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A 75-MINUTE EXPERIENTIAL SESSION
7:45am PDT (Los Angeles) / 10:45am ET (New York) / 3:45pm GMT (London) / 4:45pm CET (Paris) / Monday 12:45am AEST (Sydney)
Our current model of understanding addiction as a brain disease is failing. Rates are soaring and people are dying in the streets. We desperately need a fresh approach. One that addresses addiction and other trauma responses where they live, in the body. In this workshop we will explore the intersection of trauma and addiction and how to address both with an embodied approach.
The Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™ (FSPM) shifts the current pathologizing paradigm to a strength-based approach. Through the lens of Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal theory, addiction is seen as an adaptive stress response in our autonomic nervous system. Addictive behaviors are the bodies attempt to emotionally regulate by acting as propellers that facilitate neurophysiological shifts in our nervous system.
The model integrates Porges Polyvagal theory and Gendlin’s Felt Sense Focusing Oriented Psychotherapy enabling us to appreciate trauma/addictive behaviors as adapative responses in maladaptive environments. The FSPM provides a generic framework that can support any therapeutic modality.
The workshop will present an introduction to my book Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model, Routledge, 2021. Included is a description of the FSPM theoretical framework, an introduction to The Embodied Assessment and Treatment Tool™ and Carnes Three Circle Practice, a tool for working with addiction. Participants will also learn about Gendlin’s Focusing/Felt Sense practice. A mixture of didactic information, experiential practices, and case examples will guide the clinician in applying the model.