Attachment Theory in Action

Dr. Dan Siegel: How Our Attachment History Impacts our Current Relationships - Part 1

It's the landmark 100th episode of the Attachment Theory in Action Podcast!

For her 100th episode, Karen welcomes Dr. Dan Siegel himself for part one of their conversation on how our attachment history impacts our current relationships. Part two will be released Tuesday, November 12th, at noon Eastern.

Dr. Dan Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. An award-winning educator, he is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and recipient of several honorary fellowships. Dr. Siegel is also the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute.

Dr. Siegel has written or co-written several books, including the three New York Times bestsellers Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind and No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, both with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child in 2018, also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., and Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive with Mary Hartzell, M.Ed, as well as 2010's Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation. 

Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker: The Impact of Race and Culture on Attachment Security - Part 2

Karen welcomes Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker for part one of their conversation on the impact of race and culture on attachment security. Part two will be released Tuesday, October 29th at noon Eastern.

Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker has worked in the mental health field for over a decade, and is currently a licensed psychologist in Colorado. Dr. Wirta-Leiker carefully and thoughtfully chose “Beyond Words” as the name of her practice because she believed therapeutic relationships our built on a foundation of trust and collaboration that goes beyond language to a place of genuine understanding.

Dr. Wirta-Leiker currently sits on the Colorado Post-Adoption Resource Center’s (COPARC) Advisory Board and Heritage Camp for Adoptive Families (HCAF) Adult Adoptee Advisory Board. She has professional training in individual, family, and group counseling, specialized trauma therapy (EMDR I & II: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), play therapy, TBRI techniques, Theraplay techniques, parent education, and psychological assessment. She received her Doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology (Psy.D.) from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado; Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology (M.A.) from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky; and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (B.S.) from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker: The Impact of Race and Culture on Attachment Security - Part 1

Karen welcomes Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker for part one of their conversation on the impact of race and culture on attachment security. Part two will be released Tuesday, October 29th at noon Eastern.

Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker has worked in the mental health field for over a decade, and is currently a licensed psychologist in Colorado. Dr. Wirta-Leiker carefully and thoughtfully chose “Beyond Words” as the name of her practice because she believed therapeutic relationships our built on a foundation of trust and collaboration that goes beyond language to a place of genuine understanding.

Dr. Wirta-Leiker currently sits on the Colorado Post-Adoption Resource Center’s (COPARC) Advisory Board and Heritage Camp for Adoptive Families (HCAF) Adult Adoptee Advisory Board. She has professional training in individual, family, and group counseling, specialized trauma therapy (EMDR I & II: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), play therapy, TBRI techniques, Theraplay techniques, parent education, and psychological assessment. She received her Doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology (Psy.D.) from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado; Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology (M.A.) from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky; and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (B.S.) from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Dr. Robert S Marvin: Research and Clinical Applications of Attachment Theory - Part 2

Karen and Dr. Robert S. Marvin wrap up their two-part conversation on research and clinical applications of attachment theory.

Dr. Bob Marvin was an undergraduate student and research associate with Mary D. Ainsworth at The Johns Hopkins University. He received his Ph.D. in developmental and clinical psychology from the University of Chicago in 1972. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota he began teaching at the University of Virginia, where he is currently Professor Emeritus in the School of Medicine and Research Professor in the Department of Psychology. He is also Director of the Mary D. Ainsworth Child-Parent Attachment Clinic in Charlottesville, Virginia. From 1998-2006, Bob was the Principal Investigator on federally-funded projects that developed and tested the Circle of Security® version of Attachment Theory, and The Circle of Security® Intervention protocol.

Dr. Robert S. Marvin: Research and Clinical Applications of Attachment Theory - Part 1

Karen welcomes Dr. Robert S. Marvin for part one of their conversation on research and clinical applications of attachment theory. Part two will be released Tuesday, October 15th at noon Eastern.

Dr. Bob Marvin was an undergraduate student and research associate with Mary D. Ainsworth at The Johns Hopkins University. He received his Ph.D. in developmental and clinical psychology from the University of Chicago in 1972. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota he began teaching at the University of Virginia, where he is currently Professor Emeritus in the School of Medicine and Research Professor in the Department of Psychology. He is also Director of the Mary D. Ainsworth Child-Parent Attachment Clinic in Charlottesville, Virginia. From 1998-2006, Bob was the Principal Investigator on federally-funded projects that developed and tested the Circle of Security® version of Attachment Theory, and The Circle of Security® Intervention protocol.

Sharon Roszia: The Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency - Part 2

Karen Buckwalter concludes her conversation with Sharon Roszia, M.S., about Roszia's Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanancy. 

Sharon Roszia entered the field of foster care and adoption in 1963 after earning her Bachelors in Social Work and Masters in Psychology from Arizona State University. She has worked consistently in both public and private agencies, always focusing on child welfare issues. Along with her colleague, Deborah Silverstein L.C.S.W., she developed the Seven Core Issues in Adoption. Sharon lives what she does professionally as a foster parent, adoptive parent and a parent by birth.

Sharon Roszia: The Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency - Part 1

Karen Buckwalter welcomes Sharon Roszia, M.S., as they discuss Roszia's Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanancy. 

Sharon Roszia entered the field of foster care and adoption in 1963 after earning her Bachelors in Social Work and Masters in Psychology from Arizona State University. She has worked consistently in both public and private agencies, always focusing on child welfare issues. Along with her colleague, Deborah Silverstein L.C.S.W., she developed the Seven Core Issues in Adoption. Sharon lives what she does professionally as a foster parent, adoptive parent and a parent by birth.

Stan Tatkin: Looking at Attachment Theory in Couples & Romantic Relationships - Part 2

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.

Stan Tatkin: Looking at Attachment Theory in Couples & Romantic Relationships - Part 1

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.

Lori Thomas: The Importance of Therapy for Foster & Adoptive Families - Part 2

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.