EVIDENCE & EXPLORATION

Research & References

The LomiLomiGoldCoast approach is informed by research into nervous-system regulation, safe and attuned touch, social connection, grief, group support and longevity. This page brings together the sources supporting the Frequently Asked Questions on our website.

The research is offered for education and transparency. Lomi Lomi and community-based practices may complement, but do not replace, medical, psychological or other qualified professional care. No individual practice or service can guarantee a particular health outcome.

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RELATED FAQ: WHY DO I FEEL ISOLATED EVEN THOUGH MY LIFE LOOKS FULL?

Isolation, Authenticity and Genuine Connection

Research suggests that subjective loneliness is not strictly tied to social network size, and that true belonging requires authentic expression. Community models that remove the need for performance have been associated with both psychological relief and measurable physiological benefits.

  • Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. Norton.

  • Maes, M., Qualter, P., Vanhalst, J., Van den Noortgate, W., & Goossens, L. (2019). Gender differences in loneliness across the lifespan: A meta-analysis. European Journal of Personality, 33(6), 642–654.

  • Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2005). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (5th ed.). Basic Books.

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RELATED FAQ: IS IT SELF-INDULGENT TO PRIORITIZE MY OWN NERVOUS SYSTEM BEFORE ANYONE ELSE'S NEEDS?

Nervous-System Regulation and Co-Regulation

Prioritising nervous system regulation may support not only individual well-being but also the capacity to be genuinely present for others. Research indicates that vagal tone is trainable and that regulated nervous systems can positively influence the regulation of those nearby through co-regulation.

  • Danese, A., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Adverse childhood experiences, allostasis, allostatic load, and age related disease. Physiology and Behavior, 106(1), 29–39.

  • Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self regulation. Norton.

  • Stellar, J. E., Cohen, A., Oveis, C., & Keltner, D. (2015). Affective and physiological responses to the suffering of others: Compassion and vagal activity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(4), 572–585.

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RELATED FAQ: WHY DOES RECEIVING CARE FEEL HARDER THAN GIVING IT?

Receiving Care and Safe, Attuned Touch

Difficulty receiving care is often an adaptive nervous system response rather than a personal failing. Literature on somatic approaches suggests that safe, attuned touch may support the rebuilding of an individual's capacity to receive, mediated by oxytocinergic pathways.

  • Ogden, P., Minton, K., & Pain, C. (2006). Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor approach to psychotherapy. Norton.

  • Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Handlin, L., & Petersson, M. (2015). Self soothing behaviors with particular reference to oxytocin release induced by non-noxious sensory stimulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1529. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01529

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Complete Reference List

  • Autistic Girls Network. (2020). Hormones, autism, and ADHD: The hidden struggles of neurodivergent women. https://autisticgirlsnetwork.org/hormones-autism-and-adhd/

  • Beck, D. E., and Cowan, C. C. (1996). Spiral Dynamics: Mastering values, leadership, and change. Blackwell.

  • Bristol Menopause. (2020). Neurodivergence in women: Why late diagnosis of ADHD and autism are so common and the role of hormones. https://www.bristolmenopause.com/blog/neurodivergence-in-women

  • Buettner, D. (2008). The Blue Zones: Lessons for living longer from the people who've lived the longest. National Geographic Society.

  • Buettner, D., & Skemp, S. (2016). Blue Zones: Lessons from the world's longest lived. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 10(5), 318–321. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827616637066

  • Cacciatore, J., & Flint, M. (2012). Attend: Toward a mindfulness based bereavement care model. Death Studies, 36(1), 61–82.

  • Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. Norton.

  • Danese, A., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Adverse childhood experiences, allostatic load, and age-related disease. Physiology and Behavior, 106(1), 29–39.

  • Field, T. (2014). Touch (2nd ed.). MIT Press.

  • Field, T., Diego, M., and Hernandez-Reif, M. (2010). Moderate pressure is essential for massage therapy effects. International Journal of Neuroscience, 120(5), 381–385.

  • Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., Diego, M., Schanberg, S., and Kuhn, C. (2005). Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy. International Journal of Neuroscience, 115(10), 1397–1413.

  • Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., and Stephenson, D. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: A meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227–237.

  • Kennard, D. (2004). The therapeutic community as an adaptable treatment modality across different settings. Psychiatric Quarterly, 75(3), 295–307.

  • Lund, I., Yu, L. C., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Wang, J., Yu, C., Kurosawa, M., Agren, G., Rosen, A., Lekman, M., & Lundeberg, T. (2002). Repeated massage-like stimulation induces long-term effects on nociception: Contribution of oxytocinergic mechanisms. European Journal of Neuroscience, 16(2), 330–338.

  • Maes, M., Qualter, P., Vanhalst, J., Van den Noortgate, W., and Goossens, L. (2019). Gender differences in loneliness across the lifespan: A meta-analysis. European Journal of Personality, 33(6), 642–654.

  • Moseley, R. L., Turner-Cobb, J. M., Spance, K., and Attwood, T. (2020). When my autism broke: A qualitative study spotlighting autistic voices on menopause. Autism, 24(6), 1423–1437.

  • Ogden, P., Minton, K., and Pain, C. (2006). Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor approach to psychotherapy. Norton.

  • Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. Norton.

  • Shear, M. K. (2015). Complicated grief. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(2), 153–160.

  • Stellar, J. E., Cohen, A., Oveis, C., and Keltner, D. (2015). Affective and physiological responses to the suffering of others: Compassion and vagal activity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(4), 572–585.

  • Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Handlin, L., and Petersson, M. (2015). Self-soothing behaviors with particular reference to oxytocin release induced by non-noxious sensory stimulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1529. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01529

  • van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.

  • Yalom, I. D., and Leszcz, M. (2005). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (5th ed.). Basic Books.

The Conversation Costs Nothing

The Clarity Session is 45 minutes. Complimentary. It is not a sales call. It is a conversation about whether this practice and this moment in your life are aligned.

Some women book the programme. Some book the introductory sessions. Some come back in six months. All three are fine.

What is not fine is continuing to carry what no longer needs to be carried when who you are is waiting to continue to thrive.