Attachment

Our most early relationships shape us. How our needs are met, or not, leave an imprint on our sense of self on a deep, non-verbal level. Our attachment styles are formed by 5 years of age, and we develop core survival strategies to get our needs met in relationships, at the expense of oneself. Therapy can help you heal your relationship with yourself, and reimagine how you'd like to be in relationship with those most important to you.

When we are born it is imperative that we connect to our caregivers. It is exclusively through this early connection we learn our nascent sense of self and the safety of others. However, these fragile moments are often met with neglect or intrusion, both subtle and overt, that instill predicatble survival strategies that continue into adulthood. Nothing is wrong with you. The question is what happened to you and what interpersonal strategies did you use to survive.

A healthy attachment is neither forced to be near nor forced to be away. Secure attachment comes from the security and safety to be in relationship and be ourselves in a way that is successful to our lives and honers the life of our relationships. Healthy attachment doesn't ask us to compromise ourselves or our others. It is the ability to hold with others and our selves. Education and knowing your tendencies in attachment will empower productivity in your relationships and avoid your triggers.

My work supporting individuals across the spectrum of mental illness owes itself to attachment theory, self-concept development, and DBT/interpersonal effectiveness skills-building modalities. As human beings, we are, by definition, social and relational organisms that exist within a spectrum of ubiquitous contexts. Together, we will work to better-understand family dynamics, explore various attachment styles, and build better communication/boundary-setting skills.

As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and Certified Brainspotting practitioner, my knowledge and approach centers attachment issues throughout a person's lifespan.

Attachment can affect how we show up in our relationships and how relationships effect our wellbeing. We will redefine some shattered roles so that you can reimagine your relationships as whole.

Attachment wounds are at the core of many of our struggles, and this lens comes into all the work I do. I also have specific training in modalities such as EFT, and Attachment Focused EMDR.

My foundational approach works on relational connection as a tool for healing embedded trauma. Many of my clients have suffered disruption in their ability to properly connect with others, and live in a constant state of activation which can manifest as stress, depression, disorganization, loss of executive function, overwhelm, and isolation. We will work together to find your sense of safety in order to restore your nervous system's natural ability to heal and connect with others.

I practice primarily through an attachment lens and treat the wounds that result from and rest in the most important relationships in our lives.

There are many reasons why we may find ourselves in patterns of not being able to feel like we can be in the type of relationship we can thrive in at our best selves. Whether that be in a romantic, familial, professional, platonic. relationship etc. Annikki strives to work along side you to get to the core root of where this is stemming from to help you find the joy and fulfillment you are seeking.

With extensive training in psychodynamic and attachment theories, I focus on how early relational patterns shape current relationship health, especially for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals. Psychodynamically, I explore how unconscious processes and early life experiences influence current relationship dynamics, often reflecting internalized societal messages and early relational dynamics.

Our attachment histories and needs often underlie many of the complaints or symptoms that bring us to therapy and point the way toward their resolution.

Healthy Attachment to self, family, community, and the world can all be in need of support and counseling. I am able to support you in your work to build healthy attachment rooted in your unique wholeness

Once your understand yourself and meet your own needs, you will find confidence to make those tough calls or make good choices that lead to a flourishing life. After understanding what goes into attaching to others, you can develop the connection you want with your partner. The parent-child relationship builds expectations for the future that is invaluable. After receiving practical tools for communicating with your child you will feel closer and more happy at home.

Attachment styles are formed early in life by our caregivers and then greatly influenced by relationships we have throughout our lives. I believe that attachment styles are as unique as fingerprint. By supporting individuals and couples better understand their attachment styles

Attachment styles are not developed randomly. They are formed from all the "good" and "bad" encounters with our primary caretakers/family, which construct a mental and physical story of how we view and interact in our romantic, familial, and social relationships. These experiences can shape and distort our authentic self and influence our connections to others and the world. Gaining insight into your own attachment styles can be transformative in making shifts in creating deeper relationships.

Through an attachment-based lens, I explore how childhood and early family dynamics have shaped your worldview. This allows us to delve into various life experiences, your perceptions of relationships, and the coping strategies you use to navigate daily challenges. Throughout our time together, you will learn how to boost self-confidence, shift negative internal beliefs, and develop a strong sense of self. Ultimately, my aim is to empower you to lead a more fulfilling and authentic life.

I'm immensely passionate about everything attachment - especially helping folks heal attachment wounds. Since we’re wired to need connection to survive, it makes sense that our relationships can "make or break us." Unfortunately, many of us carry wounds from disrupted / harmful attachments and as a result make choices that go against our own best interest repeatedly. When we understand attachment and how it has impacted us, we’re able to know ourselves deeper and truly heal.

I work from an attachment lens.