Who hasn’t found themselves in a social situation where they felt awkward and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible? I recently felt it in a crowded performance at my child’s school. My tendency is ...

Every parent knows that emotions are oftentimes contagious. Whenever my own mood is jovial and calm, my children seem to experience fewer meltdowns, while my experience of stress seems to have the ...

Polyvagal theory was developed by Stephen Porges, Ph.D. to describe our "flight or fight" response to stressful situations. When faced with trauma, some individuals react with anger, anxiousness, or ...

Note: What follows is a modified excerpt from the book Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us, by behavioral neuroscientist Stephen Porges, Ph.D. (who first proposed the Polyvagal Theory ...

How important is it to feel safe? Secure? Grounded? The answer is very important, as feeling safe within our bodies provides us with a sense of security and well-being that reduces anxiety, doubt, ...

I am an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and for the last 30 years, I’ve taught first-year college students and medical residents, child psychiatrists and educators. I love ...