Group Meetings on May 20, 2017

The Dating and Relationship Group: The Neuropsychology of Repetition in Romantic Love
 
Recent scientific evidence has illuminated the details of a troubling pattern Freud hypothesized over a century ago: the unconscious mind seems "doomed to repeat" negative attachment/bonding dynamics over and over again.  The emerging field of interpersonal neuropsychology has now confirmed Freud's view with evidence suggesting that highly personalized and idiosyncratic neural pathways oriented toward relating are forged in early child development.   Unfortunately, as these neural pathways are strengthened with ongoing activation, they predestine a person to a constricted bandwidth of relational "scripts" that ultimately limit interpersonal freedom and intimacy across the lifespan.
 
In the next meeting of the Dating and Relationship Group on Saturday, May 20, 2017 (12:00 to 1:15 PM),  we will begin to approach the complex but significant subject of the neuropsychology of romantic love.  Our starting point will be to consider the fundamental notion of repetition; we will approach this phenomenon as an unconscious process that is neurobiologically organized early in life and reinforced through fated "enactments" with others.    
 
The Men's Group:  Codependency Among Men  
 
In recent years, codependency has received increasing levels of attention in the popular literature and media.  However, most depictions of the term muddle its true meaning and often misrepresent the psychological dynamics characterizing it.  Beyond this, codependency has seldom been applied to men and male psychology; when it has, the discussion generally fails to capture the significance of codependent patterns among men in varied relationships impacting their lives including romantic, familial, and professional relationships. 
 
In the next meeting of the Men's Group on Saturday, May 20, 2017 (10:45 AM to 12:00 PM), we will review the phenomenon of codependency among men.  We will pay particular attention to the differences between the psychological positions of independence, interdependence, and codependence, as well as the insidious emotion/behavior linkages that codependent men experience in their relationships.  
 
**To register for the May 20th meetings of the Men's Group (10:45 AM to 12:00 PM) and/or the Dating and Relationship Group (12:00 to 1:15 PM):  If you would like to attend one or both of these groups on May 20, 2017, please RSVP ASAP to Dr. Tobin at 949-338-4388 or jt@jamestobinphd.com. There is a limit of 14 attendees for each group and registrants will be accommodated on a first-come/first-serve basis.  The fee is $25.00 and the location is The Water Garden Business Center, 23421 South Pointe Drive, Suite 130, Laguna Hills, CA, 92653.  Please note that these groups are educational in purpose, not therapeutic, and do not constitute psychotherapy or counseling.**

 
James Tobin, Ph.D., PSY 22074 | 949-338-4388 | jt@jamestobinphd.com