Contributions & Recognition

Insights and support from colleagues and collaborators

Dr Stephen W Porges, SSP & Polyvagal Theory Creator

Dr Porges supports Dr Liz’s work with SSP and Sensitive Approach

“Liz Charles is a physician in the UK who is using the Safe and Sound Protocol with adults with a variety of clinical histories. She is a generous and compassionate person and is especially committed to using SSP with adults who have a trauma history. She has a deep understanding of trauma that provides her with the insights to support the courage of her clients and has been very successful in adapting the SSP to give good outcomes with trauma survivors.”

 Stephen W Porges, Ph.D.

In 2019, Dr Porges reported that Dr Liz had “cracked the code on implementing the SSP with individuals with severe trauma histories”.  

In July 2024 he wrote: “I continue to be a big supporter of your work, Liz, and I am sure your Sensitive Approach will continue to expand its influence and impact.”

Watch Dr Porges share detailed insights about Dr Liz’s SSP work with Parkinson’s disease.
Watch here

Literature Contributions

Dr. Liz was honoured to contribute a Parkinson’s disease SSP case study to Safe and Sound: A Polyvagal Approach for Connection, Change & Healing, authored by Dr. Stephen W Porges and Karen Onderko, published by Sounds True in April 2025.
Chapter 12 provides a detailed description of Dr Liz’s SSP work with a Parkinson’s client, Frank, including reflections from Dr. Porges. The chapter offers valuable insights into how carefully delivered SSP, using Sensitive Approach for Parkinson’s, can transform the lived experience of individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

Pictured left: Liz and Karen celebrated the release of the book over Zoom in April 2025!

You can find a copy of the book available to purchase here.

Get your copy! (USA)
Get your copy! (UK)

“Liz Charles is the real deal. She combines warmth, humor, empathy, and a rich understanding of medicine and neuroscience to help her Parkinson’s clients, many of whom have experienced remarkable improvements in their quality of life. Her approach reflects years of dedicated practice, continual learning, and an unwavering commitment to her clients’ well-being.”

Karen Onderko, Co-author of Safe and Sound, Co-founder and Board member of PVI.
Dr. Liz is proud to have contributed a complex trauma SSP case study to Sensory Pathways to Healing from Trauma: Harnessing the Brain’s Capacity for Change, authored by Ruth A. Lanius, Sherain Harricharan, Breanne E. Kearney, and Benjamin Pandev-Girard, and published by Guilford Press in August 2025.
Dr. Liz’s work with a client, Martha, is featured in Chapter 7, with reflections from the authors. This case demonstrates how carefully delivered SSP, using the Sensitive Approach, can support meaningful healing for individuals with a history of complex trauma.

Testimonials from Colleagues


"Liz is, as a medical doctor colleague, a great observer, an authentic, interested, and heart-felt professional supporting me in my healing process with SSP. She is able to combine polyvagal knowledge with broad neurological knowledge. Her spontaneity helps and models to me how to soften to vulnerable parts and allow them to appear, speak out, and be validated. Her Sensitive Approach to SSP paces it in line with my inner process. In this way, Liz teaches me a deep respect for all my nervous system reactions, autonomically as well as cognitively. Online, but so close, thank you, Liz."

Tineke Smit, MD; Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Chairman, Polyvagal Institute (Netherlands), Certified SSP Provider and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Therapist

“I can confidently say that you will not find better support for clients, or more profound training for professionals, in the field of trauma and chronic illness using Safe and Sound Protocol. The support and learning provided by Liz have been life-changing, and I am certain they will be equally invaluable for many others.”

Sonja Heinrich, Co-founder & Managing Director, Polyvagal Academy (Germany); Board Member, Polyvagal Society; SSP Provider, Speaker & Trainer on Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Dyscalculia

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When carefully delivered using Sensitive Approach: Client at the Core, SSP can improve the quality of life for PD clients and their loved ones, offering connection, hope, and enhanced emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
SSP & Parkinson's: Overview and Client Experiences
Client & Carer Feedback
Advanced SSP Training for Parkinson's Disease
Contributions & Recognition