How Couples Change

The article "How Couples Change: A Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT)" by Stan Tatkin presents a unique approach to couples therapy that focuses on the psychobiological capacities of partners to maintain self-regulation and mutual regulation within a relationship. Rather than concentrating on conflict or content, the PACT model emphasizes the importance of partners being able to manage their autonomic nervous systems together, creating positive states of arousal and mitigating negative ones. The approach integrates principles from attachment theory, arousal and affect regulation, and developmental neuroscience, considering how partners' brains respond to threat and how this influences their interactions. By training couples to recognize and correct their automatic behaviors and reactions, the PACT therapist helps them build a secure-functioning relationship where both partners act as co-regulators, supporting each other's emotional and psychological well-being.

  • Understand the key principles of the Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT) and how it differs from traditional models of couples therapy.

  • Explore the role of attachment theory, arousal regulation, and developmental neuroscience in the context of couples therapy.Identify the ways in which automatic behaviors and threat responses impact the dynamics of a relationship.

  • Identify the ways in which automatic behaviors and threat responses impact the dynamics of a relationship.

  • Analyze the significance of mutual regulation in maintaining emotional and psychological safety within a couple.

  • Evaluate the importance of attention and presence in reestablishing connection and trust between partners.

  • Develop skills in helping couples recognize and correct maladaptive patterns, fostering secure-functioning relationship

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