Befriending your Nervous System:
A practical workshop on working with Polyvagal Theory


Online via Zoom

Thursday 13 February 2025
9am - 12.30pm

For those that have completed this workshop, you may be interested in our Polyvagal Part Two workshop - 
A deeper dive into Polyvagal Theory in Practice.
See the website for more details.

There can be no doubt that the world can be challenging, disruptive and uncertain.  The figures globally for stress and anxiety are the highest ever recorded and people are struggling to get access to therapeutic support. But not everyone needs high level mental health support. For some, learning to regulate their nervous system can change everything.

Polyvagal Theory was proposed by Stephen Porges over 25 years ago, and currently is hugely popular in coaching, counselling and therapy as a mechanism for deeper understanding of how our bodies react to triggers and stress.  Polyvagal Theory gives insight into how our nervous system, as a wise, adaptive intelligence, responds to keep us safe – and how some of those responses, while effective in the short term, can leave us with neural wiring that no longer serves us.

This one day, practical workshop will introduce the basic concept of Polyvagal Theory and will share with you:              

  • The 3 key neural hierarchical levels
  • The additional ‘blended states’, along with other adaptations that we use to navigate around our autonomic hierarchy
  • How to recognise where in the hierarchy you (and your clients) are
  • How to move flexibly across the autonomic states
  • The ‘Autonomic Ladder’ and ‘Autonomic Spacing’ models of application
  • How autonomic state links to deep held beliefs
  • How to map your (and your client) autonomic maps
  • How to create a plan to return to Ventral Vagal ‘Home’ under your own steam

Learning Outcomes

After completing the workshop you will be able to:

  • get a basic understanding of Polyvagal Theory

  • understand the polyvagal hierarchy: Ventral Vagal, Sympathetic and Dorsal Vagal

  • touch on the complexity and adaptability above and beyond the basic three stage hierarchy

  • apply and explore practical tools to map the polyvagal hierarchy

  • explore models from Stephen Porges / Deb Dana / Grant Soosalu

  • map the specifics of each state to enhance awareness and understanding

  • explore moving around the hierarchy purposefully

  • safely explore ‘hands on’ to get an integrated experience above and beyond a cognitive awareness of the theory.

Who Should Attend?

The workshop is aimed at healthcare professionals, coaches, counsellors and therapists who want to begin to explore and work with polyvagal theory (no pre-existing knowledge is required).

NOTE - If your organisation is interested in having Suzanne present face-face or online to your team as a private workshop, please contact feona@grow.co.nz for more information.

Date and Time

This workshop will be held online via Zoom:

UK TIME FRIENDLY SESSION:
Thursday 19 September 2024
7pm - 10.30pm (NZ time) / 8am - 11.30am (UK time)

AND


Thursday 10 October 2024
9am - 12.30pm

Price

October Online Workshop:
Early Bird: $215 per person, incl GST - BOOK AND PAY BEFORE 11 NOVEMBER
Standard Rate: $298 per person incl GST

Payment online is by debit or credit card (VISA, Mastercard or American Express) only and there are 3 easy steps to complete the online booking process.  
Our registration platform is hosted by Lil Regie, our NZ based booking agent.Upon completing your registration by hitting the blue 'Confirm Booking' button, you will receive an automated email from Lil Regie confirming the booking and amount paid by credit card. This will appear on your statement as from LIL REGIE LTD WELLINGTON.  A GST Tax Invoice showing your payment in full will also be emailed to you.

Can't pay online and require an invoice?

We work hard to ensure that all workshops are cost effective by automating our systems. If your organisation requires an invoice (rather than paying by credit card) there will be a $25 surcharge for this, and you will need to supply:

  • The full name and postal address required to appear on the invoice.

  • The contact name and email of the person(s) responsible for authorising this expense and approving payment.

  • Any purchase order references required on vendor invoices.

If you would like to reserve a place, as our workshops fill quickly, or have any issues or questions about your booking, please contact Nathalie van Dort on 021 066 9811 or email: nathalie@grow.co.nz

What Past Participants Said

  • I thoroughly enjoyed Suzanne as a speaker and educator.  She spoke from both her head and heart.

  • I used some of the practical tips the very next day with clients, felt great to be able to jump straight in.

  • It was informing, clearly presented and easy to understand.  I came away with improved skill base and helpful ideas to use in the therapy room.  A great presenter!

  • I enjoyed the mixture of theory and practical strategies and tools.  I like having research based ideas and suggestions that I could take into my practice immediately.

Cancellation Details

What happens if you have to cancel?
We know that sometimes your plans can change for many different reasons. Should you be unable to attend, a substitute delegate is welcome to attend at no extra cost. If a substitute delegate is not available and you need to cancel your registration, please be aware of the following:

Face-to-Face Events - Up to 7 days prior to the event you will be provided a refund of your registration cost, less a $60.00 inc GST per attendee service charge.

Online Events - Up to 7 days prior to the event you will be provided a refund of your registration cost, less a $20.00 inc GST per attendee service charge.


If you cancel within 7 days of the event, you are not eligible to receive a refund. Please note: should your registration not be paid by the time of the event, you are still liable to make the payment. Unpaid accounts may be passed over to our debt collection agency and additional costs may be incurred. 
All cancellations must be received in writing (email). 


Training is cancellable by GROW with 7 days’ notice if a minimum number of attendees is not met and full refunds will be provided.
Please note: GROW Ltd reserves the right to make any amendments that we may deem to be in the best interest of the workshop – it is however very unlikely and we will notify you as soon as possible should this occur.
For more information see our full Terms of Trade.

Meet Dr Suzanne Henwood

Suzanne started her working life in healthcare – moving from being a practitioner in Diagnostic Imaging, to educator and to Associate Professor. She has 30+ years’ experience of teaching and training at an advanced level and is an Award Winning  Neuroscience based Coach and a Trainer, a Mindfulness Facilitator, a Map of Meaning facilitator and a Master Trainer of Coaches in Multiple Intelligences.

She is also trained in Polyvagal Informed Therapy, ACT, Havening, Heartmath, IDT (Interactive Drawing Therapy), Time Line Therapy,  Existential Coaching, Map of Meaning, The Emotional Culture Deck, Solution Focused Brief Therapy for severe stress and anxiety and Refocussing Counselling.  Suzanne works as a Neuroscience Based Coach and Counsellor, integrating her skills and working in an integrated, systemic and embodied way. 

She has authored numerous books, book chapters, magazine articles and writes regularly for Great Health Guide, Worldwide Coaching Magazine and Rapport.  In October 2024, she contributed to the Amazon Best Seller ‘Courage’. Suzanne brings a down to earth, practical and pragmatic approach (along with a sense of humour!) to share her ongoing learning, her workshops are highly evaluated and in 2022 she was one of three finalists in a Global Award for Education and Training through ANLP and in both 2023 and 2024 she was named the Best Neuroscience Based Coach in NZ, by two different awarding bodies. 

CONTACT FEONA


For further details, please contact:
e: feona@grow.co.nz
p: 027 204 0425

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