Trauma Training
Polyvagal Theory Interventions for Trauma Therapists
Practical Training in Nervous System Regulation
Trainer: Rebecca Kase
On-Demand: Available with lifetime access for asynchronous learning. | This course was recorded on February 7th, 2025.
Polyvagal Theory tells you why your clients respond the way they do. This course gives you what to do about it.
Led by Rebecca Kase, author of Polyvagal Informed EMDR and one of the foremost polyvagal-trained trauma clinicians in the country, this training moves beyond the foundational concepts and into concrete, session-ready interventions. You will learn how to use the autonomic nervous system as a clinical roadmap, how to build an autonomic blueprint with clients, how to apply the Preparation Hierarchy to intervention selection, and how to use Rebecca's signature BASC technique alongside breathwork, somatic movement, metta meditation, and parts work integration to build genuine, lasting nervous system resilience.
This course is for both EMDR therapists and non-EMDR therapists. If you work with trauma, anxiety, depression, addiction, or chronic stress, polyvagal-informed interventions belong in your practice. This training will show you exactly how to use them.
Practical Interventions You'll Learn
Practical Interventions You'll Learn
In this polyvagal theory interventions training, you'll learn how to:
- Create an autonomic blueprint with clients to map their nervous system baseline and identify autonomic themes that inform aligned polyvagal interventions throughout treatment
- Apply the Preparation Hierarchy as a guide for choosing interventions based on where a client's nervous system is, rather than defaulting to a one-size-fits-all approach
- Use polyvagal-informed assessments for neuroception to measure a client's level of psychological safety and apply that understanding directly to trauma processing and the therapeutic relationship
- Apply the orienting reflex to reduce triggers and moments of overwhelm in session
- Build vagal tone using Rebecca Kase's signature BASC technique, alongside breathwork, metta mantra meditation, somatic movement exercises, progressive yoga nidra, and reflexive orienting
- Work with autonomic parts using a polyvagal and parts work integration framework to identify and address the parts of a client's system that are organized around specific states of activation
Use vagal stimulation techniques to promote parasympathetic functioning and build nervous system resilience across diverse client presentations
What You'll Learn
By the end of this training, you will be able to:
- Analyze the relationship between physiological state and psychological symptoms, and apply that understanding to case conceptualization and intervention selection
- Assess the concept of vagal tone, its relationship to health outcomes, and how to build it clinically using evidence-informed techniques
- Apply the role of neuroception to the therapeutic relationship, and use it to understand why therapeutic presence matters and how to leverage it in trauma work
- Review at least two techniques for promoting vagal activity and describe how each one supports parasympathetic functioning and autonomic resilience
- Apply polyvagal-informed interventions that target autonomic functioning in trauma therapy sessions, including Rebecca Kase's signature BASC technique
- Describe the role of vagal stimulation in promoting parasympathetic functioning, and explain this framework to clients in accessible, non-clinical language
Who this course for?
This course is designed for therapists who already have some familiarity with Polyvagal Theory and want to move from understanding it to actively applying it. It is a strong fit if you are:
- A trauma therapist who can explain the autonomic nervous system to clients but wants a more structured clinical framework for choosing and sequencing polyvagal interventions
- An EMDR therapist looking to integrate polyvagal-informed assessment and preparation strategies more intentionally into your Phase 1 and Phase 2 work
- Working with clients whose nervous systems don't respond well to traditional talk therapy, and wanting body-based, regulation-focused tools that meet them where they are
- Wanting to build a practice around nervous system regulation, and looking for specific named techniques rather than general guidance
- Seeking NBCC and ASWB/ACE continuing education in polyvagal interventions in a flexible on-demand format with 6 CEs
No prerequisites required. This course is designed for therapists of any modality.
About Your Trainer, Rebecca Kase
Trauma Therapist Institute Founder Rebecca Kase is recognized as one of the foremost EMDR trainers and trauma experts in the U.S. She is an LCSW, professional EMDR consultant and trainer, registered yoga teacher, and author of Polyvagal Informed EMDR: A Neuro-Informed Approach to Healing (2023). Rebecca has been practicing in the field of trauma counseling since 2006. She’s an expert in working with complex trauma and dissociation and has practiced in both nonprofit and private practice settings. In her own therapy practice, Rebecca incorporates yoga therapy, ego states, somatic approaches, Polyvagal Theory and EMDR into her work with clients, which includes veterans and adults with Complex PTSD. Rebecca is known as a skillful, clear and enthusiastic teacher. She’ll keep you engaged and make you giggle, even in an online trauma training course!
Additional Information
Agenda
Learning Objectives
Prerequisites
Continuing Education
Course Completion
Cancellation Policy
Curious about all of our Polyvagal Theory courses?
Read more about the other courses we have on this powerful modality!
Explore all Polyvagal Theory courses here!Learning Objectives
- Analyze the relationship between physiological state and psychological symptoms.
- Assess the concept of vagal tone and correlated health practices and outcomes.
- Review at least two techniques for promoting vagal activity.
- Apply interventions which target autonomic functioning in trauma therapy sessions.
- Analyze the role of neuroception as it relates to the therapeutic relationship.
- Describe the role of vagal stimulation techniques in promoting parasympathetic functioning.
