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Unhealthy relationship patterns
The relationships we experience as children often shape the way we connect with others for the rest of our lives. These early bonds form our sense of trust, love, and emotional safety. When childhood relationships are inconsistent, neglectful, or harmful, they can leave a lasting imprint. This imprint often shows up in adulthood as what we call an attachment wound.
In my practice, I often support clients who are struggling with people-pleasing, high-functioning anxiety, emotional disconnection, or low self-worth. What I want you to know is that these behaviours are adaptations to protect you. These protective responses are developed in an environment where your emotional needs may not have been fully met. They are parts of you, not the core Self; that is the real you. The strong, resilient, wise part of you.
Attachment styles are one way we make sense of these patterns. You may have heard of the four common styles: secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganised. These styles guide how you build relationships as an adult. Perhaps you had a secure attachment as a child, which will allow you to be comfortable with intimacy, you may be able to express your needs clearly and you will honour your boundaries. However, if you have any other attachment style, you might struggle with boundaries, feeling safe enough to express your needs or find it difficult to be close with someone.
The good news is that these patterns are not permanent. With the right support, self-awareness, and a nurturing space to explore your experiences, you can shift toward a more secure way of relating. In therapy, we begin by gently exploring the root causes of your current patterns. As a registered trauma-informed psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist, I use a blend of holistic therapy approaches including inner child healing therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Clinical Hypnotherapy in the form of Rapid Transformational Therapy to support this process.
We will identify the protective parts of you that are still trying to keep you safe. Together, we will honour them while also helping you connect with your calm, wise core self. Through this work, you begin to understand your triggers, learn how to regulate your emotional responses, and start building relationships that feel emotionally safe and reciprocal.
In our sessions, you can expect warmth, compassion, and deep respect for your journey. I will guide you with insight and gentle support as we uncover and release the beliefs that no longer serve you. Whether you are navigating trauma, people-pleasing, childhood emotional neglect, or a deep sense of not being good enough, therapy can help you reconnect with your worth.
You are not your trauma. You are not the anxious thoughts or the emotional distance. You are not broken. You are learning to return home to yourself. And that is where healing begins.