Integrating attachment theory and neuroscience in couple therapy

Goldstein, Sondra; Thau, Susan

doi:10.1002/aps.73

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…This moment by moment process of responding to and maintaining resonance with another's changing moods (Fishbane, 2007;Stern, 2000) is essential for couple wellbeing (Fishbane, 2007;Gottman, 2011). Attunement is highly connected to equality and intimacy among couples in general (Goldstein & Thau, 2006;Jonathan & Knudson-Martin, 2012). Willard (1999) describes that for Christians seeking a relational spirituality, the experience of attunement between God and a person occurs through constant awareness and understanding of the other and contributes to an intimate spiritual connection..…”

Section: Empathymentioning

confidence: 99%

Gendered Power, Spirituality, and Relational Processes: Experiences of Christian Physician Couples

Wilson

Knudson‐Martin

Wilson

2014

Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy

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The authors examine how gendered power and spirituality interact in the relational processes of heterosexual Christian physician couples. Using a relational feminist theoretical perspective and the documented link between gender equality and relational and individual well-being, they aimed to investigate Christian physician couples' marital and spiritual experiences. Physicians' increasing openness to spiritual issues, growing numbers of women entering medicine, and work pressures on medical marriages make studying this population particularly relevant. This constructivist grounded theory analysis drew on interviews with 22 married couples in whom at least one spouse was a physician to investigate how physician couples experienced God and their spouse. Findings suggest that Christian spirituality and relational processes seem inseparable from couples' gendered power dynamics and connect across three themes: emotional tone, relational pattern, and dialogic direction. Implications for addressing social discourses and facilitating couples in power sharing interactions are explored.

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Section: Empathymentioning

confidence: 99%

Gendered Power, Spirituality, and Relational Processes: Experiences of Christian Physician Couples

Wilson

Knudson‐Martin

Wilson

2014

Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy

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“…This first observation leads us to the question: "What does neuroscience offer the modality of couple and family therapy?" Three of the couple and family therapy adaptations mentioned previously (Fishbane, 2007;Goldstein & Thau, 2004;Tootle, 2003) drew few conclusions that could uniquely be applied to couple and family therapy. Their conclusions do not appear different than those offered by psychodynamic therapists.…”

Section: Critical Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisioning a systemic approach to neuroscience and psychotherapy.

Welsh¹,

Martin²

2013

Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice

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The purpose of this article is to approach the burgeoning field of the neuroscience of psychotherapy from a systemic framework with the ultimate goal of locating neuroscience research as a nested substrate of a complex adaptive system. Adaptations of neuroscience research to couple and family psychology are considered and critical reflections about recent adaptations are offered. We affirm the recent attempts to integrate neuroscience research with models of couple and family therapy, but also offer some cautionary statements.

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“…We are also talking about interactions that are highly patterned. Goldstein and Thau (2004), working within an attachment-based model of couple therapy, stressed how attachment schemas of childhood "become implicit, non-conscious procedural memory networks, which are evoked in interpersonal experiences, particularly attachment relationships" (p. 216) and how the interactive pattern within the couple can serve affect regulating functions which "are the basis of either enhancing or diminishing the emotional connection between the partners" (p. 222). Beebe and Lachman (2002), in discussing the applications of infant research to adult treatment, stressed the concept of coordination.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…with the shared understanding that a process is taking place which may appear illusive but is very real, even though what actually happens in any one of these moments may never be fully known. Goldstein et al (2004) stressed the importance of teaching couples about the language of emotion and about the neuropsychobiological processes underlying different emotional reactions such as the appraisal of danger so that they are better able to read each other's verbal and nonverbal cues as well as understand their own levels of arousal. I encourage patients to try to pay attention to all the nonverbal communications of their partners, such as facial expressions, body posture and tone of voice.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%