5 April 2022. The 100th session of the DMM Coffee House marks two years of DMM Coffee House sessions. We have made many friends, many discoveries, and many new connections within and without the DMM model of attachment and information processing. We’ll share some of our favorites learning experiences, and talk about what to do next. Is time to expand beyond the DMM? Dive deeper, into, assessments, danger, transformation and processing of information? Work more with transcripts? Keep it the same?
Two-year review
Our topics over the last two years have covered child and adult self-protective attachment strategies and their many expressions across the DMM model and human lifespan development. We have looked at attachment as a biopsychosocial model applied in the fields of law, social and political science, mental health, medicine, occupational therapy, research, parenting, and personal self-exploration. We explored bleeding edge applications such as the relationship between attachment and somatic information and expression, and the polyvagal theory and autonomous system function.
We have explored parent-child and attachment assessments. Some of those have included the Adult Attachment Interview, Strange Situation Procedure, Preschool Attachment Assessment, Infant CARE-index, Toddler CARE-index, Child Attachment and Play Assessment, and Meaning of the Child Interview. We looked at how attachment and information processing relates to client counseling, mental health therapy, parenting, domestic violence, parenting plans for young children, forensic assessments, autism, ADHD, and individual and couples counseling for children, teens and adults.
We explored DMM theory, looking at the various dimensional aspects of the DMM circumplex. We stretched DMM theory looking at how it informs our understanding of emotions such as shame, humiliation, anger and more complex affective expressions such as punitive interpersonal cruelty, delusional jealousy, and apology. We have approached our topics from the most advanced perspectives to beginner’s perspectives.
We have had lectures, research study and book reviews, live client interviews, explorations of personal and professional experiences, group exploring of questions, and open discussions about topic raised in-session. We have applied DMM narrative analysis to video interactions in various contexts, modern and medieval historical writings, and AAI transcripts for individuals and couples. We have helped others with their writing, research, learning, teaching, and Wikipedia projects.
DMM Coffee House wouldn’t exist without you. We give a special thank you to everyone who has hosted a session (although this list doesn’t include everyone who has contributed meaningful additions to our sessions): Mike Blows, Melanie Langer, Ben Grey, Linda Hayes-Cooper, Charley Shults, Louise Atkin, Melanie Gill, Emily Anderson, Lisa Mennet, Shanna Donhauser, Bronwen Elliot, Maureen Lowell, Karen Quail, Kasia Kozlowska, Éadaoin Bhreathnach, Nick Smith, Björg Ragnheidur Gudmundsdottir, Airi Hautamäki, Milla Syrjänen, Gordon Sommerville, Steve Morris, Siw Karlsen, Chip Chimera, Laurie Ure, Rebecca O’Niell, and Steve Farnfield.
Of course, all throughout, we have looked at danger, what it is, it’s subjectivity, how it impacts information processing and behavioral expression, and how to manage it. Attachment is at heart a biopsychosocial system for surviving danger.
What have been your favorite experiences and where do we go next? DMM Coffee House is an independent, all-volunteer group of professionals and people interested in understanding how humans function and survive danger and trauma. We are not associated with, controlled or directed by any one person, formal association, or agency. Please join us to celebrate and share.
Session details
Date: Tuesday, 5 April 2022 (live)
Length: 90 minutes
Price: Free
Host/Facilitator: No host, group discussion
Platform: Zoom meeting
Session for: Any professional interested in DMM attachment theory and science. Invite your colleagues.
Sponsor: Conflict Science Institute
Contact: Conflict Science Institute for Zoom link invitation (please use the Contact Us button, and indicate which session you wish to attend).
Session times:(US/EU/Africa/India): (Please note, all countries have completed their daylight savings time adjustment so we are back to our usual schedule. Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. Seattle (UTC -7) (11:00 a.m. in Dallas; noon in Miami; 5:00 p.m. in London; 6:00 p.m. in Cape Town; 9:30 p.m. in New Delhi; 11:00 p.m. night in Bangkok. For Sydney Australia, the session is at 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday.) (To confirm your local time, compare it to 5pm London time.)