BT16 Dialogue 3 - Mindfulness, Buddhist Psychology, Neuroscience, and Attachment - Ron Siegel, PsyD, and Stan Tatkin PsyD, MSW

Description:

Educational Objectives:

1. Given a topic, describe the differing approaches to psychotherapy, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each.

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*

Outline:

Introduction and Speaker Backgrounds

• Siegel (Harvard) focuses on mindfulness and psychotherapy; Tatkin (UCLA) developed the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT).

• Session explores mindfulness, attachment, Buddhist psychology, and neuroscience.

Defining Mindfulness and Attachment

• Mindfulness = awareness with acceptance; often called “heartfulness.”

• Attachment = safety and security, shaped by early relationships.

• Both help people feel okay with present experience and promote emotional regulation.

Neurobiology of Mindfulness and Attachment

• Mindfulness alters brain regions tied to emotion regulation (e.g., ventromedial bundle, anterior insula).

• Insight meditation helps regulate emotion, pain, and thoughts.

• Secure attachment and mindfulness build equanimity and resilience.

Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation

• Mindfulness builds tolerance for emotional highs/lows (equanimity).

• Western mindfulness has shifted from thinking to feeling-focused.

• Self-compassion exercises (Neff, Germer) help soothe and regulate emotion.

• Tatkin shares personal use of mindfulness for managing physical pain.

Mindfulness and Pain Management

• Meditators experience pain with less judgment, reducing suffering.

• Buddha’s “Two Arrows” metaphor: we suffer more from mental judgment than from the pain itself.

• Mindfulness tunes into body awareness (interoception) via the insula.

• Anterior cingulate helps regulate emotion and pain experience.

Interpersonal Regulation and Couples Therapy

• Mindfulness teaches restraint and awareness of impulses.

• Orbitofrontal cortex regulates affect/arousal in relationships.

• Co-regulation is key in couples therapy: partners manage states together.

• Therapists must stay grounded, avoiding reactive countertransference.

Mindfulness in Intimate Relationships

• Mindfulness helps dissolve ego, fostering deeper connection.

• Less attachment to personal narratives allows greater intimacy.

• Tatkin notes meditation experts may still struggle in relationships—relational skills require practice.

• Visual cues play a role in romantic connection and regulation.

Mindfulness in Clinical Practice

• Therapists must regulate their own arousal to stay present and effective.

• Mindfulness increases therapist attunement and emotional control.

• Higher resolution awareness helps therapists track subtle client cues.

• Self-regulation is essential for healthy therapeutic relationships.

Mindfulness and Autism in Couples Therapy

• Tatkin discusses working with neurodiverse couples—focus on deficits vs. defenses.

• Therapy should help both partners adapt and meet each other’s needs.

• Emphasizes compassion, patience, and understanding developmental gaps.

Mindfulness and Relational Dynamics

• Memory and perception shape ongoing relational patterns.

• Projective identification is a key dynamic in couples therapy.

• Mindfulness fosters self-compassion and loving-kindness.

• Therapists support couples in co-regulation and managing emotional dynamics.