# Dr. Suzan Song

> Harvard and Stanford-trained psychiatrist, humanitarian adviser, and author of Why We Suffer and How We Heal (Harmony / Penguin Random House, February 2026). Professor of psychiatry at George Washington University. Adviser to UNICEF, UNHCR, and the U.S. Departments of State, Justice, and Homeland Security.

## Overview

Dr. Suzan Song, MD, MPH, PhD is a child/adolescent and adult psychiatrist and anthropologist who has spent more than two decades bridging clinical care, humanitarian crises, public policy, and systems transformation. In her private practice, she works with high-performing CEOs, founders, political figures, and physicians navigating private crises. In the field, she has worked with former child soldiers in Sierra Leone and Burundi, displaced families in Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syrian refugees in Jordan. Her core framework centers on navigating instability through narrative, ritual, and purpose — the three tools she identifies as universal across cultures for transforming suffering into growth.

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.suzansong.com/): Overview, credentials, newsletter signup, and featured press
- [About](https://www.suzansong.com/about): Full biography, education, career history, current positions, and advisory work
- [Book](https://www.suzansong.com/book): Why We Suffer and How We Heal — Penguin Random House, February 2026 (ISBN: 9780593581537)
- [Speaking & Advisory](https://www.suzansong.com/speaking): Keynote topics, previous audiences, testimonials, service areas, and inquiry form
- [Library](https://www.suzansong.com/library): 25+ press features, interviews, podcasts, and published essays across Forbes, CNN, CNBC, NPR, Oprah Daily, MSNBC, NBC, Washington Post, STAT News, and more
- [Newsletter](https://www.suzansong.com/newsletter): Beyond Stability — a monthly letter for high-performing people navigating instability
- [Library — Newsletter Archive](https://www.suzansong.com/library): The Library page includes a full archive of past Beyond Stability newsletter editions. Each links to a full-text version on suzansong.com. Topics include navigating instability, resilience, leadership under pressure, and how we heal

## Keynote Speaking Topics

1. Navigating Instability: Why the pursuit of stability often backfires and what individuals and organizations can do instead
2. Narrative and Identity Under Pressure: How the stories we tell ourselves shape our responses to disruption
3. The Power of Ritual in Professional Life: How deliberate practices create conditions for clarity and resilience in high-performance cultures
4. Purpose Beyond Performance: Why goals are not enough and how leaders can cultivate meaning that sustains people through disruptions

## Speaking and Advisory Clients

Google, Harvard University, Stanford University, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Nike, Toyota, Kenyon College, George Washington University, UNICEF, UNHCR, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Northern Virginia Family Services

## Credentials

- M.D., University of Chicago
- Ph.D. in social-behavioral medicine, University of Amsterdam (intergenerational stress and resilience in former child soldiers)
- M.P.H. in health policy, Harvard School of Public Health
- Psychiatry residency, Harvard Medical Centers
- Child psychiatry fellowship, Stanford University
- B.S. with high honors and Phi Beta Kappa, University of Michigan (biology and epistemology across cultures)

## Current Positions

- Professor of Psychiatry, George Washington University
- Founder, Global Collective Institute (nonprofit advancing MHPSS for children in humanitarian settings)
- Adviser to UNICEF, UNHCR, and International Medical Corps
- Private practice in Washington, D.C.

## Book

- Title: Why We Suffer and How We Heal: Using Narrative, Ritual, and Purpose to Flourish Through Life's Challenges
- Author: Suzan Song, MD, PhD
- Publisher: Harmony / Penguin Random House
- Publication date: February 25, 2026
- ISBN: 9780593581537
- Format: Hardcover, ebook, audiobook (narrated by the author)
- Named one of Penguin Random House's Most Anticipated Nonfiction Books of 2026

## Endorsements

- "An exceptional contribution to the literature, akin to Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning." — Joseph C. Kolars, MD, University of Michigan
- "This book is a gift of empathy and lived wisdom — rare, real, and deeply human." — Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Buddha's Brain
- "A message of hope to individuals who feel repeatedly upended by life's adversities." — James L. Griffith, MD, George Washington University
- "A gift of empathy and lived wisdom — rare, real, and deeply human." — Dr. Koen Sevenants, former global lead for MHPSS in Emergencies, UNICEF

## Newsletter

Beyond Stability is a monthly letter for high-performing people navigating instability — from a psychiatrist who has spent two decades with war survivors and Silicon Valley founders in the same career. Topics include how we make decisions, carry responsibility, and stay grounded when the ground keeps moving.

## Contact

- Website: https://www.suzansong.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzansong
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsuzansong
- Speaking inquiries: Keynote and conference speaking inquiries are routed through Penguin Random House speakers bureau
- Advisory and other inquiries: Available through the website contact form at https://www.suzansong.com/speaking