What Your Attachment Style Really Means

On today’s episode of the Being Whole podcast, we welcome Dr. Beth Ribarsky. Dr. Beth Ribarsky (Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln) is a professor in the School of Communication and Media at the University of Illinois Springfield, where she teaches courses in interpersonal communication and public speaking. Dr. Ribarsky’s research focuses on the social construction of individual and relational identities. Specifically, much of her research is devoted to understanding the communication surrounding romantic relationships as well as sexual communication. Her research has been published in numerous academic journals, and she has written/co-edited two books: Activities for Teaching Gender and Sexuality in the University Classroom and Activate Your Superpower: Creating Compelling Communication. Her work has been featured in popular outlets, such as The Washington Post, Yahoo News, Bustle and NPR. She is an active member of the Central States Communication Association. And, Dr. Ribarsky integrates her communication knowledge into the Springfield community as an advocate for animal welfare, serving as a fundraiser chair, social media director, and communication consultant for Illinois Humane.

You can find more info about Beth below:
www.deardrbeth.com

Hopefully this episode doesn’t make you feel like you’re on the defensive because of your attachment styles in relationships. Did you know that I offer corporate training for businesses and organizations? I love getting to do lunch and learns or workshops! If you, or someone you know, is looking to strengthen a team with communication skills, burnout prevention, conflict management, and resolution, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Instagram @DrCassandraLeClair with the word CORPORATE to learn more about how we can work together and bring growth to the spaces you need help with.

Here are a few of my takeaways from this episode:
1-Your attachment style is a lot of times molded by how you established independence in your first year of life. However, life trauma that you may experience can influence your attachment style to change.
2-People have different needs for stability and this looks different for each love language.
3-Just because you wish you could be a different attachment style doesn’t mean that you can switch. The more important factor is to become secure with your own attachment style and communicate that to others.
4-By learning your attachment style and the attachment styles of people you regularly communicate with, you can understand where someone is coming from and why they do the things they do without taking things personally for the Most part.
5- Just because someone isn’t meeting your needs, that doesn’t mean that the relationship is doomed. It requires communication to get on the same page in order to work well together.