Workshops

Presenters: James A. Coan
Format: TBD
Session: Afternoon— May 11
Modality: TBD
Level: Intermediate

Cost: Included in the Summit ticket

Overview:
This plenary session explores the neuroscience of human connection through the lens of Social Baseline Theory (SBT), developed by Dr. James A. Coan. Drawing on decades of research in affective neuroscience, Dr. Coan will examine how the human brain regulates emotion in the context of trusted social relationships. The session will cover foundational concepts in the social regulation of emotion, the bioenergetic logic of social relationships, and the direct implications of Social Baseline Theory for Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Participants will gain an understanding of how interpersonal connection alters neural responses to threat and stress, and how these findings inform clinical practice in attachment-based psychotherapy.

Learning outcomes:

• Describe the concept of the social regulation of emotion and explain how it differs from models that treat emotion regulation as an exclusively individual process.
• Identify key empirical findings from neuroscience and behavioral research demonstrating how the presence of trusted others alters neural responses to threat and stress.
• Explain the bioenergetic logic of Social Baseline Theory, including how cooperative social systems reduce the cognitive and metabolic costs of self-regulation.
• Apply principles of Social Baseline Theory to interpret how interpersonal connection can influence emotional regulation within close relationships and therapeutic contexts.
• Analyze how the structure of human social environments influences the baseline demands placed on individual self-regulation.