Relationship Dynamics and Attachment Styles

ADG Marriage & Family Therapy • 20 August 2024

Communication can often present challenges for couples. In any relationship, it is crucial to express feelings and needs openly, listen attentively before responding, and avoid becoming defensive. Having these essential skills can be the first step towards fostering healthy interactions. However, understanding your attachment style in a relationship goes beyond just improving communication skills.

Types of Attachment

Each person enters a relationship with a unique attachment style, formed by previous relationships and experiences. These attachments influence how individuals interact, communicate, handle conflicts, and connect with their partners. Different styles of attachment can significantly impact the health of a relationship. For instance, those with an anxious attachment style may fear abandonment, seek constant closeness, and need regular reassurance. If not properly managed, this high level of neediness can make or break a relationship.


On the other hand, individuals with an avoidant attachment style value independence, feel uncomfortable with closeness and prioritize self-reliance. Avoidant individuals may struggle with intimacy and conflict resolution, choosing to avoid their partner instead of addressing issues together.


Another type of insecure attachment style is the disorganized attachment, where individuals crave closeness but pull away due to fear of abandonment or hurt. Their inconsistent behaviors often lead to confusion, conflict, and an unstable relationship.


In contrast, securely attached individuals benefit from the healthiest style of bonding. They are comfortable with closeness and autonomy, trust their partners, express their needs openly, set healthy boundaries, and engage in behaviors that promote relationship satisfaction.


One of the advantages of couples counseling is learning how to develop a secure attachment style. Investing in your partnership can make the difference between a stable, fulfilling relationship and one that is unpredictable and turbulent.

Person with clasped hands in therapy session, facing a therapist who gestures with hands, in a well-lit room.

When Sadness is Rooted in Past Pain, EMDR Can Help Lift the Weight (Depression)

by ADG Marriage & Family Therapy • 8 January 2026
Have you tried everything to feel better - but the heaviness, the sell-doubt, or the hopelessness still lingers? Depression often connects back to unresolved pain: losses, failures, or childhood rejection. The brain tends to loop around these old experiences, reinforcing painful beliefs like "I'm not good enough" or "Nothing will ever change." EMDR interrupts these loops by targeting the painful memory and the negative beliefs tied to it. Instead of reliving the pain over and over, EMDR helps the brain reprocess the memory in a healthier way. As healing takes place, new, life-giving beliefs can take root-like "l am worthy" or "I can move forward." The burden lifts, and clients often feel more hopeful and alive again. You don't have to carry this weight forever. EMDR can help lift the burden and open the door to a lighter, freer life. Reach out today to begin.
Two people hold hands, offering support, likely in a therapy or counseling setting.

How EMDR Can Calm the Body's Overactive Alarm System (Anxiety Disorders)

by ADG Marriage & Family Therapy • 8 January 2026
Do you feel like your mind is always racing-like there's a constant alarm bell going off that you just can't shut down? Anxiety isn't just "in your head." It's your body stuck in fight-or-flight mode, convinced that danger is always around the corner. Life events, chronic stress, or past trauma can all flip this switch and keep it stuck on high alert. While coping skills help in the moment, they don't always resolve the deeper triggers. EMDR goes further by targeting those root triggers and retraining your nervous system to stand down. Clients often describe feeling calmer, lighter, and more in control after EMDR. It's not about erasing who you are - it's about finally letting your mind and body rest. Imagine living with a calmer mind and body. EMDR can help restore balance. Contact me to see how we can work together.
Girl with head in hand sits, parents argue in background doorway.

Why Talk Therapy Alone Isn't Enough for Deep Childhood Wounds (Complex Trauma)

by ADG Marriage & Family Therapy • 8 January 2026
Have you ever wondered why, no matter how much insight you gain in therapy, the same old patterns keep showing up in your relationships? Complex trauma comes from repeated emotional wounds, often in childhood- neglect, criticism, emotional unavailability. These early experiences wire the nervous system to expect danger or rejection, leaving deep scars that shape how you see yourself and others. Traditional talk therapy builds awareness, but awareness alone doesn't always heal. That's because trauma lives not only in your thoughts, but also in your body and nervous system. EMDR works directly with those deep, unprocessed experiences so you can finally move beyond old scripts and live with more freedom. You don't have to keep repeating the past. Healing is possible. You don't have to live in the shadow of your past. EMDR offers a path to healing that goes deeper than words. Let's start that journey together.