Working with Polyvagal Theory in Practice

Do know some people who appear to be ‘stuck’ in unhelpful reactions and behaviours? 

Maybe living life in constant stress and anxiety – or withdrawn into withdrawal and depression? 

Do you ever get frustrated that simple solutions are not put into action? 

Polyvagal Theory is an established theory of working with the Autonomic Nervous System: it explores adaptations to behaviour in response to fear and threat.  Understanding where someone is on the ‘Autonomic Ladder’ is essential for suggesting appropriate interventions to get them back to an “I’m OK and the world is OK’ belief. If a patient has dropped into a sympathetic (fight or flight response), they require a very different approach to someone who has dropped into a Dorsal Vagal (Freeze) response. 

This session will give an introduction to working with the three levels of the autonomic hierarchy, creating a practical menu of activities for each level to make positive change – and offering an understanding of why some people don’t / can’t change and what is required to shift that. You will have a way of assessing nervous system function that might surprise you, and you will have the opportunity to map your own nervous system, leaving you with a tool that you can use moving forwards.