62: Dr. Stephen Porges: The Impact of Psychological Trauma on Mental And Physical Health

In this illuminating extract from his IMMH 2023 presentation, Dr. Porges takes us on a fascinating tour of his groundbreaking polyvagal theory, the connection between our nervous system and mental health, and the role of the vagus nerve in regulating emotions and responses to trauma. With a distinguished career spanning multiple institutions and numerous accolades, Dr. Porges shares insights on how understanding and managing the nervous system can revolutionise mental health treatment.

Dr. Stephen Porges is a distinguished university scientist at Indiana University, the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium at the Kinsey Institute, and a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. He is also a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland. With over 400 peer-reviewed scientific papers and several influential books, Dr. Porges has significantly advanced our understanding of the nervous system's role in mental health. His latest book, Our Polyvagal World: Health, Safety, and Trauma, co-authored with his son Seth Porges, further explores these themes.

In this episode, learn about:

• Mechanisms of the autonomic nervous system: an in-depth exploration of the ventral vagal complex and its role in modulating physiological responses to stress and safety

• Polyvagal Theory in clinical practice: practical applications of Polyvagal Theory in therapeutic settings, including strategies for enhancing autonomic regulation and resilience in patients

• The concept of neuroception and its implications for understanding how the nervous system detects and responds to environmental cues of safety and threat

• Advanced therapeutic interventions based on Polyvagal Theory, focusing on how to effectively engage the parasympathetic nervous system to improve outcomes in trauma and stress-related disorders

• The significance of assessing and modulating autonomic state to optimise therapeutic interventions and improve patient outcomes in mental health treatment

• How the evolution of the autonomic nervous system supports social behaviours and the implications for mental health treatments

• Understanding the physiological underpinnings of emotional regulation and dysregulation through the lens of Polyvagal Theory

• Cutting-edge methods for assessing autonomic state and bio-behavioural reactivity to enhance diagnostic accuracy and personalise treatment plans

Dr. Porges will be elaborating on this theory and putting it into practice at the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference (IMMH 2024) in Washington, DC, October 2024. There he will be presenting his new polyvagal music initiative, designed to regulate the nervous system using musical interventions. He will be teaming up with Seth Porges, his son and co-author of “Our Polyvagal World” and celebrated Music Producer Anthony Gorry to present  The Transformative Power of Music Scientifically Composed to Signal Safety to the Nervous System. For more details, visit IMMH