Stillness is an essential element of well-being. Yet many clients live in a state of high alert and a move toward calm sends signals of danger. Feeling safe while being still depends on the workings of the parasympathetic nervous system. But trying to calm the nervous system with the wrong approach can activate survival pathways that quickly pull clients into a state of shutdown. So how can we help clients safely experience stillness and benefit from moments of quiet? In this workshop, based on the groundbreaking principles of Polyvagal Theory, we’ll look at the biology of stillness, try out practices that can help clients safely experience it, and learn ways to seamlessly integrate it into your existing clinical approach. You’ll discover how to:

• Create a map of autonomically regulating experiences of stillness
• Help clients safely sequence from movement to rest
• Use individual and dyadic practices to create pathways to stillness

Courtney Rolfe, MA, LCPC, is a licensed psychotherapist, speaker, writer, and leading expert in the clinical application of the Polyvagal Theory. She's a long-standing senior trainer in Deb Dana's Rhythm of Regulation training series and the founder of Modern Mind & Heart, which provides individual counseling, clinical consultation, and training with the specialized focus on application of Polyvagal Theory.