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Polyvagal Theory is a brain-body science that’s helped thousands of therapists make significant breakthroughs with clients suffering the impacts of trauma. And it’s everywhere, all around us, hiding in plain sight.

Over the years I have come to believe that oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is not a label that should be used to describe young children. As a developmental psychologist, I view oppositional defiance as a child’s response to stress. Viewing children’s challenging behaviors on a continuum of stress and stress recovery reveals a whole new way to think about this stigmatizing disorder, as well as a new way to support children, informed by neuroscience.

In the interview that follows, Dr. Stephen Porges offers some research-based insights into how therapists can more effectively convey safety to clients and clarifies the evolutionary roots of anxiety, depression, and trauma.