ACTW Blogs Written by our Expert Therapists
Nothing I Do Is Ever Enough - How to Love a Partner with an Anxious Attachment Style
Do you feel like nothing you do ever enough to satisfy your partner? You are intentional and put exerted effort into pleasing and making your partner feel loved, only to feel like the goal post keeps moving. You are not alone in feeling this way and it is not an impossible issue to navigate. This is a common dynamic when one person in the relationship has an anxious attachment style. An anxiously attached partner may struggle with feeling secure in the relationship, leading to the internal belief that "I’m not good enough." If you find yourself loving someone with this attachment style, understanding their needs and learning how to navigate their emotional landscape will help both of you feel more connected and secure.
I Found out I'm Dating Someone with an Avoidant Attachment Style, What Do I Do Now?
If you are aware of attachment styles you may have noticed the person you are dating has some avoidant attachment tendencies. Don’t worry, many people have avoidant or anxious attachment styles, and they are more likely to be single, so you will often run into them in the dating pool. Navigating the world of romantic relationships can be challenging, especially when dealing with different attachment styles. However, armed with understanding and self-awareness, it's entirely possible to build a healthy and fulfilling relationship with someone who has an avoidant attachment style. Below you will hear tips from our expert relationship therapists to help you navigate the journey of dating someone with an avoidant attachment style.
Toxic Positivity Around Being Single: Navigating the Impossible Expectations of Valentine’s Day
t’s that time of year where everything we see on social media is “Best Valentine Date Ideas" and “12 Valentine’s Gift Ideas for Your Partner.” However, when you are single these can feel like a judgement from everybody in the world reminding you that you are alone on this holiday and everyone else is not. And then there are people telling you to celebrate your singleness and sharing how blissfully happy a single life can be. It’s okay to not be over the moon in love or thriving in “hot girl summer” or “BDE” culture. It’s okay to be single and not happy about it.
Five Things to Do Before You Get Married: A Denver Premarital Therapist's Top Advice
When you get engaged, it’s easy to get lost in the details of the wedding. Should we really invite that long distance cousin that we haven’t seen in years? Is the photographer worth that much money? But those are only questions you should be asking for the wedding, not for the marriage. Here are five things we recommend you do before you get married to prepare for a healthy and fulfilling relationship with your partner.
The First Holiday After a Loved One Passes Away: Navigating Grief During the Holidays.
The holidays are a time of tradition. Most of us have special traditions with our families or loved one during the holidays, such as cooking a special meal or going around the table to express our gratitude. This is why the first holiday season after a loved one has passed can be extremely difficult.
Do Breaks in Relationships Work? Advice from a Denver Relationship Expert on Successful Breaks
When we think of taking a break, we usually think of unhealthy couples going back and forth not being able to commit or stay broken up. However, that does not have to be the case! There are many benefits of taking a break, as long as you and your partner are aligned with the goals and expectations of the break.
I Had a Dysfunctional Family, Does That Mean I Will Have Dysfunctional Relationships?
Did you grow up in a family where there was constant fighting, the absence of any emotion, or a combination of both? Did you grow up with plenty of examples of how relationships shouldn’t be? This may leave you concerned about how the dysfunction in your family impacts your ability to have healthy relationships of your own. At Authentic Connections Therapy and Wellness our skilled team specializes in understanding these aspects of relationships and is here to help.
Questions to Ask Your Partner to Spark Intimacy: Advice from a Denver Couple’s Therapist
Many relationships fail because of the lack of intimacy in a relationship. The most detrimental thing you can do in a relationship is to become roommates and strangers. It's easy for life to get in the way and the relationship to take a back seat. As a relationship therapist at Authentic Connections Therapy and Wellness, I have seen this happen time and time again.
Why Does My Partner Keep Me at Arm's Length? Do They Have an Avoidant Attachment Style?
An avoidant attachment style is characterized by a person who has a negative view of others and a positive view of themselves. Typically, this style develops when people have had more absent caregivers and have not had their attachment needs to be met. Due to not being able to depend on others to get their needs met, they may have difficulty opening up and trusting others.
Does My Partner Have Anxious Attachment Styles and Does This Mean We are Doomed?!
Anxious attachment is one of four attachment styles that are thought to develop in our childhood and continued through our adulthood. These are based on patterns of behaviors that people have in relationships with others.
An anxious attachment style is characterized by a person who has a negative view of themselves and a positive view of others. Typically, this style develops when people have had their needs met inconsistently. Due to the inconsistency, they may worry about their needs being met in the future or if they are loveable enough to have these needs met.
Am I Dating a Narcissist? Advice From a Denver Relationship Trauma Therapist.
The term “narcissist” is thrown around often, especially for people who have high self-esteem, love to talk about themselves, and are proud of who they are. However, people with a narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are often those who have low self-esteem and need to be admired and complimented consistently, don’t have empathy for others, and have a hard time accepting criticism.
Why do I Keep Getting Breadcrumbed? Advice from a Denver Relationship Therapist
In the modern dating world, the term breadcrumbed means to be given just enough attention to keep you interested but never being fully invested. Typically, you go on a couple dates with a person and then they seem to be busy or cancel dates at the last minute. You question if they are interested and feel confused because on the dates they seem “so into you,” but once they are no longer around you, they are distant and difficult to get in contact with. Usually, right when you are about to write them off, they will text you something like “Hey! It’s been a while, lets meet up soon!” At this point you start to question yourself, “was I expecting too much,” “did I overreact,” “maybe they were truly busy?” You give it another shot and after trying to figure out what they mean by “soon” you go on another date with them and have a blast. The cycle then repeats.