Episode 14:

Widening the Window of Tolerance

This episode’s guest is Elizabeth Stanley, a professor, author, and U.S. Army veteran who came to practice (in part) to help her with PTSD. In their conversation, David and Liz discuss contemporary definitions of trauma and how this relates to the current moment; the neurophysiology of trauma, including the relationship between what Liz terms the “thinking brain” and “survival brain”; and their current assessments of the impacts of COVID-19, it’s impact on social windows of tolerance, and their hopes for the path ahead.

Elizabeth A. Stanley, PhD, is an associate professor of security studies at Georgetown University. She is the award-winning author of Paths to Peace and Widen the Window: Training Your Brain and Body to Thrive during Stress and Recover from Trauma. She is the creator of Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT)®, taught to thousands in civilian and military high-stress environments. MMFT® research has been featured on 60 Minutes, ABC Evening News, NPR, and in Time magazine and many other media outlets. A U.S. Army veteran with service in Asia and Europe, she holds degrees from Yale, Harvard, and MIT. She’s also a certified practitioner of Somatic Experiencing, a body-based trauma therapy.