Connect the Polyvagal Theory to Trauma
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Polyvagal-obsessed trauma therapist & coach.
"Polyvagal-informed" doesn't cover it.
My passion.
I'm really into the Polyvagal Theory and I absolutely love being a therapist. As a passion project of mine, I help people to understand the connection between the Theory and trauma. If you're traumatized and curious about this Polyvagal thing, you're in the right place.
More essentials of me:
Father of 2, husband to 1, coffee 2x/day, amateur Swiss style designer, 49er Faithful, Seinfeld nerd
Do you ever say...
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"I just want to know what's wrong with me."
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"I don't know how I feel. I'm just numb."
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"I'm desperate for help!"
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"I'm tired of being this way!"
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"I feel like I'm always on guard."
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"I just feel like hiding all the time."
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"I just need some relief!"
Then you're in the right place. I can help you you get clarity on your questions and reduce your self-judgment through finding the relief you need.
Sign up for my email list to get access to my trauma relief and Polyvagal Theory starter pages.
My mission.
I want to fundamentally change how you understand mental health. I want to reduce the need for psychological concepts like "ego," "shadow" and "parts." And I want to increase your direct experience of yourself: somatically, emotionally, cognitively and behaviorally.
How I'll do it.
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teach foundational knowledge, like the Polyvagal Theory
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teach how to identify and mindfully be with your inner capacity to be grounded in the present moment
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teach you how to alleviate your stuck defensive state
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teach and consult with therapists and other helpers how to do so with their clients
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use clear, structured design and communication
Why I'm doing this.
It's really important to me that we all be able to experience the full range of ourselves, including the ability to slow down and connect with ourselves and others. We should not be dependent on psychological concepts that add a cognitive layer that is unnecessary, like "ego" and "shadow." It's important to me that we build the capacity to experience ourselves fully and directly.
What's gone wrong?
Biology has been neglected in therapy for decades. Instead, we’ve focused on creating new labels for those seeking help, modifying cognitions, training behavior and endlessly building insight. This neglect has created an unending supply of repackaged interventions that continue to build on a shaky foundation. My courses provide you with rock-solid somatic knowledge and interventions that are easily understood & applied.
Therapy is not medicine.
Biology has been neglected in therapy for decades. Instead, we’ve focused on creating new labels for those seeking help, modifying cognitions, training behavior and endlessly building insight. This neglect has created an unending supply of repackaged interventions that continue to build on a shaky foundation. My courses provide you with rock-solid somatic knowledge and interventions that are easily understood & applied.
The problem is not simple.
Not simply a chemical one. Or a problem with thinking wrongly. Or of simply changing one's behavior. The problem is that the client does not have enough access to their biological pathways for safety and connection, something that only comes from safe environments and relationships, core pieces of what works in therapy. (Therapists are taught that their clients have an "illness" or a "disorder". It's a very judgmental and evaluative way to view clients.)
I'm on an obsessive Polyvagal mission.
Once I learned about and deeply studied the Polyvagal Theory, the way that I understood and practiced therapy changed fundamentally. I see my clients (and myself) now as people that are stuck in an autonomic nervous system state of defense, like flight/fight, freeze or shutdown.
I think the PVT should be standard knowledge for any therapist today. My Polyvagal obsession motivates me to create numerous free resources for therapists or anyone interested. They can all be found on this website, like the podcast and blog.
I think you're stuck.
Not broken.
I don't believe you're broken. You might believe that. But I simply can't join you. You can improve your life. You are capable of doing so. The issue here is being stuck. Stuck in a defensive autonomic state: flight, fight, shut down or freeze. You're stuck. Not broken.
There is hope. #stucknotbroken