures for identifying infants as disorganised/disoriented during the Ainsworth Strange Situation. In M. T. Greenberg, D. Cicchetti, & E. M. Cummings (Eds.), Attachment in the Preschool Years: Theory, Research, and Intervention (pp. 121–160). University of Chicago Press.

Avoidant Attachment

Avoidant Attachment: The Challenge of Independence and Trust (4)

 

Avoidant attachment is one of the primary attachment styles identified in attachment theory. It often emerges as a response to emotionally distant caregiving during early childhood. When caregivers consistently fail to meet a child’s emotional needs, dismiss their expressions of distress, or withhold comfort, the child adapts by suppressing emotions and prioritizing self-reliance over connection.

This attachment style leads people to value independence and self-sufficiency, often viewing vulnerability as a potential weakness. These tendencies stem from early experiences that taught them that relying on others could result in disappointment or rejection. As a result, they develop a “do-it-yourself” mindset, finding it challenging to seek or accept emotional support from others.

Avoidance of Vulnerability and Intimacy

A defining characteristic of avoidant attachment is the struggle with vulnerability and emotional closeness. Although individuals with this attachment style may desire relationships, they often find it difficult to fully open up or trust others. Deep emotional conversations or expressions of feelings may feel uncomfortable, leading them to focus instead on practical or surface-level topics. This behavior often serves as a defense mechanism, protecting them from the pain of potential rejection or emotional neglect.

In relationships, avoidantly attached individuals may appear emotionally distant or aloof. They might shy away from intimate moments, withdraw when their partner seeks closeness, or prioritize personal space over shared experiences. These behaviors, while protective in nature, can lead to misunderstandings or feelings of neglect from their partners, who may interpret the actions as disinterest or a lack of care.

The Role of Trust in Avoidant Attachment

Trust poses a significant challenge for those with avoidant attachment. Their early experiences may have instilled a belief that others are unreliable or incapable of meeting emotional needs. This creates difficulty in fully investing in relationships, as they often anticipate disappointment or betrayal. Even in healthy relationships, they may unconsciously create distance as a way of maintaining emotional safety.

Breaking the Cycle of Avoidance

Avoidant attachment is not a fixed trait. With self-awareness and effort, individuals can begin to build healthier, more secure relationships. Therapy offers a safe space to explore fears of intimacy, uncover the underlying beliefs driving avoidance and develop strategies for fostering trust and emotional connection.

Practices such as mindfulness and journaling can help individuals identify suppressed emotions and understand how past experiences influence their present behaviors. Gradual, low-stakes interactions with others can build trust and confidence in the reliability and supportiveness of relationships.

Embracing Vulnerability

Learning to embrace vulnerability can be a transformative experience for those with avoidant attachment. It doesn’t mean abandoning independence but rather finding a balance between self-reliance and emotional connection. Opening up in small, manageable ways—such as sharing a personal story, expressing gratitude, or asking for help—can help them experience the benefits of emotional intimacy and mutual support.

Moving Toward Secure Attachment

Breaking free from avoidant attachment patterns requires patience, self-awareness and consistent effort. Surrounding oneself with emotionally available and supportive people can provide the safety needed to practice vulnerability and trust. Over time, these positive experiences can reshape beliefs about relationships, paving the way for a more secure attachment style.

Avoidant attachment is a natural response to early emotional neglect, but it doesn’t have to define the future. With intentional growth, support and a willingness to embrace connection, individuals with this attachment style can build deeper relationships and experience the emotional fulfillment they deserve.

For further insights on attachment theory and personal growth, explore additional resources on this site.

www.carolinecrotty.ie

Anxious Attachment

Anxious Attachment: Navigating Relationships (3)

 

Understanding how anxious attachment influences relationships is essential for fostering personal growth, emotional resilience and healthy connections. Anxious attachment, rooted in early childhood experiences, shapes how we approach intimacy, trust and communication. With insight and intentional effort, individuals can work toward more secure and fulfilling relationships.

What Is Anxious Attachment?

Anxious attachment is characterised by a deep fear of abandonment and an intense need for closeness and reassurance. This attachment style often develops in response to inconsistent caregiving during childhood. When care and affection are unpredictable, individuals may grow to expect rejection or inconsistency, fostering a heightened sensitivity to relational dynamics and a persistent need for validation.

Characteristics of Anxious Attachment

People with anxious attachment often exhibit emotional patterns such as a fear of being left or unloved, an intense craving for reassurance and hyper-vigilance regarding their partner’s actions and moods. They may struggle to regulate emotions, often feeling overwhelmed by jealousy, anxiety, or neediness. These tendencies, while challenging, stem from a deep capacity for emotional connection and the desire for intimacy.

How Anxious Attachment Affects Relationships

Anxious attachment can create cycles of seeking closeness while simultaneously fearing rejection. These patterns may lead to misunderstandings or strain in relationships, as the need for reassurance can be misinterpreted as clinginess. This dynamic can cause frustration or distance between partners. However, with understanding and clear communication, individuals with anxious attachment can foster meaningful and connected relationships.

Breaking the Cycle: Overcoming Anxious Attachment

Addressing anxious attachment begins with self-awareness and a commitment to growth. Therapy offers a safe environment to explore past experiences, process emotions and identify attachment-related patterns. Mindfulness practices, such as meditation or journaling, help individuals manage emotional reactions and increase self-awareness. Building self-worth through affirmations and self-compassion reduces reliance on external validation and empowers individuals to feel more secure. Clear, open communication with partners fosters mutual understanding and trust, paving the way for a healthier relational dynamic.

The Path Towards Secure Relationships

Healing anxious attachment is possible with patience, self-compassion and intentional growth. By understanding its roots and challenges, individuals can create stronger and more fulfilling relationships. Therapy, mindfulness practices and supportive connections are valuable tools for transforming the fear of abandonment into a foundation of trust and emotional stability.

Why It Matters

Recognising and addressing anxious attachment can improve emotional regulation, strengthen relationships and build self-worth. As trust and intimacy deepen, individuals often experience reduced anxiety and increased confidence in their relational abilities. The journey toward secure attachment transforms both personal connections and overall emotional well-being.

Take the First Step Today

Anxious attachment offers both challenges and opportunities for growth. You can move toward a more secure attachment style by embracing self-awareness and fostering supportive relationships. If this resonates with you, explore our additional resources or contact us for professional guidance. Together, we can help you unlock the potential for balanced, meaningful relationships.

For more insights on attachment theory and emotional health, visit the blog at www.carolinecrotty.ie

Attachment Styles

Understanding Attachment Styles: A Key to Self-Discovery (2)

 

Google has made access to information astonishingly easy. While not all of the information is accurate or from reputable sources, it’s evident that we live in a world with knowledge at our fingertips – literally. In my experience, there’s recently been a surge of interest in attachment styles and how they shape romantic relationships. It’s tempting to trace everything back to our parents and assign blame for who we are today. However, at some point, we must take responsibility for our own growth, learning how to understand and manage our reactions.

Attachment styles are a cornerstone of psychology, offering valuable insights into how we connect and relate to others. Rooted in early childhood experiences with our caregivers, these patterns shape our adult relationships, influencing how we approach intimacy, handle conflict, and express our wants/needs/desires.

Understanding our attachment style can be a transformative step towards greater self-awareness and personal growth.

What Are Attachment Styles? 

Pioneered by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, attachment theory identifies four primary attachment styles: secure, anxious, avoidant, and fearful-avoidant. These styles are shaped by the responsiveness and consistency of caregiving in childhood. Click on the links to read more about the four attachment styles.

Anxious Attachment: Inconsistent caregiving can lead to this style, where adults crave closeness but fear rejection, often resulting in insecurity or over-dependence.

Avoidant Attachment: Emotionally distant caregiving may foster this style, where individuals value independence but struggle with vulnerability and trust.

Fearful-Avoidant Attachment: Often linked to trauma or neglect, this style combines anxious and avoidant traits. Adults with this style may desire connection yet fear intimacy, creating a push-pull relationship dynamic.

Secure Attachment: This develops from reliable and loving caregiving. Adults with this style often trust easily, communicate openly and balance intimacy with independence.

Why Understanding Attachment Styles Matters

Our attachment style significantly shapes our emotions, behaviours and dynamics within our relationships. Recognising the influence of attachment can lead to profound changes in how we relate to others and ourselves.

Cultivate Self-Awareness: Understand how our past experiences influence our current relationships.

Improve Communication: Learn to identify and express our needs clearly and explicitly.

Develop Healthier Relationships: Address limiting behaviours and build trust.

Foster Personal Growth: Break cycles of insecurity or avoidance that hold us back.

Even small insights can make a difference to us and our relationships. For instance, understanding the spotlight effect, which is the tendency to overestimate how much others notice or judge our actions, can help alleviate insecurities tied to attachment anxiety. There’s a post about the spotlight effect here.

Can Attachment Styles Change?

The lovely news is that attachment styles are not fixed. We can move towards a secure attachment style with effort, intention, and the right tools. We are not cast in stone. It won’t happen overnight, but change is possible. Therapy is one of the most effective pathways for unpacking unresolved emotions and building healthier relational patterns. Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and journaling, can enhance emotional regulation, helping to manage our responses in challenging situations. Building secure connections with supportive, trustworthy people can provide a model for healthier relationships. Regular self-reflection is also essential – examining our relational behaviours and beliefs allows us to identify what needs to change. However, insight alone isn’t enough; action is key. Awareness without effort is a missed opportunity for growth.

Practical Tips for Moving Toward Secure Attachment

Self-awareness and consistent effort can guide you toward healthier connections. Reflect on how your early experiences influenced your relationships today. Practice open and honest communication with loved ones, challenging negative thought patterns and replacing them with balanced perspectives. Learn to set and respect boundaries, ensuring that your and others’ needs are harmonised. Seek professional guidance if unresolved trauma or recurring issues continue to affect your relationships.

Surround yourself with emotionally available and supportive individuals who model the connections you want to foster. Finally, prioritise self-care to maintain emotional stability—including activities like regular exercise, adequate sleep, or hobbies that bring you joy and peace.

No Labels, Just Awareness!

Understanding your attachment style is not about labelling yourself or labelling others. It’s about recognising patterns and taking actionable steps toward forming healthier connections. With awareness and intention, you can transform how you relate to others and, more importantly, how you relate to yourself.

Further Reading

For those keen to explore further into attachment styles, here are some resources to explore:

Each offers tools and insights for understanding attachment and fostering personal growth.

For more on related topics,  check out the blog post here.

Take the First Step Today

You may reflect on your attachment style and consider how it has shaped your current and past connections and relationships. Personal growth and introspection is a lifelong journey. Every little step towards self-knowledge counts as progress in life. By embracing your awareness of self, introspection and taking intentional actions, you can create (and improve) relationships so they are healthier, more fulfilling, and grounded in trust and connection.

 

www.carolinecrotty.ie

Attachment Intro

Attachment Intro (1)

 

As many know, I work with adolescents and adults, offering in-person and online therapy (I prefer to work online only with adults). My work fills me with a profound sense of purpose and gratitude. I am fortunate to have a career that brings me joy instead of the Sunday night dread many describe. I’ll always be indebted to my friend JQ, who encouraged me to pursue the counselling and psychotherapy course that led me here.

My work is a privilege. Each day, I am invited into people’s inner worlds as they navigate challenges, uncover strengths, and make sense of their lives. However, I never claim to be an expert on anyone else’s life – or an expert in any sense. I’m not a medic or a guru. My role is to listen, ask reasoned questions and help people untangle the complexities of their minds and experiences. In truth, I learn as much from my clients as they (hopefully) learn from me. Each session offers new insights – sometimes factual, other times fascinating.

Family Dynamics and Their Impact

Family dynamics frequently emerge as a central theme in therapy. Many of my clients have experienced adoption, foster care, or the ripple effects of intergenerational trauma. Others grapple with strained or unconventional family relationships that profoundly shape their emotional responses and worldviews. While family connections can be messy and challenging, they also hold immense potential for healing and growth. When repairing family ties isn’t possible, forming new, meaningful bonds with friends can provide the same sense of support and connection.

A Growing Interest in Attachment Styles

Recently, many of my clients have shown a keen interest in attachment styles. They’ve explored online resources to better understand their relationships and how childhood experiences have shaped their approaches to intimacy, trust and conflict. Some feel stuck in patterns of pursuing closeness while simultaneously pushing partners away, a dynamic that can leave them feeling confused and frustrated, which is why they end up in a room with me – to try to make sense of it all.

Relationships, while deeply rewarding, can be complex and sometimes overwhelming. For individuals who haven’t experienced consistent love or reassurance during childhood, forming healthy attachments as an adult can feel daunting. There are various attachment types. This is not a new discovery and has been exmined by John Bowlby in the 1950s and Mary Ainsworth built on Bowlby’s theories with the “Strange Situation” experiments conducted in the 1970s. Mary Main and others in the 1980s further refined attachment theory by introducing disorganised attachment, expanding its application to include adult attachment and the intergenerational transmission of attachment styles. So, there is much to know. It’s not exactly new, but as humans, we like to know the ‘why’!

I’ve written about four attachment styles in general here.  This is where therapy provides a safe and objective space to explore these patterns, improve communication, and work toward meaningful change.

Understanding Attachment Styles

Attachment styles provide a framework for understanding our relational patterns. Secure attachment, often seen as the ideal, is characterised by honesty, emotional closeness, and balanced interdependence.

Secure attachment is formed in early childhood through consistent, emotionally available caregiving. When caregivers respond reliably to a child’s needs, provide comfort, and encourage exploration, the child develops a sense of safety and trust. This foundation fosters emotional regulation, resilience and the ability to form healthy, balanced relationships later in life. Secure attachment emerges from predictable, supportive interactions that teach the child they are valued and their needs will be met. Individuals with secure attachment thrive in relationships while maintaining independence. They regulate emotions effectively, sustain self-confidence and support their partners’ growth. It’s no wonder so many aspire to cultivate this style.

Read about Secure Attachment here. 

Fearful-Avoidant Attachment: A Push-Pull Dynamic

Fearful-avoidant attachment often stems from early experiences of trauma, abuse, or neglect, where caregivers are both a source of comfort and fear. This creates an internal conflict about seeking connection. Without consistent emotional safety, the child grows up with patterns of fear, mistrust, and push-pull dynamics in relationships.
In adulthood, this attachment style is paradoxical. People crave intimacy but simultaneously fear and distrust it, creating cycles of closeness and withdrawal: “I need you… Now you’re too much… I need space… Wait, I want you again.” These cycles make it challenging to establish stability and trust in relationships.

Read about Fearful-Avoidant Attachment here. 

Anxious Attachment: The Search for Reassurance

Anxious attachment often begins in childhood when caregiving is inconsistent. A child may experience love and attention at times but be ignored or dismissed at other times. This unpredictability fosters insecurity, making the child hyperaware of relationships and deeply fearful of abandonment – a pattern that often persists into adulthood.

Adults with anxious attachment frequently fear rejection and seek constant reassurance. They may struggle with self-worth and rely on their partners for validation, often becoming preoccupied with their partner’s emotions or behaviours. This hypervigilance can create cycles of insecurity and strain in relationships, even though their deep capacity for connection is a strength.

Read about Anxious Attachment here

Avoidant Attachment: The Struggle with Vulnerability

Avoidant attachment can develop when caregivers are emotionally distant or dismissive. Children suppress their emotions and build self-reliance to protect themselves from rejection or unmet needs. This pattern often translates into an aversion to vulnerability in adulthood.  Adults with avoidant attachment strongly emphasise independence, often at the expense of emotional intimacy. While they may desire connection, their fear of dependence or being hurt leads them to create emotional distance. This self-protective behaviour can leave partners feeling neglected or unloved, even when care exists.

Read about Avoidant Attachment here

The Path to Change
While attachment styles often originate in childhood, they are not fixed. Individuals can move toward a secure attachment style with awareness, effort, and support. Therapy offers a safe environment to explore and challenge these patterns, helping people navigate relationships with greater confidence and emotional resilience.

 

www.carolinecrotty.ie

Caroline Crotty
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