EK Psych - Emotive Knowledge Psychology

EK Psych - Emotive Knowledge Psychology E K Psych © 2023 Michael W. Summerlin, Ph.D., Evelyn Tang-Summerlin, V.P. Intend the Good. Summerlin, Ph.D (Dual Origins of Personality)

Emotive Knowledge Psychology (EKP)

As EKP educators, consultants, and clinicians, we consider the following statement as foundational to effectively providing our services:

Relating with others through sincere interest and in a caring way has been shown to improve quality of life, while being aware that maintaining and managing the energy to do so is a bridge we often cross in that direction. - M.W. Summerlin, Ph.D (Dual Origins of Personality)
​
​Our Founder: Dr. Michael Summerlin is a licensed clinical psychologist that also provides consulting services for organizational leaders in various industries. In 2015, Dr. Summerlin was honored to accept a faculty appointment
to teach Oraganizational Behavior and
Leadership at the USC Marshall School of Business.
​
​His research focused on relational trauma in early childhood and its influence on the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system and corresponding personality structures (Research Panel: Allan Schore, Ph.D, UCLA, Avedis Panajian, Ph.D, Pacifica, Christine Lewis, Ph.D, Pacifica).
​
We have found that a primary barrier to therapeutic change for an individual who has experienced relational trauma in early childhood presents as a significant decrease in the use of associative memory while interacting with others. - M.W.

When we feel truly heard, our nervous system shifts into a state of safety and connection.This “brainwave synchrony” dee...
12/03/2025

When we feel truly heard, our nervous system shifts into a state of safety and connection.
This “brainwave synchrony” deepens empathy, builds trust, and strengthens relationships in ways we often don’t realize. ✨🧠

It’s not just about the words — it’s about presence.
Maintaining eye contact, slowing down, and giving someone your full attention can have measurable effects on both your brains.

Today, try offering someone a moment of genuine listening — even if it’s brief.
Notice how your body responds when you feel understood… and when you offer that understanding to someone else.
✨ Have you ever felt that deep “click” in a conversation?
Share your experience below — we’d love to hear from you. 💬

Spending time in nature can shift your brain in powerful ways — and here’s how.A simple 20-minute walk among trees has b...
11/24/2025

Spending time in nature can shift your brain in powerful ways — and here’s how.
A simple 20-minute walk among trees has been shown to create brain activity patterns similar to those seen in people who meditate.

Nature naturally lowers stress, calms the nervous system, and brings the mind into a more present, grounded state — without needing to sit still or close your eyes. 🌿✨
It’s meditation… but with movement.

If you can, take a slow walk outside today — even just around a park or quiet street. Pay attention to the sounds, colors, and air around you.

✨ How do you feel afterward?
Share your thoughts or experiences below — we’d love to hear from you! 💬

The human brain doesn’t fully mature until around age 25 — especially the prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for pl...
11/21/2025

The human brain doesn’t fully mature until around age 25 — especially the prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for planning, impulse control, and decision-making.

This means many of the choices we make in our teens and early twenties happen while our “executive center” is still under construction. It’s not immaturity — it’s biology.

So if you look back at your younger self and cringe a little… you were literally using a developing brain. 🧠✨
Growth takes time, and that’s completely normal!

✨ What’s something you wish you could tell your younger self?
Share it in the comments — we’d love to hear. 💬

Feeling psychologically safe isn’t just comforting — it changes the way your brain works.�When you know your secrets, fe...
11/20/2025

Feeling psychologically safe isn’t just comforting — it changes the way your brain works.�When you know your secrets, feelings, and mistakes won’t be used against you, your nervous system relaxes. That sense of safety lowers internal threat signals and frees up mental energy for creativity, curiosity, and healthy risk-taking. ✨
In other words: safety fuels growth.�When our minds stop bracing for danger, they finally have space to explore.

🌱 Try this reflection:�Think of a moment when you felt truly safe with someone. How did your thinking or creativity shift in that moment?
Share your thoughts below — we’d love to hear your experience. 💬

A single deep breath can calm your body within seconds — and here’s why.� When you take a long, extended exhale, you act...
11/19/2025

A single deep breath can calm your body within seconds — and here’s why.� When you take a long, extended exhale, you activate the vagus nerve, which signals safety to your nervous system (The Polyvagal Theory). This shifts your body out of “threat mode” and into a more grounded, regulated state.
It’s a tiny action with a powerful impact. 🌿�
Try it now: inhale gently… and exhale slowly.

✨ How do you feel after trying it?�Share your experience or thoughts below — we’d love to hear from you! 💬

11/19/2025

Hello everyone! 🌟
Starting today, we’ll be sharing simple and interesting psychology fun facts 🧠✨ on this platform from time to time.
Stay tuned and follow along! 🔔

10/19/2023

10/19/23

EKP Stream of Conscious Self-Quotes
An Exercise In Mindfulness

“Don’t let the learned or institutions of learning place what is essentially yours out of your reach, such as the term iambic pentameter (da dum da dum . . . ) which is from your heartbeat, or the gods and goddesses, which are about nothing, if not about you.”
- M.W. Summerlin

Click: https://youtu.be/MwOCHesIUM8How To Relieve Anxiety Without Medication By Licensed Psychologist And USC Professor ...
08/16/2023

Click: https://youtu.be/MwOCHesIUM8
How To Relieve Anxiety Without Medication By Licensed Psychologist And USC Professor Dr. Summerlin

Dr. Summerlin shares ways to quickly create a sense of safety from within.

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Emotive Knowledge Psychology (EKP) As EKP educators, consultants, and clinicians, we consider the following statement as foundational to effectively providing our services: Relating with others through sincere interest and in a caring way has been shown to improve quality of life, while being aware that maintaining and managing the energy to do so is a bridge we often cross in that direction. - M.W. Summerlin, Ph.D (Dual Origins of Personality) ​ ​Our Founder: Dr. Michael Summerlin is a licensed clinical psychologist that also provides consulting services for organizational leaders in various industries. In 2015, Dr. Summerlin was honored to accept a faculty appointment to teach Organizational Behavior and Leadership at the USC Marshall School of Business. ​ ​His research focused on relational trauma in early childhood and its influence on the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system and corresponding personality structures (Research Panel: Allan Schore, Ph.D, UCLA, Avedis Panajian, Ph.D, Pacifica, Christine Lewis, Ph.D, Pacifica). ​ We have found that a primary barrier to therapeutic change for an individual who has experienced relational trauma in early childhood presents as a significant decrease in the use of associative memory while interacting with others. - M.W. Summerlin, Ph.D (Dual Origins of Personality)