By Dr. Lienna Wilson, Licensed Psychologist | Vagus Vitality
Dr. Tanvi Gandhi, ND, L.Ac., brings together naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, integrative psychiatry, and narrative medicine in her work with adults and adolescents.
In this interview, she explains why she sees nervous system symptoms as protection rather than failure, how feeling truly heard can become a cue of safety, and the gentle tapping practice she suggests for calming the body.
Caring for the Whole Person
For Dr. Gandhi, integrative psychiatry began with a simple wish. “I was drawn to integrative psychiatry because I wanted to care for the whole person, not simply a diagnosis or a collection of symptoms,” she says. That wish changes the questions she brings into the room. “This approach invites me to ask what the nervous system may protect against, and what conditions might help someone feel safer, more connected, and better able to heal.”
Each of her disciplines adds its own lens. “Naturopathic medicine broadens the clinical picture to include physical, emotional, and environmental influences; acupuncture brings attention to the body; and narrative medicine helps me listen for meaning within each person’s story,” she explains. Together, she says, they support care that is “scientifically curious, relational, and deeply human.”
That integration shows up across a wide range of settings. Dr. Gandhi is the founder and clinical director of Shiva Shakti Acupuncture and Ayurveda in Stamford, Connecticut, and she works as an integrative psychiatry provider at Silver Hill Hospital with adults and adolescents in acute, transitional living, outpatient, and family programs. She trained in narrative medicine at Columbia University and now teaches it as part of the Narrative Medicine faculty at Psychiatry Redefined.
Dysregulation as Protection, Not Failure
Nervous system dysregulation, Dr. Gandhi notes, looks different for each person. Some patients show signs of mobilization, “including anxiety, agitation, tension, or difficulty settling.” Others show what she calls protective withdrawals, “such as exhaustion, numbness, disconnection, or a diminished sense of meaning.”
What stands out is how she frames these patterns. “I do not view these responses as failures; they may reflect the nervous system’s attempt to protect the person from stress,” she says. “By listening to experiences of safety, threat, connection, and purpose, we can approach these patterns without judgment and identify supports that foster greater regulation and choice.”
Her framing draws on polyvagal theory, an evolving model developed by Stephen Porges that describes how the autonomic nervous system shifts among states linked to social engagement, mobilization, and shutdown (Porges, 2007). Researchers continue to test and debate parts of the theory, but many clinicians find it a helpful map for talking with patients about stress responses without shame.
Acupuncture, the Ear, and the Vagus Nerve
Dr. Gandhi uses polyvagal theory as a clinical framework, and she is thoughtful about what acupuncture can and cannot claim. Part of its value, in her view, lies in the experience itself. “Acupuncture can offer a quiet, relational experience in which a person slows down, notices bodily sensations, and receives cues of safety through a calm setting and an attuned therapeutic presence,” she says.
She finds auricular, or ear, acupuncture especially interesting. Anatomical research shows that parts of the outer ear are supplied by the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (Peuker & Filler, 2002), which she describes as “a plausible connection between ear stimulation and autonomic pathways.” Some of her patients report deeper breathing, less tension, or a greater ability to stay present after treatment.
Still, she is careful not to overstate the case. “I use this framework without claiming that acupuncture directly ‘tones’ or resets the vagus nerve. Its mechanisms and clinical effects continue to be studied,” she says. “The practical question is whether treatment helps the person move gently toward greater regulation, connection, and choice.”
How Being Heard Becomes a Cue of Safety
Narrative medicine, a field developed by Rita Charon at Columbia University, trains clinicians to recognize, interpret, and respond to patients’ stories, using methods such as close reading and reflective writing (Charon, 2001). For Dr. Gandhi, it is also a way of supporting the nervous system.
“Narrative medicine can support regulation by creating a compassionate space in which a person does not have to carry an experience alone,” she says. “Feeling heard, respected, and unhurried may provide important cues of safety.”
Storytelling and reflective writing, she explains, can help patients “name experiences that once felt fragmented, notice what happens in their bodies as they speak, and reconnect with meaning.” Research on expressive writing points in a similar direction: a review of a decade of studies linked writing about emotional experiences with improvements in both physical and mental health (Pennebaker, 1997).
The clinician’s presence matters, too. “When a clinician listens with steadiness and care, the therapeutic relationship itself can support coregulation and help the person move toward greater presence, flexibility, and choice.”
Healing in Community
Dr. Gandhi also brings this work into groups. Her sessions combine “guided reflection, narrative journaling, structured dialogue, active listening, and brief experiential practices such as paced breathing or meditation.” Participants may write privately, share voluntarily, or simply listen. “Disclosure is never required,” she says.
The group setting offers something individual work cannot. It allows people “to witness shared experiences, feel less isolated, and practice coregulation through respectful presence, reflection, and mutual support for emotional stability.” Her aim, she says, is “to create a supportive environment in which belonging and resilience can grow.”
Foundations Before Supplements
Asked about supplements and devices, Dr. Gandhi resists one-size-fits-all answers. “I approach supplements and devices individually rather than making universal recommendations,” she says. “What is appropriate depends on a person’s health history, medications, symptoms, goals, and clinical context.”
She starts instead with what she calls “accessible, sustainable foundations such as sleep, movement, breathing, reflection, connection, and self-compassion.” Anything more comes “only after an individualized assessment, with careful attention to safety and coordination of care.” It is a useful reminder for readers: before adding a supplement or device, talk with a clinician who knows your history and your medications.
One Daily Practice: Butterfly Tapping With Loving-Kindness
For a simple daily practice, Dr. Gandhi often suggests butterfly tapping paired with loving-kindness. “Cross your arms gently over your chest, resting each hand near the opposite shoulder or upper chest, and alternate slow, comfortable taps while breathing naturally,” she explains.
As you tap, silently repeat a compassionate phrase. She offers this one: “May I be safe. May I be at ease. May I meet this moment with kindness.” Continue for one or two minutes, noticing the support of your hands and the rhythm of the tapping. “The practice should feel gentle and grounded,” she says. “Pause if it feels uncomfortable or activating.”
Research on loving-kindness meditation offers one window into how compassion may support the nervous system. In one randomized study, adults who learned loving-kindness meditation reported more positive emotions and felt more socially connected, and those gains in connection were linked to increases in vagal tone, measured through heart rate variability (Kok et al., 2013).
A Relationship-Centered Path to Regulation
Across every part of her work, Dr. Gandhi returns to the same themes: listening closely, honoring patient choice, and treating the nervous system’s responses with respect rather than judgment. Whether through acupuncture, a group circle, or a few minutes of tapping, her approach invites people to move gently toward greater connection, resilience, and meaning.
About Dr. Tanvi Gandhi
Dr. Tanvi Gandhi, ND, L.Ac., is a naturopathic physician, a licensed acupuncturist in Connecticut and New York, a certified integrative psychiatry provider, and a narrative medicine facilitator. She is the founder and clinical director of Shiva Shakti Acupuncture and Ayurveda in Stamford, Connecticut, and serves as an integrative psychiatry provider and wellness contractor at Silver Hill Hospital, working with adults and adolescents across acute, transitional living, outpatient, and family programs. Dr. Gandhi serves on the Narrative Medicine faculty at Psychiatry Redefined and is completing a fellowship in pediatric and adolescent functional and integrative psychiatry.
Her background includes studies in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics at UCLA; research at the National Institutes of Health; and doctoral training in naturopathic medicine and acupuncture at the University of Bridgeport. She serves on the board of the Connecticut Naturopathic Physicians Association and remains active in Psych ANP and other professional organizations. Her writing and interviews have appeared in NDNR, the Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, and on podcast platforms.
Learn more at drtanvigandhi.com.
Note: This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Acupuncture and integrative psychiatry care should be provided by an appropriately licensed clinician. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new practice, supplement, or treatment.
References
Charon, R. (2001). Narrative medicine: A model for empathy, reflection, profession, and trust. JAMA, 286(15), 1897–1902. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.286.15.1897
Kok, B. E., Coffey, K. A., Cohn, M. A., Catalino, L. I., Vacharkulksemsuk, T., Algoe, S. B., Brantley, M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). How positive emotions build physical health: Perceived positive social connections account for the upward spiral between positive emotions and vagal tone. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1123–1132. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612470827
Pennebaker, J. W. (1997). Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8(3), 162–166. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00403.x
Peuker, E. T., & Filler, T. J. (2002). The nerve supply of the human auricle. Clinical Anatomy, 15(1), 35–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.1089
Porges, S. W. (2007). The polyvagal perspective. Biological Psychology, 74(2), 116–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.009