Lauren Porter
 Lauren Porter is a clinical social worker, consultant and psychotherapist, as well as Co-Director of the New Zealand-based Centre for Attachment (www.centreforattachment.com).  She holds a BA in East Asian Studies and a Masters Degree in Social Work. Since receiving her MSW in 1995 she has been dedicated to working with families, children and adolescents in the field of mental health counseling and training. Lauren has worked in a wide range of settings and communities, including Germany and the US, in addition to New Zealand. Her experience has focused on families struggling with issues pertaining to conflict and trauma, including child sexual abuse. Her current professional focus is the merging of attachment theory with neuroscientific data, with an eye toward the practical applications of everyday life.  She is an Executive Committee member of Infant Mental Health Association Aotearoa New Zealand (IMHAANZ) and a consultant for the 2006 and 2007 Nought to Five television series (TVNZ/Homegrown TV New Zealand). She is the mother of two children.

