About | The Welch Center

Mission & Vision

Our mission is to start a movement of change when it comes to emotional connection and young children. We believe that by providing families with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need, we can create a ripple effect that will benefit not just individual families, but our entire community.

We envision a future where emotional connection is a central part of every family's daily life, and where young children grow up feeling supported, and emotionally secure.

Early in her career, Dr. Welch supported families through her Mothering Center. Since 1997, Dr. Welch has explored the biological mechanisms underlying what she observed in her clinical practice, conducting research at Columbia University. The Welch Center puts this groundbreaking work on fostering emotional connection into action by directly reaching and helping families — at no cost to the families.

We are proud to carry forward Dr. Welch's legacy of empowering families and improving the lives of children. We believe that by building on her success and expertise, we can make a real difference in the lives of families and children in our community and beyond.

Our Story

Our Team

Our exceptional team members bring diverse expertise, honed through years of pioneering exploration. They stand as beacons of dedication, reshaping paradigms and fueling breakthroughs. Delve into the stories of these visionaries who have not only witnessed but actively shaped the evolution of science and society.

Martha G. Welch, MD

Founder

Dr. Welch has been a pioneer in the treatment of emotional, behavioral, and developmental disorders for over 40 years. Decades of clinical observations led her to create a new paradigm that centers the primacy of co-regulatory processes in optimal child development. Dr. Welch founded The Nurture Science Program at Columbia University Medical Center to conduct basic and clinical research aimed at elucidating the mechanism of parent-infant and parent-child co-regulation, leading her to develop the novel theoretical construct of emotional connection. She formed the Welch Center for Emotional Connection to focus on the here and now and taking action to help improve the lives of families.

Marc E. Jaffe

Board Member & Strategic Advisor

Having worked on the Nurture Science Program studies in early childhood education (ages 0-5) in his capacity as CEO of the Children’s Learning Centers in Stamford, CT, Marc brings a knowledge of and passion for family emotional connection. His executive, media and legal background in publishing and licensing across many media (software, video, video games, magazines, books) makes Marc ideally qualified to advise the MGWC.

Robert J. Ludwig

Co-Founder

Robert brings two decades of dedicated collaboration with Dr. Welch to the Welch Center for Emotional Connection. He initially oversaw her private treatment clinic and later managed her research initiatives at Columbia University Medical Center. As Associate Director of the Nurture Science Program, Robert led the research team, coordinated the program, and fostered global research collaborations. With an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, he has intricately developed and communicated key theory's such as the Calming Cycle Theory, contributes to research experiment design, and co-authors publications.

Michael Myers, PhD

Director of Research

Dr. Myers has over 45 years of research experience in the field of Developmental Psychobiology, with over 140 peer-reviewed publications and continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health since 1984. His animal model and human infant studies have focused on understanding the importance of the interplay between biological and behavioral processes during early development, especially as they relate to early mother-infant interactions as shapers of risk and resilience to emotional, behavioral, and developmental disorders.