- Classify the core concepts of Polyvagal Theory, such as the autonomic hierarchy, neuroception, and co-regulation.
- Define organizing principles of Polyvagal Theory in client friendly language.
- Analyze how the autonomic nervous system constantly monitors for safety and danger, influencing trauma responses.
- Utilize Deb Dana’s mapping series to chart and comprehend the states and reactions of the autonomic nervous system.
- Evaluate client experiences of mobilization, disconnection, and engagement through the lens of Polyvagal Theory.
- Integrate autonomic tracking and co-regulating skills in sessions to actively manage and adjust to clients' physiological states.
- Use polyvagal-informed processes to help clients move from states of dysregulation to regulation.
- Choose tools to regulate your own autonomic state to create an environment of safety for clients.
- Determine skills to regulate patterns of autonomic response.
- Identify and modulate both your own and your clients' autonomic responses.
- Examine how unconscious detection of safety and danger (neuroception) activates autonomic state shifts.
- Determine how humans naturally regulate each other’s autonomic states through social interaction, focusing on the biological phenomenon of co-regulation.
- Use nervous system responses to track ruptures in the therapeutic relationship.
- Categorize the common body responses for each autonomic state.
- Develop a therapeutic session based on tracking a client’s autonomic responses.
- Utilize Polyvagal-informed techniques to create healthier patterns.
- Determine individual and interactive resources that support autonomic regulation.
- Utilize the Social Engagement System to assist clients in becoming more adept in skills of co-regulation.
- Choose experiential activities, including mapping sequences, SIFTing, savoring, and using the vagal brake to enhance self-regulation skills.
- Differentiate a Polyvagal-guided clinical practice based on appropriate assessment and treatment planning.
- Determine how the cycle, or reciprocity-rupture-repair, achieves the biological need for connection.
- Evaluate ethical considerations and responsibilities of polyvagal informed clinical work, including research limitations and potential risks.
Join us at the beautiful Sedona Mago Retreat Center near Sedona, Arizona
where you’ll spend 5 days filled with skills-building and personal transformation
with esteemed Polyvagal Theory (PVT) expert Deb Dana!
PLUS, earn up to 21.5 CE Hours!
where you’ll spend 5 days filled with skills-building and personal transformation
with esteemed Polyvagal Theory (PVT) expert Deb Dana!
PLUS, earn up to 21.5 CE Hours!
Transitioning clients from chronic dysregulation and trauma-driven responses to enhanced emotional regulation, resilience, and overall well-being.
The trauma client is often stuck in a dysregulated state.
Like us, they want to navigate the normal “shifting” we do in our daily lives. Transitioning from one state to another…hyper to calm, irritated to relaxed, overwhelmed to feeling in control.
And because the things we feel and do begin not in our brains, but in our bodies, in the nervous system…
We need the tools and strategies to help clients transition from dysregulated states to a state of emotional balance and control. This includes understanding and leveraging the body's autonomic nervous system to facilitate this process effectively.
Amidst Sedona's majestic red rocks, Deb Dana, LCSW, foremost PVT authority and best-selling author, will unlock the transformative power of understanding how our nervous system influences our responses to stress and social interactions!
Working from the premise that the autonomic nervous system inherently longs to be in regulation and knows the way there, Deb will take you into the core of her work in a practical way.
Compassionately, and within a safe and relaxing environment, Deb will teach you how to partner with the autonomic nervous system, reset clients' nervous systems, and restore safety.
This immersive and interactive learning experience is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of your own nervous system and learn the fundamentals of polyvagal informed therapy.
“…Deb Dana brilliantly transforms a neurobiologically-based theory into clinical practice and Polyvagal Theory comes alive.”
–Stephen W. Porges, PhD, Originator of Polyvagal Theory
PESI retreats fill up fast, so secure your spot today!
Deb Dana’s Polyvagal Theory Experiential Retreat
An Immersive Autonomic Journey Toward Healing Client Trauma and More
LIVE in Sedona, Arizona
Monday, September 30th – Friday, October 4th, 2024
Single Occupancy: $2,999.00
Plus, earn up to 21.5 CE Hours — included in your tuition. Click here for Credit details
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.
As a clinician, your primary role is to be a safe and regulated presence for your clients.
By understanding the autonomic nervous system, you can become a reliable resource for both your well-being and your clients'. Learn how to create the maps of Deb’s signature mapping series to:
- Understand your autonomic responses, patterns, and triggers
- Use your nervous system responses to track ruptures in the therapeutic relationship
- Implement quick and reliable ways to return to and anchor in regulation
- Use autonomic transparency to repair a rupture
Join a group of your colleagues as Deb guides you through immersive and experiential group activities, live demonstrations, hands-on skills training to help clients:
- Achieve stable autonomic regulation and better emotional control
- Build resilience, recover quickly from stress, and reduce trauma symptoms
- Form and maintain healthier relationships with improved social engagement
- Understand their nervous system and use self-soothing techniques independently
- Experience greater safety and stability, engaging more fully with daily life
- And so much more!
You don’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from Deb Dana and unlock the full potential of Polyvagal Theory to revolutionize your clinical practice.
PLUS! The Sedona Mago Retreat Center offers an exquisite landscape, waterfalls, garden walks, and healthful cuisine.
Attendees rave about how wonderful it is to stay at Mago... taking time to unwind, rejuvenate, and connect with themselves and their community of colleagues... all at this remarkable place. The daily schedule is designed to allow ample personal time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and amenities. And, with all-inclusive pricing, your lodging, meals, and training are all covered in one simple price.
Join us to become a beacon of safety, resilience, and healing for your clients like never before!
Are you ready! Register today and we’ll see you in Sedona!
Deb Dana’s Polyvagal Theory Experiential Retreat
An Immersive Autonomic Journey Toward Healing Client Trauma and More
LIVE in Sedona, Arizona
Monday, September 30th – Friday, October 4th, 2024
Single Occupancy: $2,999.00
Plus, earn up to 21.5 CE Hours — included in your tuition. Click here for Credit details
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.
Retreat Schedule
All Times Listed in Local Time
Monday, September 30, 2024
4:00–5:30 pm
Check-in
5:30–6:30 pm
Dinner
7:00–9:00 pm
Introduction and Overview Content*
Tuesday, October 1 – Thursday, October 3, 2024
7:00–8:00 am
Breakfast
8:00 am–12:00 pm
Training*
12:00–1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00–5:30 pm
Restoration and Relaxation
5:30–6:30 pm
Dinner
6:30–8:30 pm
Training*
Friday, October 4, 2024
7:00–8:00 am
Breakfast
8:00–9:30 am
Training*
9:30 am–12:00 pm
Check Out and Depart Retreat Center
*CE is awarded during these specified times. Licensing boards require full attendance to the entire retreat, including departure day, to receive any credit for the entire retreat. Please plan travel accordingly.
Who Should Attend?
The target audience includes:
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Case Managers
- Addiction Counselors
- Physicians
- Therapists
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Nurses
- Other Mental Health Professionals
See What Others Have Said...
“Deb was wonderful. I learned so much and this really opened my eyes to quite a shift in thinking about beings and especially in therapy.”
—Dianne, W., Counselor
“Deb is a knowledgeable and engaging presenter. It will help me think about my clients and their reactions in a different way.”
—Shari, B., Social Worker
“Absolutely wonderful...I have been in practice for 25 years; I feel like this is a foundational piece that has been missing and will revolutionize my practice. Thank you, Deb!”
—Anya G., MFT
“Life changing. Thank you, Deb!”
—Denise, D., Counselor
“Thank you...I needed this! Deb was smooth, professional, supportive, and safe.”
—Jaci B., Counselor
Deb Dana’s Polyvagal Theory Experiential Retreat
An Immersive Autonomic Journey Toward Healing Client Trauma and More
LIVE in Sedona, Arizona
Monday, September 30th – Friday, October 4th, 2024
Single Occupancy: $2,999.00
Plus, earn up to 21.5 CE Hours — included in your tuition. Click here for Credit details
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.
Retreat Content
Outline
Get to Know the Nervous System
- How trauma influences the autonomic nervous system
- Role of the autonomic nervous system in adapting to ongoing experiences
- How the nervous system shapes physical and psychological experiences
- Organizing principles of The Polyvagal Theory
- Difference between the brain and nervous system’s experience of safety
- Conditions that make it safe enough to engage in Polyvagal Informed work
- Steps of autonomically informed intention setting
- Create a personal intention for the retreat
- How the internal surveillance system works
- How neuroception leads to patterns of protection and connection
- Assess safety and danger through the three pathways of neuroception
- Discover what activates your survival strategies
- Identify cues of safety and danger
- Practice utilizing the Safety/Danger equation
- Use the discernment questions to move from neuroception to awareness
- Five pathways of the social engagement system
- “The Sunglasses Experiment”: Group experience
- “Setting up a Session”: Demo and practice
- Explore the paradigm shift from event-based understanding to looking at nervous system response
- Identify emergent properties of autonomic states in safety and survival
- Introduction to autonomic mapping
- Create a Personal Profile Map
- Practice the “Notice and Name” skill
- Develop your “Anchors and Touchstones”
- Biology of blended states
- Impact of the vagal brake
- “Exercising the Vagal Brake”: Demo and group practice
- Explore the use of micro-moments to shape new patterns through the six step “Glimmer Practice”
- Savoring research and practice the three steps of savoring
- Teach clients to listen to their autonomic stories and shape their systems toward safety and connection
- “Story of States” practice
- Pie charts as a method to illustrate autonomic experience: Practice
- “SIFTing”: Demo and practice
- The ways an anchor in ventral is an essential element in safely processing trauma
- “Stretch to Stress” map to assess safety: Activity
- Write the steps to a personal nervous system guided self-compassion practice
- Help clients move from protection to experiencing moments of safety by recruiting their built-in safety circuits
- Complete the Four Pathways of Connection worksheet to illustrate strengths and challenges
- Increase awareness of patterns using the Four Map Tracking worksheet
- Interrupt habitual response patterns and create new, healthy patterns
- Practice “re-storying” through writing, imagery, and movement
- Engage the nervous system’s natural regulating pathways with breath and movement practices
- Build individual and interactive resources to support regulation
- Find quick and reliable methods to return to and maintain regulation
- Create a personalized resource menu
- The Five-Minute Check-In Demo and Practice
- How to Create Continuums Demo and Practice:
- Continuums within States
- Continuums with Midpoint Marks and Transitions
- Clinical examples of how to:
- Speak the language of the nervous system
- Assess and categorize client experiences based on autonomic states
- Track ruptures in the therapeutic relationship
- Repair ruptures through autonomic transparency
- The “Guiding Questions” as a structure for sessions
- Ethical considerations
- Research limitations and potential risks
- Look for a new rhythm of regulation
- Answer four nervous system pattern questions to bring information into awareness
Deb Dana’s Polyvagal Theory Experiential Retreat
An Immersive Autonomic Journey Toward Healing Client Trauma and More
LIVE in Sedona, Arizona
Monday, September 30th – Friday, October 4th, 2024
Single Occupancy: $2,999.00
Plus, earn up to 21.5 CE Hours — included in your tuition. Click here for Credit details
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.
Meet Your Retreat Instructor
Deb Dana, LCSW, is a clinician, consultant, and author. Deb’s work shows how an understanding of Polyvagal Theory is applicable across the board to relationships, mental health, and trauma. She is well known for translating Polyvagal Theory into a language and application that is both clear and accessible and for pioneering Rhythm of Regulation® methodology, tools, techniques, and practices which continue to open the power of Polyvagal Theory to professionals and curious people from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life.
Deb believes we all benefit when we have a basic understanding of the ways the nervous system works and learn how to become active operators of this essential system. Following this passion has led her to partner with groups and communities outside of the clinical arena - and bring the Polyvagal perspective to the ordinary, and sometimes extraordinary, experiences of daily living.
Deb’s clinical work published with W.W. Norton includes The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation, Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client Centered Practices, the Polyvagal Flip Chart, the Polyvagal Card Deck, and Polyvagal Practices: Anchoring the Self in Safety. She partners with Sounds True to bring her polyvagal perspective to a general audience through the audio program Befriending Your Nervous System: Looking Through the Lens of Polyvagal Theory and her print book Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory.
Click here for information about Deborah Dana
Deb believes we all benefit when we have a basic understanding of the ways the nervous system works and learn how to become active operators of this essential system. Following this passion has led her to partner with groups and communities outside of the clinical arena - and bring the Polyvagal perspective to the ordinary, and sometimes extraordinary, experiences of daily living.
Deb’s clinical work published with W.W. Norton includes The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation, Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client Centered Practices, the Polyvagal Flip Chart, the Polyvagal Card Deck, and Polyvagal Practices: Anchoring the Self in Safety. She partners with Sounds True to bring her polyvagal perspective to a general audience through the audio program Befriending Your Nervous System: Looking Through the Lens of Polyvagal Theory and her print book Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory.
Click here for information about Deborah Dana
What does Tuition Include?
- Learn from Deb Dana, internationally renowned PVT expert & author
- Immersion in experiential activities, demonstrations, group work, and more!
- Learn to help clients restore safety & resiliency and improve emotional regulation
- Up to 21.5 CE Hours, CE certificate & course manual
- Healing vortexes, meditation areas, & labyrinth
- Peaceful lake & trails – surrounded by magnificent red rock mountains
- Healthful (and tasty!) pesco-vegetarian cuisine
- Private lodging & bathrooms for the duration of your stay
If you’re looking for a place to unwind and reconnect with what’s important, what better environment than one of the most beautiful deserts on the planet?
The Sedona Mago Retreat Center is located in Sedona, Arizona, an area long known for natural healing and spiritual awakening. It is surrounded by red monoliths, Native American ruins, and majestic mountains. Experience the beauty, feel the energy, and awaken your spirit.
Retreat Highlights
- Secluded retreat, offering 173 acres
- Private or shared casitas with private bathrooms
- Healthful pesco-vegetarian cuisine (3 meals daily)
- Beautiful lake surrounded by trees, flowers, aromatic herbs, and many wild birds
- Covered patios, meditation areas & labyrinth
- Healing vortexes, experience healing and deep awakening
- Peaceful trails to enjoy nature
- Awe-inspiring sunrises, sunsets and stargazing
- Direct shuttle service available from Phoenix Sky Harbor (additional fees)
Retreat Location
Sedona Mago Retreat
3500 E Bill Gray Road
Sedona, AZ 86336, USA
Phone: (928) 204-3391
Shuttle Services
Shuttle services are available from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to Sedona Mago. Please contact AZ Shuttle Select (623-200-2849) or Groome Transportation (928-350-8466) for more information and reservations. Note that transit times may take longer than the geographical distance from the airport. Please review the retreat’s schedule above, inquire regarding transit times with the shuttle services and plan flights/travel accordingly.
Accessibility
Sedona Mago Retreat Center has been mindfully set in nature – the grounds and roads are a mixture of dirt, gravel, and pavement. The general guest areas are spread out over many acres, so getting to and from various points will require walking moderate distances and traversing stairs and hills. If mobility is a concern, please contact the retreat center before registering with PESI.
Non-Participating Retreat Guests
Sedona Mago is an all-inclusive retreat center. All reservations are per individual, not per room. All individuals staying at the retreat center incur a room and board charge whether or not they are participating in the PESI educational training. If you are considering bringing a guest with you who will not be participating in the PESI educational training, please contact PESI at 800-844-8260.
CE Information
Please review the retreat’s credit information by clicking any of the “Click here for CE credit details” links found above.
PLEASE NOTE: Most licensing boards require full attendance to the entire program to receive any credit.
Please review the retreat’s schedule above and plan your travel accordingly to ensure full attendance to the program.
Health and Safety
Attendees’ health and safety is a top priority for PESI & Sedona Mago Retreat Center. For the most up-to-date health and safety guidelines, click here.
All attendees are advised to purchase travel insurance that includes a cancellation for any reason option to protect your travel plans.
If for any reason you are unable to attend, please contact us immediately:
Email: retreatinfo@pesi.com • Phone: 800-844-8260
Please check with your local government to see what advisories are in place before you travel. All flights are subject to the terms and conditions of your airline carrier’s policy travel plans.
Deb Dana’s Polyvagal Theory Experiential Retreat
An Immersive Autonomic Journey Toward Healing Client Trauma and More
LIVE in Sedona, Arizona
Monday, September 30th – Friday, October 4th, 2024
Single Occupancy: $2,999.00
Plus, earn up to 21.5 CE Hours — included in your tuition. Click here for Credit details
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.
Credit hours may vary by board and profession. Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us.