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Loving someone with anxiety can feel confusing, exhausting, and lonely, especially when you’re trying so hard to be supportive… but nothing seems to help.
In this episode, we talk about what actually helps when anxiety shows up in a relationship — and why support so often turns into fixing, walking on eggshells, or quietly abandoning your own needs.
I’m joined by couples therapist and relationship coach Cheri Timko to explore how anxiety doesn’t just live in one person’s body — it lives in the space between partners. We break down why vulnerable conversations can feel so risky and how anxiety impacts emotional and physical intimacy (including sex).
You’ll learn:
Why trying to fix anxiety often creates more distance
How to support your partner’s anxiety without losing yourself
What anxious partners actually need in moments of overwhelm
How to have vulnerable conversations without shutdown, blowups, or self-abandonment
How couples can stay emotionally connected — even when anxiety is present
This conversation is for partners who love each other and want to feel closer, safer, and more connected — without forcing change or silencing their own needs.
If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I support my partner without disappearing myself?” — this episode is for you. 💛
If anxiety or anxious attachment keeps showing up in your relationships, even when love is there, your body may still be living in the past. I am an anxious attachment specialist & trauma informed somatic coach who helps people heal their anxious attachment using somatic therapy and nervous system regulation.
I have 4 January spots open for 1:1 somatic support for people who are ready to stop managing anxiety and start rewiring it.
Somatic work helps your nervous system release old survival patterns that were formed before you had words, patterns like fear of abandonment, constant scanning, or feeling like you have to hold everything together to stay loved.
When your body feels safe, connection no longer feels like something you have to earn.
Book your free discovery call here to see if we're a good fit to work together: https://calendly.com/freedomwithvalerie/discovery-call
Connect with Cheri here: https://www.instagram.com/couplescounselingcenter/
Check out her workbooks on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dr.-Cheri-Timko/author/B0DS3QB5KL?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
By Valerie Rubin5
99 ratings
Loving someone with anxiety can feel confusing, exhausting, and lonely, especially when you’re trying so hard to be supportive… but nothing seems to help.
In this episode, we talk about what actually helps when anxiety shows up in a relationship — and why support so often turns into fixing, walking on eggshells, or quietly abandoning your own needs.
I’m joined by couples therapist and relationship coach Cheri Timko to explore how anxiety doesn’t just live in one person’s body — it lives in the space between partners. We break down why vulnerable conversations can feel so risky and how anxiety impacts emotional and physical intimacy (including sex).
You’ll learn:
Why trying to fix anxiety often creates more distance
How to support your partner’s anxiety without losing yourself
What anxious partners actually need in moments of overwhelm
How to have vulnerable conversations without shutdown, blowups, or self-abandonment
How couples can stay emotionally connected — even when anxiety is present
This conversation is for partners who love each other and want to feel closer, safer, and more connected — without forcing change or silencing their own needs.
If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I support my partner without disappearing myself?” — this episode is for you. 💛
If anxiety or anxious attachment keeps showing up in your relationships, even when love is there, your body may still be living in the past. I am an anxious attachment specialist & trauma informed somatic coach who helps people heal their anxious attachment using somatic therapy and nervous system regulation.
I have 4 January spots open for 1:1 somatic support for people who are ready to stop managing anxiety and start rewiring it.
Somatic work helps your nervous system release old survival patterns that were formed before you had words, patterns like fear of abandonment, constant scanning, or feeling like you have to hold everything together to stay loved.
When your body feels safe, connection no longer feels like something you have to earn.
Book your free discovery call here to see if we're a good fit to work together: https://calendly.com/freedomwithvalerie/discovery-call
Connect with Cheri here: https://www.instagram.com/couplescounselingcenter/
Check out her workbooks on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dr.-Cheri-Timko/author/B0DS3QB5KL?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true