profile

Dr Stephen W. Porges has made immensely significant contributions to psychology throughout a long and illustrious career. He proposed polyvagal theory, which has had a meaningful and long-lasting impact on psychiatric treatment and discourse. He is also the creator of the music-based therapy intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol.

Dr Porges is a Distinguished University Scientist at the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University Bloomington, where he is also Director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium. In addition, he is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Professor Emeritus at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland.

Dr Porges’ books include Polyvagal Safety: Attachment, Communication, Self-Regulation and The Pocket Guide to Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe.

He has published several hundred peer-reviewed articles and is a former President of the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences. In addition, he is the co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory.

Education
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), PsychologyMichigan State University1970
Master of Arts (MA), PsychologyMichigan State University1968
7 Honors and Awards
Association for Training on Trauma and Attachment in Children2021
Lifetime Achievement Award
United States Association for Body Psychotherapy2018
Pioneer Award
4 Books
Book cover of "Polyvagal Safety: Attachment, Communication, Self-Regulation"
Book cover of "The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe"
Book cover of "The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation"
Book cover of "Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies"