Attachment Styles

How we connect, love, and protect ourselves

Attachment Theory describes the fundamental ways we relate to others in intimate relationships. Based on early experiences with caregivers, we develop patterns of seeking closeness, handling conflict, and regulating emotions.

The Two Dimensions

Anxiety

High Anxiety: Fear of abandonment, need for reassurance, sensitivity to partner's availability.

Low Anxiety: Comfortable with partner's independence, doesn't worry about rejection.

Avoidance

High Avoidance: Discomfort with closeness, values independence, suppresses emotional needs.

Low Avoidance: Comfortable with intimacy, seeks closeness, shares feelings openly.

The Four Styles

The Attachment Matrix

Anxious-Preoccupied

High Anxiety, Low Avoidance

Fearful-Avoidant

High Anxiety, High Avoidance

Secure

Low Anxiety, Low Avoidance

Dismissive-Avoidant

Low Anxiety, High Avoidance

ANXIETY →
AVOIDANCE →

What's Your Attachment Style?

Discover your attachment pattern and how it interacts with your Enneagram type.