How To Heal Attachment Styles Workbook
How To Heal Attachment Styles Workbook
Table of Contents
What are the four attachment styles? ........................................................................................ 2
What causes insecure attachment styles?................................................................................. 3
What are the Core Wounds? ..................................................................................................... 4
Anxious Preoccupied.............................................................................................................. 4
Dismissive Avoidant ............................................................................................................... 5
Fearful Avoidant ..................................................................................................................... 6
How to Heal ............................................................................................................................... 7
Journaling Exercise ............................................................................................................. 8
Talk to your inner child ........................................................................................................... 9
Emotion Chart ...................................................................................................................... 10
Tips specific to the Dismissive Avoidant ............................................................................... 11
Tips specific to the Anxious Preoccupied ............................................................................. 13
Tips specific to the Fearful Avoidant..................................................................................... 15
Final Thoughts ......................................................................................................................... 16
Secure
• Capable of sending and receiving healthy expressions of intimacy
• Enjoys alone time and partner time
• Has a positive view of relationships
• Healthy interdependence
• Relationships mostly feel like Zen, peace, and harmony
Anxious Preoccupied
• Clingy or needy
• Jealous or possessive
• Needs frequent validation, and can text frequently to remind you that they exist
• Worried that they're not really loved
• Codependent
• Feel like others are responsible for their emotions and they're responsible for others emotions
• Can have a love addiction
Dismissive Avoidant
• Hyper independent
• Avoids vulnerability
• May be slow to text back or make plans
• Easily suffocated
• Fears commitment
• Relationships are a low priority
• May feel like it's an admirable quality to not want a relationship
• Only focus on their needs and not their wants
• Has blunted emotions
• Tend to focus more on their career (partially because money will never hurt them, partially because
they think if they're ambitious they'll get the love and recognition they deep down long for, and feel
worthy)
Fearful Avoidant - Swings back and forth between dismissive and anxious
• Wants closeness but is scared
• Cycles between pushing people away and then pulling them close
• Constantly expects the worst in relationships
• Common in those with or raised by someone with Borderline Personality Disorder
• Can often be sexually promiscuous (but in some cases avoids sex altogether)
• Hyper vigilant on picking up queues from others/can seem to “mind read”
• In a relationship they tend to act like the opposite of the other person's attachment style
There is no firm cutoff between Secure and Insecure, as there’s almost no one in existence who is
100% Secure. And there is also no firm cutoff between Fearful Avoidant and being squarely Anxious or
Dismissive. Most people who are Fearful Avoidant lean towards one of the other attachments.
Our attachment styles are mostly formed from how our parents or
caregivers raised us. Humans are like computers that run on
subconscious programming that forms mostly between the ages of 0-7. You're not broken or
However, this programming can change through major life events and damaged if you have an
impactful relationships. Traumatic events cause our attachment to be insecure attachment
insecure, but trauma doesn't always have to be obvious abuse or style, and it doesn't
neglect! Small things like being made fun of, getting lost at the store, make you bad, or
parents not showing up when you cry, fighting parents, an alcoholic unworthy of love! It's a
parent, parents divorcing, or staying together despite not being in love,
very common thing,
parents working a lot, you having to take care of your siblings, parents
not making eye contact, not validating your emotions, or you simply don't and part of the human
feel close them, etc. These traumas cause core wounds to be stored in condition. But it's not
your subconscious. These are limiting beliefs that you are probably not the healthiest version of
even consciously be aware of. To heal, you must reprogram these core you that you can be.
wounds.
Associated
Core Wounds Explanation
Emotions
Sadness,
Because you learned to sooth through caregivers
I am not good loneliness,
growing up, it feels like rejection if they aren’t available.
enough and will be despair,
You become dependent on others, and derive your
rejected stinging and
sense of self through relationships.
burning pain
Loneliness,
This is similar to the abandonment wound, but this is
Hopelessness,
I am alone more of a heavy, depressed feeling, while
sadness,
abandonment is a panicked, fearful feeling.
depression
Associated
Core Wound Explanation Resulting Behaviors
Emotions
Associated
Core Wounds Explanation
Emotions
Anger,
I will be This stems from an issue of not trusting others due to resentment,
betrayed inconsistency from your caregivers growing up. frustration,
stinging pain
You think you can't make any mistakes or it will set your
parent off, causing chaos. This is because making a mistake
Shame,
I am bad or caused too big of a reaction in your parents. Now when you
rumination,
defective do something you deem as bad you withdraw and criticize
panic
yourself. This can make you walk on eggshells around
others, and people please.
This is similar to the “I am bad” wound, but this has more guilt
I am not good
involved while the other has more shame. You will try to
enough or am Guilt
overcompensate and take on responsibilities that you don't
unworthy
need to, thus overburdening yourself.
You feel like your existence is a burden on others, like you Guilt,
I am a burden
shouldn't have been born. depression
Coping
You shouldn't be
The extent of what many bad therapists teach is how to cope with your
attachment, but not how to heal from it. There is value in learning how to cope ashamed or upset
while you are in the healing process, but you don't want to just cope for the rest when you get
of your life! What you really want to do is rewire or reprogram your brain so you triggered or express
won't feel triggered again. But first, let’s start here. unhealthy
behavior. It is to
Communicate. Now that you're aware of the core wounds, when you get be expected when
triggered you may feel tempted to just push the feelings away because they're
unhealthy. Don’t do this! Suppressing the feelings only pushes them further you have an
down into your subconscious and will make the problem worse down the road. insecure
Put words to your emotions and let your partner know how you're feeling in that attachment style.
moment. It's not a reflection
of your character,
Example #1 – An Anxious partner asks their Dismissive partner to spend more
it's just a reflection
time together after not seeing them for a week. Both partners feel triggered; the
Anxious one feels like they're being abandoned, like they're not actually loved, of your past
and feel desperate for validation, while the Dismissive partner feels suffocated, experiences and the
like their freedom is being threatened, and that makes them feel unsafe. imprints they left
on your mind.
The Anxious partner may say “I haven’t seen you all week and it makes me feel
like you don’t actually enjoy spending time with me, I feel very unloved.”
And the Dismissive partner may reply "I truly do love/care about you, but I'm feeling really
suffocated right now. I need to take some space, but when I'm not feeling overwhelmed
anymore I'll text you to make plans", rather than just disappearing.
Example #2 – An Anxious attachment’s partner goes out with their friends without inviting
them, and it made them feel excluded. The Anxious person recognizes that it’s not realistic to
be invited out with their partner’s friends all the time, but still feels a lot of pain.
They may say "It made me feel really unloved that you went out with your friends without me. I
recognize that this stems from an unhealthy place and it's not your responsibility to always
invite me, or to make me feel alright, but I just wanted to open up to you that it's really hard for
me."
And their partner may reply “I’m sorry it made you feel that way. Know that I always love you,
but I also need time to myself. Next time I’ll text you at the end of the night to let you know that
I’m thinking of you.”
2. Let yourself feel the emotion. Sit and let yourself really feel. Identify and name the
emotions, and write them down. Use the emotion chart on Page 10 if you need help
naming them. However, don’t label the emotion as good or bad. Your emotions are part
of you, and you are not bad! They simply exist, allow them to be heard. You must feel
in order to heal.
3. Find the meaning you're giving to the situation. Why is this causing you painful
emotions? You may be thinking, "They don't care about me, they're just using me, I'm
not attractive enough, I'm not smart enough, I’ll never find someone who truly cares"
etc. Sometimes these thoughts and limiting beliefs pass by so quickly that you don't
even realize you have them. But if you take a moment and consciously process what
you're going through and write them down, you can name the limiting beliefs.
4. Rewire your belief. Question the validity of those beliefs, so you can then consciously
tell yourself the truth. Find an emotionally tied memory that opposes that feeling. Think
of examples about how people do care about you, how you are attractive enough, etc.
The subconscious is programmed through emotion and repetition, so make sure
to really remember and feel the emotions that are tied to the memory, as well as write it
down.
5. Meet your need. If it's an Anxious wound that’s triggered, look for ways you can meet
the need yourself. Tell yourself even if this person doesn't like you, you like you! You
think you're pretty. You think you're fun. You're always here for you. And if it's a
Dismissive wound that’s triggered, look for ways you can reach out to others and
express your vulnerability. Tell yourself that you will be safe. It may feel silly, but write
these things down.
There are other journaling exercises in the tips for each specific attachment below. Over time
you won't need to journal as much as you'll start to catch these patterns in real time and calm
yourself down in a few seconds. Soon you won’t ever be triggered at all!
Meditation
Meditation is an essential part of healing your mind. There are many different types of
meditations and uses for them. If you don’t already, follow any basic guided meditation you can
find for free on YouTube for 5-20 minutes a day. This will train you to have control
over your thoughts. The purpose isn’t to think zero thoughts, but rather anytime you
You are not your
observe a thought, you let it pass by instead of following it down a rabbit hole. It’s
mind, and thus
like working out a muscle, it’s hard at first but becomes easy over time. Eventually
you are not your
you will recognize that you are not your mind, but you are the consciousness of your
programming.
mind. As you get more skilled, meditation is useful for when you need to find an
early memory. Ask yourself why you feel a certain way, and then clear your mind You are the
without trying to search for the answer. It will come to you out of nowhere. awareness of your
mind.
EFT and Hypnosis
These are ways of accessing your brain in different states. Hypnosis is a state of meditation
where your brain enters theta and delta waves, which is where subconscious reprogramming
happens. There are free hypnotherapy videos on YouTube which guide you into a state of
hypnosis, and then reprogram early memories or program in more positive ways of thinking.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as Tapping, is a practice where you tap on
acupressure points of the body that stimulate the amygdala in the brain, while saying
therapeutic phrases that combat negative memories or limiting beliefs. The amygdala
stimulates the fight or flight response, so this practice helps reprogram your mind to no longer
associate those memories or beliefs with stress or fear. Sounds crazy but it works wonders!
The brain is wired to avoid pain more than seek pleasure, so write a cost list of not wanting a
romantic relationship. Then you'll see that there's more pain in avoiding doing this work.
Here are some examples:
• Having the associated traumas/core wounds stored in your subconscious can affect
more than just how you show up in relationships, it can also affect your physical health
over time! This is because it makes you stay in fight or flight all the time. (You won’t
recognize that you’re constantly on alert because you’ve lived your entire life this way. I made a YouTube
video about what is the subconscious mind and how trauma affects our physical health.)
• You won’t have a life partner to support you during tough times. (Yes you’re great at supporting
yourself, but life is a lot easier and less stressful being able to lean on someone.)
• You won’t grow as much as you can. Navigating relationships helps you grow and
evolve as a person. (Probably more than any other aspect of life.)
• These core wounds will get worse over time and you'll become a bitter grumpy old
person. (Ever wonder why old people can become so mean?)
• Studies show our happiness is determined by the quality of our relationships. Life is
mediocre without close bonds. (There’s a reason why couples who are genuinely in love look so happy.)
• Relationships are a pillar of life, and it’s not healthy to cut off one area of your life. (You
will become a fuller, more balanced human. You came to Earth to experience this. )
• You will never experience the feeling of deep love, which is the greatest feeling in the
world. (It’s hard to conceptualize of this when you’ve never felt it, but this isn’t an exaggeration.)
• Sex is 10,000 times better when you're deeply in love! You’ll never experience the most
mind-blowing orgasms you can have. (I’ve done my own scientific studies to confirm this ;) But don’t
trust me, ask your secure friends. )
In your journal write down the examples that resonate with you, and then add some more of
your own. If you think of any “but” statements, they’re limiting beliefs which you can reprogram.
You must get in tune with your emotions. This attachment makes you live your entire life in a
low state of dissociation. You feel emotions, but they’re not as deep as any of
the other attachment types.
Love isn’t an
• Ask yourself what you feel, and where do you feel the emotions
emotion, it’s a
physically in your body.
• Set an alarm on your phone to check in for a minute every couple hours state of being.
or so
• Journal morning and/or night about what emotions you experienced that
day.
• Wim Hof breathing exercises help shake up your emotions to the surface, because they
are stored physically in the body.
Look for ways that you are seen or heard. Find an example of 1 or 2 people in your life. If it's
possible that they do, then why isn't it possible that others can?
• You may just need to be more vulnerable with others.
Rewire your brain to know that it's possible to be seen and heard.
• To do so you need to see and hear your own feelings first. Be able to label them, and
then share them with the world around you.
Anytime someone triggers you, it'll reactivate this core wound. You will push people away
because they don't get you, but you're really just further implanting this wound deeper into
yourself, rather than communicating what's going on. As you get older this will keep carving
deeper and deeper into your subconscious
• Instead let the trigger be the poking finger hitting a bruise saying hey, you still have this
wound here! And then take steps to reprogram your brain to heal so you'll never be
triggered again.
Healing this wound will actually help you manifest more people in your life who really do see
you!
The most important thing you need to do is build your relationship with yourself.
• This means build your self-identity, strengthen your boundaries, and meet your own
needs.
• All day you may think about other people, things, and experiences outside of yourself.
This is emotional abandonment of yourself!
• The same way if there’s one day where you need emotional support, but the only
person available is someone you hate, you’ll think, “Heck no I don't want to get my
needs met through them!” That's how you've been treating yourself. You need to break
down that barrier and fix the relationship with yourself, because you've been casting
yourself aside your whole life.
Focus on yourself
• When you do activities alone, practice mindfulness and really being with yourself. Don’t
scroll through social media, and don’t think about anyone else.
• I admit this is easier said than done. Especially when you fall into a state of limerence
over someone else. Meditating daily helps strengthen this ability, as well as recognizing
Write out where you have a balanced need versus where you feel desperate. A desperate
need will feel like you can't live without it, or are addicted to it. A healthy need will feel like
when you desire something non-addictive, like on a beautiful day when you want to go for a
walk in the sun.
1. Make a list of your romantic needs.
2. Ask yourself what these needs are communicating to you about the needs you have
with the relationship with yourself? For example, if you want to feel heard by others, are
you truly hearing yourself?
3. Make strategies to meet these needs. Romance shouldn’t be your only source to get
your needs met. When it comes from other people it should feel balanced, nice, and
healthy. But if it’s taken away from you, it's not going to ruin you.
Life is about finding balance and this is no exception. It will take practice, so this is more of a
lifestyle change, a practice you regularly keep up. You may not need it that often over time, but
you can always come back to it as a tool when life feels out of balance.
If there's someone in your life who still doesn't get it after communicating, ask yourself: Do you
need to be seen and heard by this person? Or can you focus on relationships with other
people who are willing to see and hear you? Know that if that specific person refuses to
cooperate, it isn't because of you. It's because of their own subconscious programming that
they see the world through. They're going through life unconsciously, like an NPC, just reacting
to its programming and refusing to change. You need to shift your energy towards people who
are more conscious. They do exist, and once you reprogram yourself to be more secure, you
can manifest new people into your life who want to harbor healthy relationships with you!
You may be wondering how long it’ll take to become securely attached? But as I’m sure you
can guess, there is no concrete answer. It depends on where you’re starting, and how much
work you put into healing. But know that you didn’t develop these wounds overnight, and so
you won’t heal overnight. This is more of a lifestyle change than a onetime process. You
should start seeing dramatic improvements right away as you implement this work, but it may
take months before you can consider yourself securely attached.
I applaud you for getting through this entire healing guide, and for taking the first steps to find
inner peace and improve your life in ways greater than you could ever imagine. When you heal
yourself, you shine a light in the world and others will be inspired to do the same. And
remember, you’re worthy of the greatest love in the universe!