Relationship Foundation Series: Attachment Styles & Love Languages

About this event

The way we give love, seek reassurance, and navigate connection did not appear out of nowhere — our attachment patterns shape nearly every relationship we build. In this workshop, we will explore how attachment styles and expressions of care influence intimacy, emotional security, and connection, particularly within non-monogamous relationships. Drawing from Polysecure by Jessica Fern, we will examine how attachment patterns show up in adult relationships, how they become activated during moments of vulnerability or uncertainty, and how they impact communication, conflict, reassurance, and emotional needs. From there, we will move beyond traditional “love languages” by incorporating Anne Hodder-Shipp’s framework of “18 Languages for Modern Love,” exploring the many nuanced ways care, affection, support, and connection can be expressed and received. Together, we will examine how needs for closeness and care can vary across relationships, identities, and life experiences and how learning to communicate those needs clearly can create deeper intimacy and understanding. We will also explore the difference between belonging and fitting in, drawing on the work of Brené Brown. Attendees will be invited to reflect on where they may be shrinking themselves, over-adapting, or abandoning authenticity in order to maintain connection, and how to cultivate relationships rooted in genuine acceptance, mutual care, and emotional safety. Throughout the workshop, attendees will gain practical tools for recognizing their own attachment tendencies, identifying the ways they naturally give and receive love, and communicating emotional needs without shame, defensiveness, or self-abandonment. We will also explore how to navigate relationships with partners who may have different attachment styles, communication patterns, or relational needs with greater empathy and flexibility. By the end of the workshop, attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of their relational patterns,…