Marion F. Solomon

Here, Daniel J. Siegel and Marion F. Solomon have gathered leading writers to discuss such topics as: attention, resilience and mindfulness; neuroplasticity—how the brain changes its function and structure in response to experience; “loving awareness” as the foundation for mindful living; how mindfulness training can help build empathy and compassion in clinicians; self-compassion; addictions; using breath practice to cultivate well-being; tools for clients who feel disconnected; “therapeutic presence”—how we show up for our clients, how we embody being aware and receptive. The latest entry in the acclaimed Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology, this book brings fresh voices to the all-important topics of meditation, mental training and consciousness. Mind, Consciousness, and Well-Being offers a unique window into the science and art of taking our understanding of the mind and consciousness and applying it to cultivating well-being in our personal lives and our professional work.

Through play, as children, we learn the rules and relationships of culture and expand our tolerance of emotion. Here, leading writers such as Jaak Panksepp, Allan Schore, Pat Ogden and Louis Cozolino illuminate what play and creativity mean for the healing process at any stage of life.

How People Change explores the complexities of attachment, the brain, mind and body as they aid change during psychotherapy. Research is presented about the properties of healing relationships and communication strategies that facilitate change in the social brain. Contributors include Irving Yalom, Peter Levine, Bruce Perry, Jessica Benjamin and others.

What happens between partners that makes love turn to war? How can couples therapists help deescalate the battles? Two leading therapists apply the latest neuroscience research on emotional arousal to help couples regulate each other’s emotions, maintain secure attachment, and foster positive, enduring relationships. The neurobiologically-grounded and sensitive approach set forth by Solomon and Tatkin in this book is sure to transform the way clinicians understand and treat couples in therapy.

This book not only reveals the social and psychological factors that lead to marital unhappiness, but also offers guidelines for change. Solomon starts by uncovering certain pervasive narcissistic myths and exploring what it means to be intimate in a culture that values autonomy and self-fulfillment above all. She shows that experiences in early childhood can lead to narcissistic vulnerability in later relationships. Case examples from her practice clarify how two individuals' feeling states and defenses mesh in the marital system and how the attempt to defend against emotional injury creates barriers to intimacy. The second part of the book focuses on treatment and on ways to change.