Can we really change our personalities? Dr. Dan Siegel says “NO” but also that nobody needs to. We can help our clients heal, grow, and unleash the fullest of their potential by helping them lean into who and what they really ARE.

Crazy but true: We therapists are not taught how to work with personality in therapy. Unless you have a “personality disordered” individual (as we used to call it back in the day) we don’t tailor our interventions or our conceptualization to accommodate someone’s intrinsic way of being.

Who else is ready to change this? (Lisa raises hand!) Well, help is here: In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Dan Siegel to explore his Patterns of Developmental Pathways (PDP) model: a science-based framework that weaves together neuroscience, attachment, and developmental psychology to help us understand personality more deeply and work with it more effectively. We unpack the nine core patterns, explore how to differentiate temperament from attachment conditioning, and look at how healing at the right level can help clients shift from limitation to possibility.

Whether you’re new to PDP or already exploring it, this conversation will expand your clinical lens and give you tools you can use right away.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Freeing Personality from the Prison of Pathology

05:51 The Nine Patterns of Personality

25:59 Emotions, Energy, and the Body’s Personality Response

35:25 Mapping Personality to Clinical Strengths

44:59 Dr. Dan Siegel’s Personal PDP Pattern

01:04:15 Flexibility and Growth Through PDP Integration

If this episode lit you up, I hope you’ll check out my Free CEU Trainings for Therapists! These on-demand workshops (each worth 1–2 CEUs) are designed to support your growth—both as a clinician and as a human.

You can also stay in the loop about live CEU events, new podcast episodes, and exclusive resources by subscribing to my For Therapists newsletter. It’s the best way to get fresh ideas, practical tools, and meaningful support for the work you do.

I’d love to connect with you on LinkedIn, where I share reflections, behind-the-scenes updates, and continue the conversations we start here. And if something from this conversation is staying with you, whether it’s showing up in your clinical work or sparking something new, I’d truly love to hear about it. This podcast is a space for us, so don’t be a stranger. Let’s talk!

xoxo,

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

Growing Self

P.S. This is Dr. Siegel’s second time joining me on the podcast - don’t miss Episode #39, where we explore the foundations of attachment styles and how they connect to the PDP model.