Brought to you by the New York Mental Health Counselors Association
Clients, particularly those with trauma, can often become activated, dissociate, or shut down when therapy relies too heavily on verbal processing. In these moments, traditional talk-based interventions that emphasize content can unintentionally increase distress, destabilize the clients' nervous system, and stall progress.
This workshop focuses on using HRV coherence breathwork as a clinical co-regulation tool when talking in a session triggers a client's fight, flight, or freeze (FFF) response. Drawing from interpersonal neurobiology, somatic therapy, and trauma-informed care, the session teaches clinicians how to recognize nervous system states in real time and respond with co-regulation interventions that focus on using the breath and body to re-establish nervous system neutrality.
Participants will learn how therapist-led HRV coherence breathing supports autonomic stabilization, enhances ventral vagal engagement, and creates conditions for safety when executive functioning is hijacked by the FFF response and the client becomes dysregulated.
Practical demonstrations, brief experiential exercises, and case examples will illustrate how to apply these techniques ethically and effectively with clients experiencing hyperarousal, dissociation, or shutdown.
As more research sprouts on the topic of complex trauma and how those who are impacted by it are much greater than previously recognized, demand grows for trauma-responsive and somatically informed care grows. Clinicians in the mental heath field need practical tools that support regulation without retraumatization in real-time, to help client's learn how to ground and establish safety through seeing and doing with the assistance of the therapist. This workshop provides actionable strategies that enhance clinical effectiveness while honoring client autonomy, pacing, and nervous system safety.