Attachment Theory in Action

Karen Buckwalter concludes her conversation with Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, about examining couples and romantic relationships through the lens of attachment theory.

Tatkin is a clinician, researcher, teacher, and developer of A Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy® (PACT). He has a clinical practice in Calabasas, CA, and developed the PACT Institute for the purpose of training other psychotherapists to use this method in their clinical practice. Dr. Tatkin also teaches and supervises family medicine residents at Kaiser Permanente, Woodland Hills, CA, and is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Tatkin is on the board of directors of Lifespan Learning Institute and serves as a member on Relationships First Counsel, a nonprofit organization founded by Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt.

Dr. Tatkin received his early training in developmental self and object relations (Masterson Institute), Gestalt, psychodrama, and family systems theory. His private practice specialized for some time in treating adolescents and adults with personality disorders. More recently, his interests turned to psycho-neurobiological theories of human relationship, and applying principles of early mother-infant attachment to adult romantic relationships.

Dr. Tatkin was a primary inpatient group therapist at the John Bradshaw Center, where among other things, he taught mindfulness to patients and staff. He was trained in Vipassana meditation by Shinzen Young, and was an experienced facilitator in Vipassana. He was also trained by David Reynolds in two Japanese forms of psychotherapy, Morita and Naikan. Dr. Tatkin was clinical director of Charter Hospital’s intensive outpatient drug and alcohol program, and is a former president of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, Ventura County chapter. He is a veteran member of Allan N. Schore’s study group. He also trained in the Adult Attachment Interview through Mary Main and Erik Hesse’s program out of UC Berkeley.

Karen Buckwalter welcomes Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, for part one of their conversation about examining couples and romantic relationships through the lens of attachment theory.

Tatkin is a clinician, researcher, teacher, and developer of A Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy® (PACT). He has a clinical practice in Calabasas, CA, and developed the PACT Institute for the purpose of training other psychotherapists to use this method in their clinical practice. Dr. Tatkin also teaches and supervises family medicine residents at Kaiser Permanente, Woodland Hills, CA, and is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Tatkin is on the board of directors of Lifespan Learning Institute and serves as a member on Relationships First Counsel, a nonprofit organization founded by Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt.

Dr. Tatkin received his early training in developmental self and object relations (Masterson Institute), Gestalt, psychodrama, and family systems theory. His private practice specialized for some time in treating adolescents and adults with personality disorders. More recently, his interests turned to psycho-neurobiological theories of human relationship, and applying principles of early mother-infant attachment to adult romantic relationships.

Dr. Tatkin was a primary inpatient group therapist at the John Bradshaw Center, where among other things, he taught mindfulness to patients and staff. He was trained in Vipassana meditation by Shinzen Young, and was an experienced facilitator in Vipassana. He was also trained by David Reynolds in two Japanese forms of psychotherapy, Morita and Naikan. Dr. Tatkin was clinical director of Charter Hospital’s intensive outpatient drug and alcohol program, and is a former president of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, Ventura County chapter. He is a veteran member of Allan N. Schore’s study group. He also trained in the Adult Attachment Interview through Mary Main and Erik Hesse’s program out of UC Berkeley.

Karen Buckwalter welcomes Lori Thomas, MA, as they conclude their discussion on the importance of therapy for foster and adoptive families. Lori Thomas is a counselor in residency with Emmaus Family Counseling Center. Thomas is a co-author on The Jonathan Letters with Michael Trout in 2005, and a contributing author on the Attachment Theory in Action: Building Connections Between Children and Parents book in 2018. Both books are available on tkcchaddock.org.

Lori works from an attachment-focused perspective. With the understanding that attachment develops in early childhood, and dysfunctional patterns may develop based on early experiences, Lori believes that nurturing healthy attachments is integral to the healing process. This attachment-focused work is especially geared towards counseling children and their parents. Children who have experienced trauma, are in the foster care system, or are adopted are some of her favorite clients.

Lori has an extensive history working with children who have experienced trauma, beginning as a foster and adoptive parent, which led to her interest in entering the field of counseling. Lori has completed many trainings, including a 40-hour Nurturing Attachments Postgraduate Training by Deborah Gray. She also earned certificates in Crisis Pregnancy Coaching through Light University. In addition to co-authoring The Jonathan Letters (2005), and contributing to Attachment Theory In Action, she is also a contributing author to The Hope-Filled Parent (2008), Hope for Healing (2011). She is an active advocate and public speaker on children’s issues. She is the mother of seven children, three through birth and four through adoption. She served on the Board of Directors of The Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh) for nine years. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Paul, their youngest child, and two dogs.

Karen Buckwalter welcomes Lori Thomas, MA, for part one of their discussion on the importance of therapy for foster and adoptive families. Lori Thomas is a counselor in residency with Emmaus Family Counseling Center. Thomas is a co-author on The Jonathan Letters with Michael Trout in 2005, and a contributing author on the Attachment Theory in Action: Building Connections Between Children and Parents book in 2018. Both books are available on tkcchaddock.org.

Lori works from an attachment-focused perspective. With the understanding that attachment develops in early childhood, and dysfunctional patterns may develop based on early experiences, Lori believes that nurturing healthy attachments is integral to the healing process. This attachment-focused work is especially geared towards counseling children and their parents. Children who have experienced trauma, are in the foster care system, or are adopted are some of her favorite clients.

Lori has an extensive history working with children who have experienced trauma, beginning as a foster and adoptive parent, which led to her interest in entering the field of counseling. Lori has completed many trainings, including a 40-hour Nurturing Attachments Postgraduate Training by Deborah Gray. She also earned certificates in Crisis Pregnancy Coaching through Light University. In addition to co-authoring The Jonathan Letters (2005), and contributing to Attachment Theory In Action, she is also a contributing author to The Hope-Filled Parent (2008), Hope for Healing (2011). She is an active advocate and public speaker on children’s issues. She is the mother of seven children, three through birth and four through adoption. She served on the Board of Directors of The Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh) for nine years. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Paul, their youngest child, and two dogs.

Welcome to Attachment Theory in Action! Our podcast is dedicated to therapists, social workers, counselors and psychologists who are working with clients from an attachment-based perspective. Interviews are conducted with individuals who are doing clinical work as well as leading attachment theory researchers.

Karen Buckwalter concludes her discussion with Phyllis Cohen, Founder and Director of the New York Institute for Psychotherapy Training in Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence, on Cohen's Building Blocks program for therapists.

Dr. Cohen has developed the Building Blocks Program where she teaches and supervises therapists who work dyadically with birth mothers and young children in foster care at an agency in NYC. She has also been a volunteer doing assessments and writing affidavits in the Immigration and Asylum Seeker Project at NYU.

Dr. Cohen is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU, and is in private practice in Brooklyn, New York.

Welcome to Attachment Theory in Action! Our podcast is dedicated to therapists, social workers, counselors and psychologists who are working with clients from an attachment-based perspective. Interviews are conducted with individuals who are doing clinical work as well as leading attachment theory researchers.

Karen Buckwalter welcomes Phyllis Cohen,Founder and Director of the New York Institute for Psychotherapy Training in Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence, for part one of their discussion on Cohen's Building Blocks program for therapists. Part two will be released on Tuesday, August 20th.

Dr. Cohen has developed the Building Blocks Program where she teaches and supervises therapists who work dyadically with birth mothers and young children in foster care at an agency in NYC. She has also been a volunteer doing assessments and writing affidavits in the Immigration and Asylum Seeker Project at NYU.

Dr. Cohen is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU, and is in private practice in Brooklyn, New York.

Welcome to Attachment Theory in Action! Our podcast is dedicated to therapists, social workers, counselors and psychologists who are working with clients from an attachment-based perspective. Interviews are conducted with individuals who are doing clinical work as well as leading attachment theory researchers.

Karen Buckwalter welcomes Mary Koloroutis, CEO of Creative Healthcare Management and Board Member of The Knowledge Center, for part two of their discussion on the impact Attachment Theory can and does have on healthcare.

Mary has spent more than four decades advancing relationship-based cultures in health care organizations. She partners with clients to identify and maximize the strengths and capacities of teams and whole systems. The results speak for themselves: measurable improvement including widespread alignment with core values and principles.

Mary has been instrumental in the creation of numerous highly successful programs, including Re-Igniting the Spirit of Caring, adopted by leading health care systems worldwide. She is a co-creator, author, and editor of the Relationship-Based Care series of books and workshops. Her belief in the importance of patient-clinician attunement led to the development of the See Me as a Person workshop and book co-created with psychologist Michael Trout. Most recently, Mary is a contributing author and co-editor of Advancing Relationship-Based Cultures.

Welcome to Attachment Theory in Action! Our podcast is dedicated to therapists, social workers, counselors and psychologists who are working with clients from an attachment-based perspective. Interviews are conducted with individuals who are doing clinical work as well as leading attachment theory researchers.

Karen Buckwalter welcomes Mary Koloroutis, CEO of Creative Healthcare Management and Board Member of The Knowledge Center to discuss the impact Attachment Theory can and does have on healthcare.

Mary has spent more than four decades advancing relationship-based cultures in health care organizations. She partners with clients to identify and maximize the strengths and capacities of teams and whole systems. The results speak for themselves: measurable improvement including widespread alignment with core values and principles.

Mary has been instrumental in the creation of numerous highly successful programs, including Re-Igniting the Spirit of Caring, adopted by leading health care systems worldwide. She is a co-creator, author, and editor of the Relationship-Based Care series of books and workshops. Her belief in the importance of patient-clinician attunement led to the development of the See Me as a Person workshop and book co-created with psychologist Michael Trout. Most recently, Mary is a contributing author and co-editor of Advancing Relationship-Based Cultures.

Welcome to Attachment Theory in Action! Our podcast is dedicated to therapists, social workers, counselors and psychologists who are working with clients from an attachment-based perspective. Interviews are conducted with individuals who are doing clinical work as well as leading attachment theory researchers.

Karen Buckwalter welcomes Dr. David Wallin for part two of their conversation on attachment in psychotherapy, the importance and necessity of the therapist's self-revelation, and the impact on the therapist's own psychology.

David Wallin, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Albany, California.  A magna cum laudegraduate of Harvard who received his doctorate from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, he has been practicing, teaching, and writing about psychotherapy for more than three decades. Attachment in Psychotherapy, his most recent book,is presently being translated into a dozen languages. He is also the co-author (with Stephen Goldbart) of Mapping the Terrain of the Heart: Passion, Tenderness, and the Capacity to Love.  He has lectured on attachment and psychotherapy in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Canada, and throughout the United States. For further information, please visit www.attachmentinpsychotherapy.com. 

Welcome to Attachment Theory in Action! Our podcast is dedicated to therapists, social workers, counselors and psychologists who are working with clients from an attachment-based perspective. Interviews are conducted with individuals who are doing clinical work as well as leading attachment theory researchers.

Karen Buckwalter welcomes Dr. David Wallin for part one of their conversation on attachment in psychotherapy, the importance and necessity of the therapist's self-revelation, and the impact on the therapist's own psychology. Part two will be released Tuesday July 23rd at noon, EDT.

David Wallin, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Albany, California.  A magna cum laudegraduate of Harvard who received his doctorate from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, he has been practicing, teaching, and writing about psychotherapy for more than three decades. Attachment in Psychotherapy, his most recent book,is presently being translated into a dozen languages. He is also the co-author (with Stephen Goldbart) of Mapping the Terrain of the Heart: Passion, Tenderness, and the Capacity to Love.  He has lectured on attachment and psychotherapy in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Canada, and throughout the United States. For further information, please visit www.attachmentinpsychotherapy.com.