EP 43 What Avoidants Really Need from You

Update: 2025-04-06

Description

In this episode of Psychotherapy Central, host Jennifer Nurick delves into the often misunderstood world of avoidant attachment. While avoidantly attached individuals may appear self-sufficient and distant, they harbour deep emotional needs that they often find challenging to express.

In this episode Jennifer explores:

The internal experience of avoidant attachment

Core emotional needs of avoidant individuals, including:
- Emotional safety without pressure
- Acceptance for who they are
- Connection on their terms
- Freedom and autonomy within relationships
- Reliability and consistency from partners
- Non-verbal understanding
- Validation of their feelings and boundaries

The reasons behind their difficulty in expressing these needs

Steps toward healing and fostering healthier relationships

Resources Mentioned:

Book: Heal Your Anxious Attachment by Jennifer Nurick. This holistic guide offers a trauma-informed approach to help individuals feel more secure, cultivate self-worth, and build healthier relationships.

Insight: Esther Perel emphasizes the importance of maintaining mystery and surprise in relationships to counteract routine and sustain desire.

Related Episodes:

Episode 2: Avoidant Attachment Explained – A comprehensive overview of avoidant attachment, its development, and its impact on relationships.

Episode 25: 9 Tips for Dating When You Are Avoidantly Attached – Practical advice for navigating the dating world with an avoidant attachment style.

Episode 31: Understanding Avoidant Attachment Behaviours – Delving deeper into the behaviors associated with avoidant attachment and strategies for change.

Episode 40: Why We Choose Avoidant Partners: An Internal Family Systems Perspective – Exploring the unconscious patterns that draw individuals to avoidant partners.