Episode 43: The Healing Power of Touch: Science, Therapy, and Connection (Podcast with Research Scientist Award Winner, Dr.Tiffany Field) [INFLUENCE SERIES]

What if one of the most powerful tools for mental health has been in our hands all along—literally?

In this episode, we explore the profound role of touch in shaping our emotional lives, healing our minds, and connecting us more deeply with others.

📘 Book Review

We begin with Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind by neuroscientist Dr. David J. Linden. From the soothing power of a hug to the silent language of empathy, we uncover how touch isn’t just a sense—it’s a foundation for human connection, stress relief, and even moral behavior.

🧠 Expert Interview with Dr. Tiffany Field

Next, we dive into the science of touch therapy and its impact on depression and anxiety. Dr. Field, a leading researcher in this field, explains how intentional touch can lower cortisol, boost serotonin, and reset the nervous system. We discuss practical ways to bring these benefits into daily life, ethical considerations, and how cultural norms shape our access to touch.

💬 Student Voices with Jenna Katchen

Finally, we close with a conversation with my former student Jenna Katchen, reflecting on how these ideas show up in real life—through relationships, resilience, and the small acts of kindness that remind us we’re not alone.

✨ Key Takeaway: Touch isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity—for emotional development, for healing, and for living a more connected, human life.

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Act of Kindness: Go home and give your partner or kid a massage; Post a secret, loving notes

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Dr. Tiffany Field is an internationally renowned psychologist, researcher, and pioneer in the science of touch. She is the Founder and Director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, the world’s first center devoted entirely to studying the role of touch in human health and development.

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (B.A.) and the University of Miami (Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology), Dr. Field began her career exploring early childhood development before turning her focus to the profound impact of physical touch on mental and physical well-being. Over the course of four decades, she has transformed our scientific understanding of how something as simple as human touch can alter brain chemistry, strengthen immune function, accelerate growth in premature infants, and reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, and pain.

Dr. Field has published over 450 peer-reviewed articles and authored or edited more than 30 books, including Touch, Touch Therapy, Massage Therapy Research, and The Amazing Infant. Her scholarship bridges neuroscience, pediatrics, psychology, and public health, making her one of the most prolific and influential researchers in developmental and clinical psychology.

Her pioneering work has earned her some of the highest honors in psychology and research. She is a recipient of the American Psychological Association’s Boyd McCandless Distinguished Young Scientist Award, a Research Scientist Award from the National Institute of Mental Health, and in 2014 became the first psychologist to receive the Golden Goose Award from the U.S. Congress for her groundbreaking studies on infant massage.

Beyond her publications and awards, Dr. Field’s legacy lies in shifting global awareness toward the vital importance of touch—not as a luxury, but as a biological necessity. Her work has influenced health care practices worldwide, from neonatal intensive care units that now incorporate infant massage to therapeutic approaches for mental health that recognize touch as an evidence-based intervention.

Today, she continues to lead research, publish widely, and advocate for the integration of touch into medicine, psychology, and everyday life—reminding us that the human hand is one of the most powerful tools for healing and connection.