CC16 Keynote 02 – What Does the Mind have to do with Couples Therapy? Have we Lost our Minds as a Field of Mental Health? – Dan Siegel, MD

Description:

The interdisciplinary field of Interpersonal Neurobiology combines all disciplines of science and other fields into one framework and offers a definition of the mind and of mental health that are of practical benefit to those seeking to enhance resilience and well-being. This perspective proposes that one aspect of the mind is an "emergent, self-organizing, embodied and relational process that regulates the flow of energy and information." From this view, a healthy mind and health itself emerge from a process called integration–the linkage of differentiated parts. Recent findings from the Human Connectome Project support this proposal that integration is the basis of positive traits in our lives. When we learn how to identify and cultivate domains of integration in our lives–from integration in the brain to integration in our relationships—we create new avenues of developing deep forms of health, vitality, creativity and resilience. Integration made visible is kindness and compassion. Couples therapists and mental health practitioners of all persuasions can benefit from having these working definitions of the mind and of mental health.

Educational Objectives:

1. Define one aspect of the Mind.   
2. Outline the origins of chaos and rigidity in human life.   
3. Identify the key components of integration.   

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