My favorite memories of training with Stan Tatkin were the hours of videos we’d watch of him in session with couples. Together we’d analyze microexpressions, attachment styles, personality disorders, neuroscience, and marvel at how Stan got away with eating his salads during session. He is always so generous in sharing clinical successes as well as examples of what not to do by showing us his failed therapeutic attempts.
This comic was inspired by one of Stan’s ‘eject button’ interventions with high arousal couples. He melodramatically drops to the floor pleading with the couple to not subject their children to this miserable fighting. The idea is to interrupt the entrenched fight with random surprise and humor long enough to reduce their mutual arousal levels. I haven’t braved this technique yet, but I’m keeping it ready in my back pocket if ever needed. Hmm, I wonder what an equivalent interruption would be in these days of virtual therapy?