Meet Dr Liz Specialising in Online Delivery of SSP

Meet Dr Liz

Hello from my home in Southwest England!

Thank you for being here and your interest in my work, as a potential client or fellow SSP provider.

I specialise in delivering SSP online to those with complex trauma and chronic illness, providing sensitive and intuitive support tailored for each individual so they can benefit from the best possible outcomes.

My 1:1 work with clients means so much to me. I value each client, and truly appreciate the courage and strength needed for them to reach this point in their life with their own unique set of circumstances.

Drawing on the considerable challenges I have faced in my own life, it is an honour to have the opportunity to work together in this way to build a sense of trust and connection. It is deeply inspiring and a real privilege to witness the changes experienced by clients and the impact of their inner healing and transformation.

About Dr Liz

As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by how the human body and brain work. I wrote on my application to medical school that I wanted to ‘alleviate suffering’. These underlying themes still motivate and inspire me! My interest is now focused on the impact that trauma and chronic illness can have on our overall health and wellbeing, and I continue to explore different ways to effectively facilitate healing.

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to support others, using all I have learned from my many and varied experiences, together with my training and clinical practice as a medical doctor. I have a special interest in neuroscience relating to social and emotional well-being. I enjoy integrating this knowledge with my medical experience to deliver SSP in a way that is tailored specifically for each client.

Like many of my clients, I have a lived experience of the far-reaching and devastating impact of complex trauma. I have also been extremely fortunate to have had extraordinary therapists (body and talking modalities) who have supported me in my long journey of healing.

I have two adult daughters and live near the coast in Southwest England. I enjoy walking on the beaches and exploring the coastline with my dog, Tilly – a wonderful form of self-care!

Background - Qualified Medical Doctor

After my training and graduation as a medical doctor at St. Thomas’ Hospital, University of London, I continued my training and worked as a medical partner in General Practice in Southwest England.

Learning about Polyvagal theory and having Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) were transformative experiences for me. I have an ongoing interest in neuroscience relating to the body-brain connection, and the impact of trauma on our physical, mental, and emotional health. I continue to explore the developments in this fascinating area of research.

I am an experienced SSP provider, having been an early adopter of SSP, delivering to clients in person and online since 2018. I draw on my professional experience as a medical doctor, my own lived experience of trauma, and my witnessing of the far-reaching impact of complex trauma and transformation experienced through SSP.

My Qualifications

MB BS (University of London)

Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery

5 years of preclinical and clinical training at St Thomas’s Hospital, London

MRCGP

Member of Royal College of General Practitioners

Pursued additional studies to deepen my knowledge and clinical skills

DRCOG

Diploma of Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Additional training to support my special interest in women’s health

My Journey with Polyvagal theory, SSP & Sensitive Approach

Discovering SSP

In 2016 I first read about the work of Dr Stephen Porges, a leading neuroscientist in the USA. Porges’ Polyvagal theory deeply resonated with me as it described how we react to our different environments with social engagement, fight, flight or shutdown responses. It was a relief to finally start to make sense of the wide-reaching effects that trauma can have on our brains and bodies that I have experienced personally and also witnessed in many others.

When I attended a Masterclass by Dr Porges in London in 2017, I was excited to hear him talk about a new Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) intervention that he had created and was soon to be released commercially. I eagerly completed the SSP training programme through iLs and was one of the first SSP providers in the UK.

I attended the first ever SSP Gathering in Florida, USA in April 2019, and later that year Dr Porges asked me to work with Karen Onderko at iLs to provide new training material (manual and video) for SSP providers, which incorporated my experience delivering SSP, including to clients with complex trauma, and my understanding of the relevant supporting neuroscience.

Drawing on these experiences, I have developed a clinical model—The Sensitive Approach: Client at the Core™—which underpins my 1:1 clinical delivery of SSP to clients worldwide. This includes individuals with complex trauma as well as those living with chronic illnesses such as Parkinson’s Disease and Long COVID.

I have continued contributing to materials that support the effective global delivery of the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), including the Remote Delivery Guidelines for Unyte-iLs and participating in regular Q&A sessions. Alongside this, I offer SSP delivery and professional guidance through my private practice.

Dr. Stephen Porges has provided ongoing support for my work in developing and refining the delivery of the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) specifically for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. I had the privilege of presenting this pioneering work at the Polyvagal Institute Summit in November 2021, and I have continued to expand and deepen this specialised area of clinical practice.

In July 2024, my SSP work with a client, Roy, was featured in the article “It Takes a Village” in The Alexander Technique AmSAT Journal. I was also honoured to contribute Chapter 12 to Safe and Sound: A Polyvagal Approach for Connection, Change, and Healing by Dr. Stephen Porges and Karen Onderko, published in April 2025, which highlights my work with another client, Frank, also living with Parkinson’s Disease.

My work with SSP in the context of complex trauma is also important to me. I was invited to speak about this area of practice on the SSP Podcast with Joanne McIntyre in Australia. In June 2025, I was featured in a Provider Spotlight by Unyte, sharing my contributions with the global SSP provider community.

I am also honoured to have contributed a complex trauma case study to the book Sensory Pathways to Healing from Trauma: Harnessing the Brain’s Capacity for Change, authored by Dr. Ruth Lanius and colleagues, published in July 2025.

Publications, Contributions & Collaborations

I am fascinated about the impact of trauma and illness can have on the brain and body. I enjoy integrating complex concepts to share in accessible and applicable ways with different audiences. I have had the privilege to share my work with a wider audience in various publications.

Safe & Sound: A Polyvagal Approach for Connection, Change, & Healing by Stephen Porges & Karen Onderko

Published in Spring 2025 by Sounds True, Chapter 12 of Safe and Sound: A Polyvagal Approach for Connection, Change, and Healing by Dr. Stephen Porges and Karen Onderko details my SSP work with a client, Frank, who has Parkinson’s Disease, and includes insights contributed by Dr. Porges.

The Sensory Pathways to Healing from Trauma: Harnessing the Brain’s Capacity for Change, by Ruth Lanius

I contributed a case study on my SSP work with complex trauma to Dr. Ruth Lanius’s latest book, Sensory Pathways to Healing from Trauma: Harnessing the Brain’s Capacity for Change, published by Guilford Publications in July 2025.

Alexander Technique AmSAT Journal July 2024

My SSP work with a Parkinson’s Disease client, Roy – who was referred to me by Betsy Polatin – is featured in the article “It Takes a Village” in the Alexander Technique AmSAT Journal, published in July 2024.

Safe & Sound Protocol Podcast in Australia with Joanne McIntyre

In 2021 I was a guest on the SSP Podcast in Australia, ‘Listening and Connection Skills for Remote Delivery’ in which I discussed my SSP work with trauma clients.

Video presentation at PVI's Annual Conference, 2021

In 2021, I shared my pioneering SSP work with a Parkinson’s Disease client in a video presentation alongside Dr. Porges at the Polyvagal Institute annual conference.

Supporting Research

I advised the clinical team, led by Jenny Spencer in Indiana. USA, involved in a Controlled Trial led by Dr Jacek Kolacz, to evaluate the impact of SSP in trauma therapy, The paper is currently in the pre-publication stage.

Parkinson's Disease

Ongoing exploration into the impact of SSP on the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

I have a special interest in exploring the impact of SSP on those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD). With the support of Dr Porges, I have been running a small feasibility study to investigate the effect of SSP on PD clients with different presentations and histories. The results are very encouraging, with many clients experiencing a significant reduction in a variety of their symptoms.

This pioneering work is continuing to develop with various international colleagues expressing interest to collaborate in more detailed research.

Unique Style of Working

I have developed my Sensitive Approach: Client at the Core™ , combining learning and insights from my many and varied personal and professional experiences.

It as an integral part of all my client work, providing sensitive and intuitive support tailored for each individual so they can benefit from the best possible outcomes.

It is a true privilege to now share Sensitive Approach: Client at the Core™ at the with other therapists around the world in my online training and mentoring work.

Sharing my Work

I am excited share my Sensitive Approach: Client at the Core™, a combination of my professional experience as a medical doctor, my keen interest in neuroscience, and personal experience of the far-reaching impact of complex trauma.

It is suitable to integrate with all therapeutic modalities and populations.

Sharing this around the world with fellow SSP providers is a wonderful opportunity achieved through online 1:1 mentoring session, recorded modules, and group training and workshops.

You can find out more about my work by clicking the button below.