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Lead clients stuck in cycles of anxiety, fear, distress, and loneliness back to safety so they can start to heal

Polyvagal Theory clinical application expert Deb Dana reveals how to help clients feel safe enough to begin healing and make lasting, positive changes.

DEB DANA, LCSW

Our autonomic nervous system (ANS) is where everything begins in our lived experiences—including fears, anxiety, phobias, depression, and traumatic stress.

This understanding is at the heart of the Polyvagal Theory...

And, once you understand how to work with the nervous system, you can offer powerful, life-changing results to your clients. Even in the very first session.

It’s difficult for clients to change their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors when their nervous system is stuck in a state of fear or hopelessness. But when you help them change their nervous system state, THEN they can change their stories.

Polyvagal Theory provides the foundation that’ll help clients engage their nervous systems to access safety and compassion.

To help clients identify where their ANS is at—and where they need to be to find healing—check out the below.

It’s a simple first step that’ll help clients recognize and respond to changes in their nervous systems so they can regulate these internal shifts instead of being overwhelmed by them.



Build a Foundation of Trust & Safety with Clients to Improve Clinical Outcomes
Clinical Applications of Polyvagal Theory in Trauma Treatment with Stephen Porges & Deb Dana: Integrating the Science of Safety, Trust, Self-Regulation and Attachment
Polyvagal Theory helps you take the first step of treatment: creating a sense of safety in clients so they can start healing. Take a risk-free look at our self-paced online training course:

Meet the Expert:
Deb Dana, LCSW, is a clinician and consultant specializing in working with complex trauma. She is a consultant to the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium in the Kinsey Institute and clinical advisor to Khiron Clinics. She developed the Rhythm of Regulation Clinical Training Series and lectures internationally on ways Polyvagal Theory informs work with trauma survivors. Deb is the author of The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation, Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client-Centered Practices, co-editor with Stephen Porges of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies, and creator of the Polyvagal Flip Chart. rhythmofregulation.com

Learn more about their educational products, including upcoming live seminars, by clicking here.

Topic: Polyvagal Theory

Tags: Activity | Advice | Challenging Clients | Strategies | Therapy Tools | Tools

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