- Have you heard of Polyvagal Theory, but never quite understood it?
- Understood it but been unsure how to practically use it with your clients?
- Wanted to ask about it, but have never felt up for it?
- Do you want to finally learn from a tutor who dedicated their life to it?
- This is a course for you!
The autonomic nervous system is the foundation for our lived experience. What begins with our biology becomes the story that shapes our days. Polyvagal Theory gives us a road-map to listen with curiosity and compassion to emerging autonomic states and answer the essential question, “What does the nervous system need in this moment to find safety in connection?”
In this series of three sessions we will explore exercises that engage the nervous system in shaping pathways of connection and how to utilise practices to support our clients in finding safety in regulation.
Session 1: We will briefly explore the three organising principles and background and then dive into ways to anchor in ventral and engage the pathways of the Social Engagement System.
Session 2: We will explore how to find the right degree of challenge to shape the nervous system toward regulation and connection and utilise practices that directly influence autonomic regulation.
Session 3: We will look at ways to connect beyond the individual self and explore how to integrate practices to support our clients moving toward safety and regulation.
At the end of the series participants will be able to:
- Describe the basic function of the autonomic nervous system
- Utilise specific practices to support autonomic regulation
- Employ exercises designed to engage the neural circuits of a client’s Social Engagement System to improve clinical outcomes
Course tutor
Deb Dana, LCSW, Clinician, Consultant and Lecturer
Deb Dana’s work as a clinician, consultant, lecturer, and Coordinator of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium in the Kinsey Institute is focused on using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma.
Polyvagal Theory is a neurophysiological framework for understanding the human autonomic nervous system and how it influences our sense of safety and ability for connection. It was developed by Dr Stephen Porges, a Distinguished University Scientist at the Kinsey Institute.
A licensed social worker, trainer and lecturer, Dana is the international leader in translating Polyvagal Theory into practice. She has a particular focus on helping those who have experienced complex trauma.
To help disseminate the application of Polyvagal Theory into clinical practice, Dana developed the Rhythm of Regulation training series, offering a module sequence from foundation to advanced level. She regularly travels internationally to offer this training.
Dana writes for a range of publications and has been interviewed many times for podcasts and radio. Her engaging summary of Polyvagal Theory is that it is the science of feeling safe enough to fall in love with life and take the risks of living.
Deb is the author of The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation, Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client-Centred Practices, and Befriending the Nervous System. She is the co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies, and creator of the Polyvagal Flip Chart.
Course structure
- Video
- Online Test
- Personalised Certificate for 6 CPD Hours
