Episode 330: Attachment Styles & Somatic Healing with Laurie James

I'm joined once again by Laurie James for a conversation that bridges nervous system healing, somatic experiencing, and attachment work. If you've ever felt overwhelmed or disconnected in relationships, this episode will help you understand why and what to do about it.

Laurie isn't just a coach and author, she's someone who's done the deep work to regulate her nervous system after divorce and heartbreak. In this episode, she shares how her body responded completely differently to a recent breakup, not with panic, but with presence. That's what nervous system healing looks like in real time.

We also dig into attachment styles: how to identify your own, how they show up in anxious or avoidant behaviors, and how somatic work can support real change. Most importantly, we talk about how to stop trying to fix or override your system and start building safety within it. This is about meeting yourself where you are and knowing that real healing is possible.

Here's what else we discuss in this episode:

• What somatic experiencing actually is and how it supports healing (7:31)

• How your autonomic nervous system operates and what shifts when you engage it intentionally (9:42)

• The connection between nervous system regulation, somatic work, and attachment styles (16:52)

• How Laurie's recent breakup differed from her divorce (and why it matters) (40:44)

• Practical strategies for working with an avoidant or anxious attachment style (46:45)

Learn more about Laurie James: Laurie James is a mother, divorcée, recovering caregiver turned author, somatic relationship coach, and podcaster. Laurie's podcast, Confessions of a Freebird, was inspired by her youngest of four children leaving the nest and is the sequel to her book, Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go.

Laurie's book is about her journey from loneliness to finding belonging during a time when she was raising four teenage daughters, her mother had a heart attack and needed care, all while her marriage began to crumble.

Now Laurie helps women divorce, heal, and date differently in midlife. She blends her coaching and somatic training to help her clients develop a better relationship with their bodies and nervous system. Doing so allows them to find the inner freedom to experience more happiness, joy and create the life they desire.

Resources & Links:
The Divorce Survival Guide Resource Bundle
Phoenix Rising: A Divorce Empowerment Collective
Focused Strategy Sessions with Kate
Laurie's website
Laurie on Instagram
Laurie's podcast
Laurie's Beginner's Guide to Somatic Healing

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DISCLAIMER: THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS AVAILABLE ON THIS PODCAST ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY, COACH, OR THERAPIST IN YOUR STATE TO OBTAIN ADVICE WITH RESPECT TO ANY PARTICULAR ISSUE OR PROBLEM.

Episode link:
https://kateanthony.com/podcast/episode-330-attachment-styles-amp-somatic-healing-with-laurie-james/