Full Course Description

The Neurophysiology of Trauma, Attachment, Self-Regulation & Emotions

Program Information

Target Audience

Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Case Managers, Addiction Counselors, Therapists, Marriage & Family Therapists, Nurses, Other Mental Health Professionals

Objectives

Characterize the principle features and foundation of the Polyvagal Theory.
Articulate how the Polyvagal Theory may explain behavioral features related to psychiatric disorders and other behavioral problems.
Determine how maladaptive behaviors, which may accompany several psychiatric disorders, may reflect adaptive responses triggered by survival mechanisms.
Communicate how the neural process (neuroception) evaluates risk in the environment and triggers adaptive neural circuits promoting either social interactions or defensive behaviors.
Appraise the definition of the features of the Social Engagement System to include the neural pathways that connect the brain, face, and heart.
Illustrate how deficits in the regulation of the Social Engagement System are expressed as core features of several psychiatric disorders.
Specify how therapeutic presence is based on the interaction between the Social Engagement Systems of client and therapist.
Evaluate how the Social Engagement System is involved in optimizing therapeutic outcomes.
Ascertain which features of the Social Engagement System are compromised by stress and trauma.
Determine how acoustic stimulation, via the Safe and Sound Protocol, may function as an acoustic vagal nerve stimulator to shift autonomic state and facilitate spontaneous social engagement behaviors.

Outline

The Polyvagal Theory

The principles and features of the Polyvagal Theory and how to apply it in a clinical setting
How the Polyvagal Theory can demystify several features related to stress-related illnesses and psychiatric disorders such as PTSD, autism, depression, and anxiety
How the Social Engagement System is compromised by stress and trauma and how to reset it
Evolutionary changes and adaptive functions in the autonomic nervous system
Humans response hierarchy to challenges
Three neural platforms that provide the neurophysiological bases for social engagement, fight/flight, and shutdown behaviors

Social Engagement System and Psychiatric and Behavioral Disorders

A description of the “face-heart” connection that forms a functional social engagement system
How our facial expressions, vocalizations, and gestures are regulated by neural mechanisms that are involved in regulating our autonomic nervous system

Neuroception: Detecting and Evaluating Risk

How our social and physical environment triggers changes in physiological state
Understanding that adaptive physiological reactions may result in maladaptive behaviors
Immobilization without fear
Play as a neural exercise
Listening as a neural exercise

Demystifying Biobehavioral Responses to Trauma and Abuse

Fight/flight and immobilization defense strategies
Adaptive function of immobilization and the associated clinical difficulties
How the stresses and challenges of life distort social awareness and displace spontaneous social engagement behaviors with defensive reactions

Applying the Polyvagal Theory in Clinical Settings

Understanding auditory hypersensitivities
State regulation as a core feature of psychiatric disorders
Deconstructing features of autism and PTSD
Strategies to explain disruption and repair of symbiotic regulation
Identifying social cues that disrupt or repair defensive reaction

Copyright : 04/08/2016

Program Information

Objectives

Characterize the principle features and foundation of the Polyvagal Theory.
Articulate how the Polyvagal Theory may explain behavioral features related to psychiatric disorders and other behavioral problems.
Determine how maladaptive behaviors, which may accompany several psychiatric disorders, may reflect adaptive responses triggered by survival mechanisms.
Communicate how the neural process (neuroception) evaluates risk in the environment and triggers adaptive neural circuits promoting either social interactions or defensive behaviors.
Appraise the definition of the features of the Social Engagement System to include the neural pathways that connect the brain, face, and heart.
Illustrate how deficits in the regulation of the Social Engagement System are expressed as core features of several psychiatric disorders.
Specify how therapeutic presence is based on the interaction between the Social Engagement Systems of client and therapist.
Evaluate how the Social Engagement System is involved in optimizing therapeutic outcomes.
Ascertain which features of the Social Engagement System are compromised by stress and trauma.
Determine how acoustic stimulation, via the Safe and Sound Protocol, may function as an acoustic vagal nerve stimulator to shift autonomic state and facilitate spontaneous social engagement behaviors.

Program Information

Objectives

Characterize the principle features and foundation of the Polyvagal Theory.
Articulate how the Polyvagal Theory may explain behavioral features related to psychiatric disorders and other behavioral problems.
Determine how maladaptive behaviors, which may accompany several psychiatric disorders, may reflect adaptive responses triggered by survival mechanisms.
Communicate how the neural process (neuroception) evaluates risk in the environment and triggers adaptive neural circuits promoting either social interactions or defensive behaviors.
Appraise the definition of the features of the Social Engagement System to include the neural pathways that connect the brain, face, and heart.
Illustrate how deficits in the regulation of the Social Engagement System are expressed as core features of several psychiatric disorders.
Specify how therapeutic presence is based on the interaction between the Social Engagement Systems of client and therapist.
Evaluate how the Social Engagement System is involved in optimizing therapeutic outcomes.
Ascertain which features of the Social Engagement System are compromised by stress and trauma.
Determine how acoustic stimulation, via the Safe and Sound Protocol, may function as an acoustic vagal nerve stimulator to shift autonomic state and facilitate spontaneous social engagement behaviors.

Program Information

Objectives

Characterize the principle features and foundation of the Polyvagal Theory.
Articulate how the Polyvagal Theory may explain behavioral features related to psychiatric disorders and other behavioral problems.
Determine how maladaptive behaviors, which may accompany several psychiatric disorders, may reflect adaptive responses triggered by survival mechanisms.
Communicate how the neural process (neuroception) evaluates risk in the environment and triggers adaptive neural circuits promoting either social interactions or defensive behaviors.
Appraise the definition of the features of the Social Engagement System to include the neural pathways that connect the brain, face, and heart.
Illustrate how deficits in the regulation of the Social Engagement System are expressed as core features of several psychiatric disorders.
Specify how therapeutic presence is based on the interaction between the Social Engagement Systems of client and therapist.
Evaluate how the Social Engagement System is involved in optimizing therapeutic outcomes.
Ascertain which features of the Social Engagement System are compromised by stress and trauma.
Determine how acoustic stimulation, via the Safe and Sound Protocol, may function as an acoustic vagal nerve stimulator to shift autonomic state and facilitate spontaneous social engagement behaviors.

Neuroscience & Physiology of Trauma: Extended Interview with Stephen Porges PhD

Program Information

Target Audience

Addiction Counselors, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Nurses, Psychologists, Social Workers

Objectives

Ascertain the clinical implications of the polyvagal theory in terms of hierarchy: ventral vagal response; sympathetic response and dorsal vagal.

Outline

Polyvagal Theory

Experience of stress
Fight/flight freeze response
Trauma outcomes