Touch: The Neurobiology of Health, Healing, and Human Connection

Touch is the basis of our sensory world. Touch is our first way of relating with ourselves, others, and our environment. Providing physical and emotional communication at a level far deeper then words, touch is a vital aspect of experiencing meaning, purpose, and joy throughout our lives. Touch has an important role in our capacity for self-regulation, impacting how effectively children learn to socialize, pay attention, and even engage in classroom activities. How do we experience healthy, supportive contact with others, recognize and avoid unhealthy contact? The author provides outstanding documentation of research clearly indicating how vital touch is to human health and healing. Shared experiences, illustrative charts, tables for clinical interventions, and practical homework exercises offer compassionate guidance for implementing healthy, supportive touch into many personal and professional situations. This book is a vital addition to our understanding of health and what it means to be human. This book belongs in the library of every practitioner, teacher, social worker, couple, parent, prospective parent, and family - anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the profound effects of touch on health and well-being. Michael Changaris, Psy.D. is the founder of the International Institute of Touch Training and Research (ITTR). As a clinical psychologist he specializes in the biological basis of behavior stress physiology, psychobiology of neurodegenerative disorders and the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress.