Therapist Uncensored Podcast

Note: This episode is Part 2 of 2. It stands alone, but to start at Part 1 click HERE.   “So which strategy in this model is best? Every behavioral strategy is the right strategy for some problem, but no strategy is the best strategy for every problem. We need them all.” – Dr Patricia Crittenden, creator of the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment & Adaptation (DMM) using culture and context. LOOKING FOR THE SLIDES? DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE: Rudiments-of-the-DMM-PDF VERSION OR THE POWERPOINT VERSION HERE:  Rudiments of the DMM Powerpoint version  Or if you have great eyesight 🙂 you can view them here.   Therapist Uncensored Episode 97 Show Notes: Before we begin: A’s (Red in the DMM)=Historically referred to as Blue on TU B’s (Blue in the DMM)=Historically referred to as Green on TU C’s (Green in the DMM)=Historically referred to as Red on TU AC’s = Historically referred to Tie Dye on TU **Note: We know the colors may be a bit confusing, but it is important to us that you receive information as Dr Crittenden has published it. It is by happenstance that our colors are the same (with the exception of tie dye), but they represent different thinking and behavioral patterns. When we refer to color in the episodes and in the show notes, we are referring to the colors we have historically used on the TU podcast and the letters and self-protective strategies of the DMM. This is only in order to maintain consistency and make the information more easily understood by our listeners. However, the colors as shown in the slides and as listed above, are the way Dr Crittenden uses them in her fantastic work! Let’s Dive In: To understand self-protective strategies, we have to understand the information the brain is using, even in infancy – it’s neurological. A’s, the B’s and the C’s emphasize different sorts of information. Strategies by Age Group and Model Representation:   Infancy DMM                           Ainsworth                ABC+D A-2: Avoidant                           A1-2                    A1-2 B1-2: Reserved                    B1-4                    B1-4 B3: Comfortable                    C1                       C1-2 B4-5: Reactive                                              D-Controlling C1-2: Resistant/Passive   Preschool Preschoolers utilize false positive affect. A’s split their own self from the other, and they focus on the parent. They take the perspective of the powerful person. C’s split their negative affect, showing either the vulnerable or the invulnerable affect. They hide the other from view. DMM                             Ainsworth               ABC+D A1-2: Avoidant                                                 A1-2 A3-4: Compulsively Caregiving/Compliant      B1-4 B1-2: Reserved                                               C1-2 B3: Comfortable                                               D-Controlling B4-5: Reactive C1-2: Resistant/Passive C3-4: Aggressive/Feigned Helpless School Age DMM                             Ainsworth               ABC+D A1-2: Avoidant                                                 A1-2 A3-4: Compulsively Caregiving/Compliant                       B1-4 B1-2: Reserved                                                C1-2 B3: Comfortable                                          D-Controlling B4-5: Reactive C1-2: Resistant/Passive C3-4: Aggressive/Feigned Helpless C5-6: Punitive/Seductive   Adolescence DMM                             Ainsworth               ABC+D A1-2: Avoidant                                                 A1-2 A3-4: Compulsively Caregiving/Compliant                        B1-4 A5-6: Compulsively Promiscuous/Self-Reliant                    C1-2 B1-2: Reserved                                          U/Cannot Classify B3: Comfortable B4-5: Reactive C1-2: Resistant/Passive C3-4: Aggressive/Feigned Helpless C5-6: Punitive/Seductive   Adult DMM                               Ainsworth                    ABC+D A1-2: Avoidant                                                        A1-2 A3-4: Compulsively Caregiving/Comp                    B1-4 A5-6: Compulsively Promiscuous/Self-Reliant        C1-2 A7-8: Delusional Idealization/Externally Assembled Self              U/Cannot Classify B1-2: Reserved B3: Comfortable B4-5: Reactive C1-2: Resistant/Passive C3-4: Aggressive/Feigned Helpless C5-6: Punitive/Seductive C7-8: Menacing/Paranoid A/C: Includes Psycopathy (extreme A/C combination)   Description of each group:* The A’s (our blue. red in the DMM) A1-2: The A1-2 strategy uses cognitive prediction in the context of very little real threat. Attachment figures are idealized by over-looking their negative qualities (A1) or the self is put down a bit (A2). Most A1-2s are predictable, responsible people who are just cool and businesslike. Type A strategies all rely on inhibition of feelings and set danger at a psychological distance from the self. This strategy is first used in infancy. A3: Individuals using the A3 strategy (compulsive caregiving, cf., Bowlby, 1973) rely on predictable contingencies, inhibit negative affect and protect themselves by protecting their attachment figure. In childhood, they try to cheer up or care for sad, withdrawn, and vulnerable attachment figures. In adulthood, they often find employment where they rescue or care for others, especially those who appear weak and needy. The precursors of A3 and A4 can be seen in infancy (using the DMM method for the Strange Situation), but the strategy only functions fully in the preschool years and thereafter. A4: Compulsively compliant individuals (Crittenden & DiLalla, 1988) try to prevent danger, inhibit negative affect and protect themselves by doing what attachment figures want them to do, especially angry and threatening figures. They tend to be excessively vigilant, quick to anticipate and meet others’ wishes, and generally agitated and anxious. The anxiety, however, is ignored and downplayed by the individual and often appears as somatic symptoms that are brushed aside as being unimportant. A5: A5 individuals use a compulsively promiscuous strategy (Crittenden, 1995) to avoid genuine intimacy while maintaining human contact and, in some cases, satisfying sexual desires. They show false positive affect, including sexual desire, to little known people, and protect themselves from rejection by engaging with many people superficially and not getting deeply involved with anyone. This strategy develops in adolescence when past intimate relationships have been treacherous, and strangers appear to offer the only hope of closeness and sexual satisfaction. It may be displayed in a socially promiscuous manner (that does not involve sexuality) or, in more serious cases, as sexual promiscuity. A6: Individuals using a compulsively self-reliant strategy (Bowlby, 1980) do not trust others to be predictable in their demands, find themselves inadequate in meeting the demands or both. They inhibit negative affect and protect themselves by relying on no one other than themselves. This protects the self from others, but at the cost of lost assistance and comfort. Usually this strategy develops in adolescence after individuals have discovered that they cannot regulate the behavior of important, but dangerous or non-protective, caregivers. They withdraw from close relationships as soon as they are old enough to care for themselves. There is a social form of the strategy in which individuals function adaptively in social and work contexts, but are distant when intimacy is expected, and an isolated form in which individuals cannot manage any interpersonal relationship and withdraw as much as possible from others. A7-8: Delusionally idealizing individuals (Crittenden, 2000) have had repeated experience with severe danger that they cannot predict or control, display brittle false positive affect, and protect themselves by imagining that their powerless or hostile attachment figures will protect them. This is a very desperate strategy of believing falsely in safety when no efforts are likely to reduce the danger (cf., the “hostage syndrome”). Paradoxically, the appearance is rather generally pleasing, giving little hint of the fear and trauma that lie behind the nice exterior until circumstances produce a break in functioning. This pattern only develops in adulthood. Individuals using an A8 strategy (externally assembled self, Crittenden, 2000) do as others require, have few genuine feelings of their own, and try to protect themselves by absolute reliance on others, usually professionals who replace their absent or endangering attachment figures. Both A7 and A8 are associated with pervasive and sadistic early abuse and neglect. The B’s (our green, blue in the DMM) B1-2: Individuals assigned to B1-2 are a bit more inhibited with regard to negative affect than B3s but are inherently balanced. B3: The Type B strategy involves a balanced integration of temporal prediction with affect. Type B individuals show all kinds of behavior but are alike in being able to adapt to a wide variety of situations in ways that are self-protective, that protect their children, and that as often as possible cause others no harm. They communicate directly, negotiate differences, and find mutually satisfactory compromises. They distort cognitive and affective information very little, especially not to themselves. Finally, they display a wider range of individual variation than people using other strategies – who must constrain their functioning to employ their strategy. This strategy functions in infancy. By adulthood, two sorts of Type B strategies can be differentiated. Naive B’s simply had the good fortune to grow up in safety and security. Mature B’s, on the other hand, 1) have reached neurological maturity (in the mid-30’s), 2) function in life’s major roles, e.g., child, spouse, parent, and 3) carry out an on-going process of psychological integration across relationships, roles, and contexts. Where naive B’s tend to be simplistic, mature B’s grapple with life’s complexities. B4-5: Individuals assigned to B4-5 exaggerate negative affect a bit, being sentimental (B4) or irritated (B5) but are inherently balanced. The C’s (our red, blue in the DMM)  C1-2: The C1-2 (threatening-disarming) strategy involves both relying on one’s own feelings to guide behavior and using somewhat exaggerated/changing displayed negative affect to influence other people’s behavior. Specifically, the strategy consists of splitting, exaggerating, and alternating the display of mixed negative feelings to attract attention and manipulate the feelings and responses of others. The alternation is between presentation of a strong, angry invulnerable self who blames others for the problem (C1,3,5, 7) with the appearance of a fearful, weak, and vulnerable self who entices others to give succorance (C2,4,6,8). C1-2 is a very normal strategy found in people with low risk for mental health problems and a great zest for life. Infants display the C1-2 strategy. C3-4: The C3-4 (aggressive-feigned helpless) strategy involves alternating aggression with apparent helplessness to cause others to comply out of fear of attack or assist out of fear that one cannot care for oneself. Individuals using a C3 (aggressive) strategy emphasize their anger in order to demand caregivers’ compliance. Those using the C4 (feigned helpless) give signals of incompetence and submission. The angry presentation elicits compliance and guilt in others, whereas vulnerability elicits rescue. The precursors of this strategy can be seen in infancy (using the DMM method for the Strange Situation), but the strategy only functions fully in the preschool years and thereafter. C5-6: The C5-6 strategy (punitively obsessed with revenge and/or seductively obsessed with rescue) is a more extreme form of C3-4. It involves active deception to carry out the revenge or elicit rescue. Individuals using this strategy distort information substantially, particularly in blaming others for their predicament and heightening their own negative affect. The outcome is a more enduring and less resolvable struggle. Those using a C5 (punitive) strategy are colder and more distant

Treating Attachment & Self-Protective Strategies “If it protects you, it’s the right strategy.” – Dr Patricia Crittenden, creator of the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment & Adaptation (DMM) using culture and context. LOOKING FOR THE SLIDES? DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE: Rudiments-of-the-DMM-PDF VERSION OR THE POWERPOINT VERSION HERE:  Rudiments of the DMM Powerpoint version  Or if you have great eyesight 🙂 you can view them here. Are you ready to move from describing injured developmental pathways and symptoms – to addressing how to heal from disrupted development? We are on the case! In this episode co-host Sue Marriott LCSW, CGP discusses exactly that with Dr. Patrica Crittenden, founder of the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment & Adaption (DMM) using culture and context to understand, decode and heal early relational injuries. Their conversation was deep and wide, thus will be published in two sections. In today’s episode, TU96, Dr. Crittenden focuses on wide-reaching cultural aspects of development, safety and danger. She uses decades of observations, assessment, research and clinical work to describe her take on what she refers to as the American Attachment researchers and elucidates how her model is similar and where and why it differs. Dr. Crittenden’s focus on applying this rich research clinically aligns perfectly with the mission of this podcast. Whether you are a clinician, foster parent, educator or are interested for your own personal reasons, you will find her perspective fresh and thought-provoking! Please see the PACKED resources and show notes below! Who is Patricia Crittenden and why do want to know her…. Dr. Mary Ainsworth Dr. Crittenden studied under Mary. D. Ainsworth from 1978 until 1983, when she received her Ph.D. as a psychologist in the Social Ecology and Development Program at the University of Virginia. In addition to Mary Ainsworth’s constant guidance and support, her psychology master’s thesis on the CARE-Index, was developed in consultation with John Bowlby and her family systems research, on patterns of family functioning in maltreating families, was accomplished with guidance from E. Mavis Hetherington. John Bowbly Dr. Crittenden has served on the Faculties of Psychology at the Universities of Virginia and Miami and held visiting professorships at the Universities of Helsinki (Finland) and Bologna (Italy) as well as San Diego State University (USA) and Edith Cowan University (Australia). In 1992 she received a Senior Post-doctoral Fellowship, with a focus on child sexual abuse and the development of individual differences in human sexuality, at the Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire. In 1993-4 she was awarded the Beverley Professorship at the Clark Institute of Psychiatry (Canada). In the last two decades, Dr. Patricia Crittenden has worked cross-culturally as a developmental psychopathologist developing the Dynamic-Maturational Model (DMM) of attachment and adaptation, along with a developmentally attuned, life-span set of procedures for assessing self-protective strategies. She has received a career achievement award for “Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Child and Family Development” from the European Family Therapy Association in Berlin. Currently, Dr. Crittenden’s work is focused on preventive and culture- sensitive applications of the DMM to mental health treatment, child protection, and criminal rehabilitation. Before we begin: A’s (Red in the DMM)=Historically referred to as Blue on TU B’s (Blue in the DMM)=Historically referred to as Green on TU C’s (Green in the DMM)=Historically referred to as Red on TU AC’s = Historically referred to Tie Dye on TU **Note: We know the colors may be a bit confusing, but it is important to us that you receive information as Dr Crittenden has published it. It is by happenstance that our colors are the same (with the exception of tie dye), but they represent different thinking and behavioral patterns. When we refer to color in the episodes and in the show notes, we are referring to the colors we have historically used on the TU podcast and the letters and self-protective strategies of the DMM. This is only in order to maintain consistency and make the information more easily understood by our listeners. However, the colors as shown in the slides and as listed above, are the way Dr Crittenden uses them in her fantastic work! Therapist Uncensored Episode 96 Shownotes: “We crave information about danger because we live so safely, and we know there has to be danger out there and our brains are evolved to hunt for it.” – Andrea Claussen, student of Crittenden What patterns are emerging culturally? Life makes sense the way we live in it – the strategy that is dominant in each culture represents the best solution to the problems/for the dangers that are prevalent and have been prevalent historically that these people have experienced Western countries have become safer than that ever were before. We’ve fallen in love with the idea of security, but the trick is to survive danger. Bowlby knew attachment is about protection from danger and not the state of security. What is the DMM about? Crittenden’s work is about “all the things that we do when we’re in danger and how stunningly competent even our infants are at figuring out what you need to do to stay safe here, in this family where I was born, with these parents who live in this culture facing these problems right now and these other problems that the culture knows about historically.” Infants: Embedded in a series of systems Only experiences systems through the interaction with parents Know historical danger in a pre-conscious way, personal dangers in a more conscious way, may even carry mother’s experience with danger epigenetically As infants become preschoolers who become school-aged children who become adolescents repeatedly refine their understanding of how to stay safe in this family, in this setting, in this culture As their mind matures and makes it possible for them to use more of the information that is around them. The socioeconomic biases that predict security in the U.S. are not necessarily what is going to predict safety in the DMM. Attachment From Bowlby to Crittenden: Attachment functions to promote survival by protecting and comforting the person when there is danger Attachment is not about security, it is about surviving danger, which is a completely different starting point than American attachment begins with and to organize a protective strategy. The Brain The brain needs information if you’re going to behave in the context of danger in a way that will elicit a attachment, care-giving and protection. The brain operates with three kinds of information: Somatic information from your body – How does your stomach feel right now? Are Your hands shaking or you aroused? Somatic information will override everything else. Cognitive – action consequence sequences -straight behavioral learning Affective – information that is processed through the limbic system that comes from intense contextual stimulus These three sources of information, your body, the temporal consequences and the intensity of signals in the state all give you information that predict danger or safety. Infants learn the meanings of these forms of information from interacting with their parents. Attachment theory in general: Infant brains use simple information, and they create simple strategies. More mature brains transform information in more ways and then it better predictions, and they organize more elegant protective behavior The Differences Between the DMM and American Attachment Click HERE to download the slides (these will be discussed in detail in Part 2, Ep 97, but you are welcome to check them out here!) American attachment theory Attachment is a characteristic of the infant. The A, B, C, D model codes only the infant or only the adult (AAI). Attachment is a property of a person, not a relationship.  Ainsworth named observations in children patterns. DMM model Attachment is not in one person. It is the process between two people that makes the younger weaker, more vulnerable, and the other more safe and comfortable when there is threat. Security is not so important. Adaptation is important Crittenden calls observations self-protective strategies. Self-protective strategies: Asks “does it protect you in your context?” A strategy that is the best solution to the problems in your life context that is adaptive will feel good and comfortable and safe. American attachment theory assumes a normative, safe environment. DMM says globally, it is not always safe. A more typical environment has danger in it, and you need to adapt to that. We need attachment relationships that will protect us in dangerous circumstances. Find Episode 97, Part Two of this discussion, here.     Gain private access, more in-depth episodes and exclusive content with us through Patreon.  Become a Super Neuronerd, a Gold Neuronerd or an Out and Proud PLATINUM NEURONERD today!   Join our exclusive community of Therapist Uncensored Neuronerds for just $5 a month! Help us create a ripple of security by sharing the science of relationships around the globe! NEURONERDS UNITE! Click here to sign up.   Resources: Rudiments-of-the-DMM-PDF VERSION Raising Parents Attachment Representations and Treatment (2008) by Patricia Crittenden The Organization of Attachment Relationships Maturation, Culture & Context (2000) by Patricia Crittenden “The secret lives of children” 2017, in Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry by Patricia Crittenden “Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation – theory and practice” PDF Ed. Ari Hautamaki   Tweet

Oxytocin and dogs! Our pet relationships provide a trust and bonding boost, and is the natural love drug our bodies make at key relational moments such as child-birth, nursing, orgasm and falling in love.* In this episode we discuss how to create this moral molecule without even needing complicated human relationships by connecting mutually to our companion pets. What’s not to love about that? The science now is clear – this inter-species relationship is mutually beneficial and potentially life-changing for both of you. Lower cortisol, higher oxytocin, more trust and connection – ba bing! Most of us can relate to having a beloved pet that has been a significant part of our lives. We love them, and the cool thing is, they love us back unconditionally it seems, without regard to our moral failings. In fact, there is now crazy hard science research to back up the power of this connection, particularly regarding dogs. In our last episode, we told you that we’d be talking more about the love drug, oxytocin, and how we can actively induce the release of this hormone in our bodies in order to promote our favorite subject, building security. In this one we get real and walk the walk of vulnerability.  So, what do pets, specifically dogs, have to do with oxytocin and building security? Well, security happens through safe connection, and connection both induces the release of oxytocin and is created by it’s presence. This cascade creates a feeling of physiological safety and openness and warmth in our bodies, which helps us to bond and build security. Believe it or not, we can consciously manipulate our body’s release of oxytocin through the bond we create with our beloved pets. And if you’ve been following the podcast, you know this ties into the previous 2 episodes on Polyvagal Theory and our autonomic nervous system. In this episode, join Ann and Sue as they talk about what this experience looks like in real life and how to cultivate the love-drug cross-species. Also hear Sue’s incredibly powerful story of tragic loss, and renewed hope, all related to pets. *Of course we are simplifying a bit – nothing is all good. Oxytocin isn’t always a love-drug, it can cause aggression or feelings of loneliness. For example if the wolves had made eye-contact as the companion dogs did (the wolves made much less eye contact and had no increase in the hormone), it would probably have spiked aggression rather than bonding (an urge to protect their bonded pack rather than attach to the alien human), but we are focusing here on the most major findings of the neuropeptide. Cooper comforting Sue… I know so MANY of you have pets as primaries, it’s a real relationship (scientifically and intuitively) that truly comforts and heals. Episode 95 show notes: Oxytocin – Ann and Sue’s favorite neuropeptide, AKA the cuddle drug, the love drug, the moral molecule. Research shows that the bond we have with our pets is reciprocal. The pleasure center of the brain lights up in us and in our animal partners. Cortisol levels decrease, and oxytocin levels increase in humans and animals when we have high eye contact. The most significant increase (up to almost 300%) is seen with dogs and varies based on breed. It’s an extra boost if we catch our dogs looking at us first. Don’t be embarrassed about your significant other with 4 legs, or less. Hear about bonding with fish, monkey’s picking and humans grooming behavior, and what lice has to do with it all. Dogs and any other beloved pet can be serious attachment figure in our lives, helping us to build a sense of safety and security in the world. It can be a very powerful relationship that is just as strong, and sometimes stronger, than human connections. Granted some people have pets as just animals, an object to guard their home or to rescue or to get dates, but that is totally different from the potential real attachment relationships that in the right circumstances can enhance the lives of the whole family. Sue shares how dogs have been a consistent, benevolent, reliable, caring, protective force in her life. To illustrate this, she shares a vulnerable personal story about her relationships with her dogs, Jackson and Cooper, through some traumatic experiences. Story take-aways: Teenage parenting tip: if you want to get your teen to talk to you, do something active with them so you aren’t staring at them waiting to talk. Engaging in something actively where they don’t have to make direct eye contact is more likely to open up a reluctant talker – like walking dogs, or dribbling balls, or parallel doodling – sneaking up on the conversation is conducive to getting them to open up without stress. Oxytocin is better than crack. Important note: the bond with Jackson and later, Cooper, didn’t replace the relationship with people during these hard experiences. The connection, however, is unique and sometimes better than the connection with people if you come from experiences where people didn’t earn your trust. Back to Oxytocin and Cortisol Science Oxytocin bounces across species and is not species-dependent. Think chimpanzees holding each other , the owl caring for the duck in the owl’s nest, the hippo and the giant turtle. It is normally associated with childbirth, nursing, love-making orgasm and everybody produces it. It causes the milk let-down response that nursing women experience when a baby cries or in response to someone in distress. Companion animals – but especially companion dogs – pick up our distress and actively want to nurture us and vice versa. Lesser known oxytocin response: tribalism-aggressive and protective behaviors So how do we really facilitate oxytocin flow with people? Learn to trust by taking small calculated risks Vulnerability begets nurturing Use gentle eye contact – soft gaze for extended time (not fight or make out gaze, just looking with interest and curiosity and care) Sue and Ann discuss research studies, how the breed of dog effects eye contact and bonding, and other examples of the connection between dogs and people. Dopamine: the hunt and find chemical, think looking for a date Dopamine + Oxytocin = amazing from a romantic standpoint. Thanks for joining us as we get vulnerable and walk the walk with you. We get it. That’s why we are working to build security one episode at a time! Resources: How Dogs Love Us – A Neuroscientist and his Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain – by Gregory Berns Gazing into the puppy-dog eyes may actually be good for you – NPR audio Oxytocin and Cortisol Levels in Dog Owners and Their Dogs Are Associated with Behavioral Patterns: An Exploratory Study   A 1980 study found that more heart-attack victims with pets survived beyond the one-year mark than those without, a finding that was reproduced 15 years later. Dog – Human Chemistry, the Role of Oxytocin  Smiling faces are attractive to dogs, thanks to oxytocin  Oxytocin Gaze Positive Loop and the Co-evolution of Human-Dog Bonds. The Pet Effect – Health Related Aspects of Companion Animal Ownership   Who doesn’t love special offers? Gain private access, more in-depth episodes and exclusive content with us through Patreon.  Become a Super Neuronerd, a Gold Neuronerd or an Out and Proud PLATINUM NEURONERD today! 🙂  Join our exclusive community of Therapist Uncensored Neuronerds for just $5 a month! Help us create a ripple of security by sharing the science of relationships around the globe! NEURONERDS UNITE! Click here to sign up. Cooper looking regal and standing guard emotionally Tweet

Exploring neurofluency in therapy with Dr. Lou Cozolino, the podcast delves into blending neuroscience with psychology for effective therapy. Discussions on brain executive systems, emotional regulation, and Freud's impact on psychology add depth. The pitfalls of blindly following charismatic leaders and the importance of safety and flexibility in therapy approaches are also highlighted.