56. Researching the Connection Between External Behavior and Inner States

What we show on the outside doesn’t always reflect what’s happening on the inside—but sometimes the signals are there if we know how to read them. In this episode, Dr. Brenda explores her curiosity about the connection between behaviors, especially in children, and what’s happening internally for survivors of trauma.

She draws from polyvagal theory and highlights research like the study by Park et al. (2011), which examined the relationship between autonomic function, voice, and mood states. Their findings show how closely our internal physiology—like pulse rate variability—lines up with the signals we send through our voice and facial expressions.

Just as machines are being trained to read these signals, therapists and caregivers can sharpen their own intuition and skills to sense them too. This isn’t about confirming what we already think we know—it’s about exploration, staying open, and continuing to learn how and why these connections work.

Technology is advancing quickly, and studies like this one are pointing toward what many are already noticing in practice: the heart, face, and voice are deeply connected.

If you’ve ever been curious about the relationship between external behaviors and internal states, or you want inspiration to keep growing in your own therapeutic work, this conversation is for you.

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Chan-Kyu Park, Sanghoon Lee, Hi-Joon Park, You-Sang Baik, Young-Bae Park, & Young-Jae Park. (2011). Autonomic function, voice, and mood states. Clinical Autonomic Research, 21(2), 103–110. https://doi-org.pgi.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10286-010-0095-1