Polyvagal Therapy Workshop
Effective use of Polyvagal Therapy as a Treatment for Trauma
Service Description
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP The polyvagal theory (PVT) has been enthusiastically heralded by trauma therapists worldwide as a game-changing framework with which to understand client symptoms and intervene more effectively in treatment. Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, the PVT offers a more nuanced explanation of what happens to the nervous system when we experience a neuroception of safety, danger, or life threat, and practical tools to guide client work in a variety of contexts. From a trauma perspective, understanding the body’s response to trauma, and the role of the autonomic nervous system, assists clients in being able to tune into somatic sensations, expand the window of tolerance, and physiologically ground themselves in and out of sessions, ensuring they can safely process. This workshop will provide you with the principles of the Polyvagal Theory, the features of the Social Engagement System, and how to apply this within your practice. You will learn effective and proven strategies and interventions that build client safety and connectedness, and how to mediate the disarming symptoms of trauma, PTSD, depression, autism, ADD, addictions, and other mental health disorders. This two-day educational and applied workshop will draw on the work of Dr. Stephen Porges and Deb Dana to translate the complex neuroscience model into easy-to-apply concepts that participants can explore concerning their own lives, their workplaces, and their clients. LEARNING OBJECTIVES -The role of polyvagal theory in the treatment of trauma -Understanding the neurobiology of safety, d\anger, and life threat as adaptive responses -Neuroception: Detecting and evaluating risk -Understanding self-regulation and social engagement -The role of connection as a biological imperative -Applying and integrating Polyvagal Theory in a clinical setting -Mapping out the nervous system -Establishing compassionate connection -Creating internal and external safety -Developing ventral regulation through the breath and within the body