Relationships guide

Attachment styles without turning them into permanent labels

Use attachment concepts to notice patterns without diagnosing yourself or your partner.

Attachment is context-sensitive

People can feel secure in one relationship and activated in another. A style is not a fixed personality type.

Name the protective strategy

Anxiety seeks certainty; avoidance seeks distance. Both strategies usually attempt to reduce emotional risk.

Practice direct repair

Ask for reassurance, boundaries or time explicitly instead of testing, chasing or disappearing.