Attachment Styles: How Your Childhood Shapes Your Relationships

In this episode, Alisa Grace sits down with licensed marriage and family therapist Willa Williams to unpack how your family of origin shapes the way you love, connect, and relate today. Together, they explore how childhood caregiving environments form your attachment style—secure, avoider, pleaser, or vacillator—and how those patterns often surface in adult relationships, marriages, and even your walk with God.

They break down how misinterpretations happen, why couples get stuck in pursue–withdraw cycles, and what to do when your emotional reactions today are rooted in yesterday’s wounds. Most importantly, Willa offers practical tools for growth, healing, and developing a more secure attachment—whether you grew up in a healthy home or a deeply broken one.

Whether you're navigating marriage, dating, friendships, or family relationships, this conversation will give you hope, language, and a roadmap to healthier connection.

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/yW2OLLXVJdM

Resources Mentioned:

• How We Love — Milan & Kay Yerkovich: A foundational book on adult attachment styles and how childhood wounds shape marriage and communication. https://howwelove.com/shop/how-we-love-book/
• How We Love Attachment Style Quiz: A free online assessment to help you identify your attachment style and start meaningful conversations with loved ones. https://howwelove.com/love-style-quiz/
  
  

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About the Hosts:

Chris Grace, Ph.D., and Alisa Grace are passionate about helping people build and sustain healthy relationships. As leaders of the Biola University Center for Marriage and Relationships, they combine the wisdom of Scripture with scholarly research to offer practical advice and insights. Learn more about their work at cmr.biola.edu.