Love + Connection: A Course on Creating Thriving Relationships

Most of strive to create and sustain vital and deeply satisfying romantic relationships over time. Yet, as relationships ride a river through inevitable challenges, many lose hope that real love and lasting connection can survive, much less thrive. This eye-opening online course with Dr.’s Daniel Siegel and Lisa Firestone draws on scientific discoveries, innovative theory, and inspiring insights to take a deep dive into the subject of love and connection. Their illuminating six-part course illustrates how through self-reflection and understanding, we can achieve an enlivening state of presence, joy, and joining in our loving relationships.

Weaving together the latest wisdom from neuroscience, attachment theory, and interpersonal neurobiology with their own combined six decades of working with couples, Siegel and Firestone offer valuable perspectives and applicable strategies that can transform romantic relationships. Their unique course highlights the many pathways we can explore in order to find connection and integration in everything from our attraction to our communication, from our intimacy to our very sense of self. 

eCourse Outline:

Introduction

Part 1: Building Thriving Relationships and Lasting Connections

• • Defining the essential elements for a thriving romantic relationship

• • Understanding attraction and compatibility

• • The value of integration 

• • The value of differentiation and linkage, autonomy and closeness

Part 2: Sexuality

• • Understanding the ways sexuality can enhance connection

• • The importance of presence to physical and emotional satisfaction

• • How lively and satisfying sexual relationships can endure over time

Part 3: Attachment History and Connection

• • The value of self-awareness in creating more closeness

• • How each category of attachment affects our interpersonal relationships

• • Moving from a reactive state to a receptive state by knowing our attachment pattern

• • The influence of early shame on interpersonal relationships

Part 4: Self and Identity in Relationships

• • Defining “selfing” as a verb: understanding our interconnectivity as part of our identity

• • How to value both differentiation and linkage in order to sustain a vital relationship

• • The experience of joining as a “mwe” to create an integrated relationship

• • The importance of perspective and empathy in connecting to our partner

Part 5: Strategies and Tools to Create Deeper, More Vital Connections

• • Practices of self-reflection and self-awareness that can transform our present relationships

• • How to become a mindful presence in a relationship

• • The value of collaborative communication

• • Strategies to enhance empathy and closeness

All course materials will be made available online for individuals to take this course at their own pace, including:

• • Video lessons with Drs. Dan Siegel and Lisa Firestone

• • Self-reflective exercises to help individuals or couples better understand themselves & their relationship dynamics
    

• • Mindfulness exercises led by Drs. Dan Siegel and Lisa Firestone

• • Tools for individuals or couples to develop deeper connections & create thriving relationships

Continuing Education Credits for this eCourse are pending and should be available for an additional purchase.

Daniel J. Siegel,M.D. received his medical degree from Harvard University and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent and adult psychiatry.  He served as a National Institute of Mental Health Research Fellow at UCLA. Dr. Siegel is currently clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine where he is on the faculty of the Center for Culture, Brain, and Development and the Co-Director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center. 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. He serves as the Medical Director of the LifeSpan Learning Institute and on the Advisory Board of the Blue School in New York City, which has built its curriculum around Dr. Siegel’s Mindsight approach.

He is the author of The Developing Mind, Second Edition, published on March 14, 2012,  The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being (Norton, 2007), The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician’s Guide to Mindsight and Neural Integration (Norton, 2010), Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology: An Integrative Handbook of the Mind (Norton, 2012), Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation (Bantam, 2010) as well as two parenting books, Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive(Tarcher/Penguin, 2003) with Mary Hartzell, M.Ed. and The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind (Random House, 2011) with Tina Payne Bryson, PhD.

Dr. Lisa Firestone is the Director of Research and Education at The Glendon Association. An accomplished and much requested lecturer, Dr. Firestone speaks at national and international conferences in the areas of couple relations, parenting, and suicide and violence prevention. Dr. Firestone has published numerous professional articles, and most recently was the co-author of Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships(APA Books, 2006), Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice (New Harbinger, 2002),Creating a Life of Meaning and Compassion: The Wisdom of Psychotherapy (APA Books, 2003) and The Self Under Siege (Routledge, 2012). Additionally, Dr. Firestone is a practicing psychologist, who specializes in interpersonal relationships. 

How much time will the eCourse take?

The amount of time the eCourse will take varies widely from one person to the next. There will be 4-5 hours of video lesson with Drs. Dan Siegel and Lisa Firestone. As well, as introductory videos for each self-reflective exercise accompanying the video lessons. The self-reflective exercises could take anywhere from one to four hours, depending on the amount of time available and how in-depth each participant would like to go. We encourage all our eCourse participants to go at their own pace and take as much time as they need. 

Do I have to attend the eCourse at certain times? Are the presentations live?

This eCourse will not be live. All the course materials will be made available through PsychAlive’s eCourse website. You can log on anytime you choose and watch or rewatch the presentations or go through the exercises at the times that are most convenient to you. 

Can I begin an eCourse after it has already started?

Yes, you can begin this eCourse anytime. 

Is there an interactive element to the course? 

This eCourse does not have an interactive element. However, we encourage you to take this course as an adjunct to therapy or alongside a romantic partner or friend, so that you may share your experience, emotions and insights as you go through the course. 

Are Continuing Education credits (CEs) offered for this course?

Continuing education credits for this eCourse are currently pending. You should be able to purchase CEs for an additional charge. 

I am having trouble accessing my course. What should I do?

Email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help you.