Approved for 3 EMDRIA Credits
Polyvagal Theory (PVT) is a splendid foundation for EMDR Therapy, helping us to assess and improve the client’s dual-awareness, or status in the “window of affect tolerance” (Siegel/Ogden), during both preparation and reprocessing work. In this live webinar, PVT is offered in an accessible form that you will be able to directly teach to your clients. The therapeutic context is a perfect platform for using Porges’ “Social Engagement System” for the direct purpose of co-regulating with your clients, giving them an experiential version of dual awareness (ventral vagal tone). To fight, flee, or shutdown are adaptive defenses when there is danger or life-threat. Clients tend to live in ‘trauma time’—in the SNS circuitry of anger/anxiety (fight/flight) or the dorsal vagal circuitry of hopelessness/shutdown, misattuned with both the current (safer) reality & their (increased adult) resources. Learning to note, and working directly with, the state of both of our nervous systems enhances attunement and allows us to create those state-changes towards ventral vagal regulation of safety & dual awareness in the session, during any Phase of EMDR Therapy. PVT-informed additions to our usual stabilization tools in Phase 2 (Geller, 2017 & Dana, 2018) will be introduced as well as PVT-informed target selection, with implications for intervention during reprocessing (Phases 3-8). As EMDR therapists we have the further fabulous means of helping our clients achieve more regular ventral safety by helping them them reprocess stuck trauma using the Standard Protocol. When we have a neuroception of safety, our vagus nerve dampens defenses by putting on the vagal brake. This live webinar will put the vagal brake on any apprehensions you have hitherto had about being able to integrate PVT into your EMDR work with clients!
Presenter: Barbara Horne, RP