Your Anxious-Avoidant Relationship Can Work—Here's How ft. Rikki Cloos

Needy No More

Content provided by Chris Rackliffe. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Chris Rackliffe or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

7M ago 58:10

MP3•Episode home

Is your relationship stuck in the anxious-avoidant "trap" or a cycle of pushing and pulling, ups and downs? In this powerful episode, I sit down with relationship writer Rikki Cloos (@anxiousheartsguide on Instagram and TikTok) to talk about why anxious-avoidant relationships feel so hard—and how to make the dynamic more secure. Here's what we discuss:

🔁 How Rikki broke up with her now-husband eight times early on in their relationship—and what finally helped them break the anxious-avoidant cycle
🧠 Why avoidant partners aren't “bad” or emotionally broken—and how anxious partners can unintentionally push them further away
🔍 The surprising ways anxious behavior can create avoidant responses in otherwise secure people
💬 How to stop blaming avoidant attachers and start reflecting on your own role in the anxious-avoidant dynamic
💖 What self-compassion actually looks like—and how changing your inner dialogue can transform every relationship in your life, by starting with the one you have with yourself
🔧 The art of healthy conflict resolution—why it’s essential for growth and how to make conflict feel connecting instead of catastrophic
📈 Why doing the work on yourself (even solo) can shift the entire energy of your relationships, whether platonic or romantic
🛠️ Practical tools, real-life scripts, and tangible phrases you can use in moments of conflict or disconnection

🌱 How secure relationships aren’t found—they’re built through emotional maturity, communication, and mutual effort

Healing resources for anyone struggling with anxious attachment:

Read dozens of free blogs on how to heal the anxious attachment style on my website, crackliffe.com
Grab a copy of my new book, Needy No More: The Journey From Anxious to Secure Attachment, at crackliffe.com/needy
Explore my downloadable healing toolkit for anxious attachers at crackliffe.com/starterkit
Learn more about the Needy No More coaching program and set up a free consultation at crackliffe.com/coaching
Follow @crackliffe on Instagram and TikTok for tons more content on all things healing anxious attachment

To connect with Rikki Cloos, visit her website at http://anxiousheartsguide.com/.

Keywords: anxious attachment, relationship dynamics, attachment theory, self-awareness, self-compassion, conflict resolution, healing relationships, secure attachment, personal growth, attachment styles, compassion, relationships, healing, communication, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, personal growth, vulnerability

12 episodes

#Fitness #Mental Health #Chris Rackliffe