Couples and reactive, reciprocal cycles

​"Couples find themselves in reactive cycles that are escalating and taking up more space in their relationship."

"We act in ways to protect the self and in my view, a large part of therapy is to actually look at those strategies and begin to question and modify them...to disarm their survival strategies, to put down their shields and talk in more direct and genuine ways about their fears, needs, and yearnings..."

"...becoming intentional in the ways that we relate to our partner and not always relating in automatic ways...helping couples move from reactivity to reflection."


Source: Michele Scheinkman discussing The Vulnerability Cycle on The Ackerman Podcast
​http://ackerman.podbean.com/mobile/e/the-ackerman-podcast-7-the-vulnerability-cycle-with-michele-scheinkman-lcsw-1421075491/