At the Inner Safety Project, we are advancing an interdisciplinary research agenda that examines affective, cultural, social, linguistic, and embodied dimensions of subjectively felt safety. We collaborate with academic institutions, community organizations, and individual researchers to explore 1) the neurobiological, relational, spiritual and cultural mechanisms that underpin what it means to feel safe, 2) if and how feelings of safety influence mental, physical and social health, and 3) activities that meaningfully build and sustain safety both inside and out.
We support work across methods, looking to ancestral knowledge, anthropology, sociolinguistics, as well as modern neurobiology and psychology to explore the experience of safety in diverse populations. Through our research, we aim to elevate safety-centered care that restores coherence, agency, and connection. Furthermore, we aim to translate these insights into action, ensuring that safety is integrated as a foundational principle in care for war and disaster-affected communities.

Recent publications:
Between Bomb and Breath (The Practice of Sanctuary) 

Forthcoming research:
Navigating Mental Health Care in Syria
Measuring Safety: A Multidimensional Index of Salama (Inner Safety)