Dating and Attachment Circle

Building Secure Connections

Exploring Attachment Theory and Neurodivergent Relationships

Why do we repeatedly feel drawn to certain people or relationship dynamics? Why might one person seek greater closeness while another withdraws? And how can autism, ADHD, AuDHD, sensory sensitivity, masking, rejection sensitivity and nervous-system overwhelm shape the way we connect?

This facilitated circle explores dating and relationships at the intersection of attachment theory and neurodivergence.

Attachment theory can help us understand our patterns—but neurodivergent behaviours are often misinterpreted through an attachment lens. Needing time alone does not necessarily mean someone is emotionally avoidant. Intense communication is not always anxious attachment. Withdrawal, delayed responses or shutdown may reflect overwhelm, difficulty processing emotions or a need for nervous-system recovery.

Together, we will explore how to recognise the difference—and how to build relationships that feel safer, clearer and more secure.

Who this is for:

This circle may be helpful if you:

• Keep encountering similar dating or relationship patterns
• Find relationships emotionally intense, confusing or exhausting
• Struggle to distinguish attachment activation from neurodivergent needs
• Want to communicate your needs and boundaries more clearly
• Would like to explore these patterns in a supportive group environment

This may be especially relevant if you are autistic, ADHD, AuDHD or otherwise neurodivergent—or if you are building relationships with neurodivergent partners.

What makes this group different:

We will not reduce people or relationships to labels such as “anxious” or “avoidant.”

Instead, we will consider how attachment patterns interact with:

• Neurodivergent communication and emotional processing
• Masking and the fear of being misunderstood
• Sensitivity to rejection or perceived disconnection
  
• Sensory and social overwhelm
  
• Different needs for closeness, autonomy and recovery time
  
• Previous experiences of exclusion, invalidation or relational trauma
  
• Self-regulation, co-regulation and repairing disconnection

Neurodivergence is not an attachment disorder, and attachment styles are not fixed identities. Both are nuanced, and understanding their intersection can help us respond to ourselves and others with greater accuracy and compassion.

What to expect:

During the session, we will:

• Explore our own relationship tendencies and attachment patterns
  
• Examine the types of people and dynamics we are commonly attracted to
  
• Consider how neurodivergent traits may influence closeness, conflict and communication
  
• Review real-life dating and relationship situations
  
• Identify ways to communicate needs, establish boundaries and navigate rupture and repair
  
• Practise showing up more securely without masking or abandoning our authentic needs

This group is intended as a starting point for reflection, insight and connection—not as a diagnosis or definitive solution. It can complement individual therapy and other forms of personal support.

Event details:

Location: Crane, OUE
Time: 3:00–6:00 pm

Please bring your headphones for a guided meditation led by our lovely host.