• course Info
  • Content
  • Ce Approvals

10 Nervous System Regulation Tools for Clients Who Hate Meditation

CE Hours 2 2 Clinical

About this course

This practical, trauma-informed training introduces 10 nervous system regulation tools that do not require meditation or prolonged stillness. Designed for clinicians and helping professionals, this workshop focuses on accessible, bottom-up strategies that support regulation, safety, and resilience, especially for individuals who find traditional mindfulness or meditation practices challenging. Participants will learn simple, adaptable tools that can be used in-session, between sessions, and in everyday life, with a focus on choice, pacing, and nervous system safety.

Slide deck and numerous training resources are included. 


Please note: participants will be watching a recorded video.

Learning Objectives

  • Analyze treatment implications related to a client’s window of tolerance when selecting nervous system regulation interventions.
  • Identify clinical signs of nervous system activation, shutdown, and overwhelm.
  • Demonstrate and apply at least five non-meditative nervous system regulation strategies in clinical practice.

Learning Levels

  • Beginner, all levels are welcomed

Target Audience

All mental health professionals welcome.

Course Instructor(s)

  • Erena DiGonis, LCSW-R

    Erena DiGonis, LCSW-R, is a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Health Coach, and Certified Clinical Anxiety and Trauma Treatment Professional. She is also a Certified Brainspotting Therapist and has advanced training in EMDR and Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Erena has more than twenty-three years of clinical and professional experience as a therapist, educator, supervisor, and consultant. Throughout her career, she has worked in community mental health, psychiatric, residential, in-home, and private practice settings, providing care for hundreds of individuals with complex mental health needs.

    Erena is the Founder and Continuing Education Director of EngagedMinds, a national continuing education organization providing evidence-informed training for social workers, counselors, therapists, and psychologists. She is a sought-after writer, speaker, and consultant whose work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Psychology Today, Reader's Digest, Women's Health, and MEL Magazine. She has served as a reviewer for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Press and is an Advisory Board Member for the CPTSD Foundation.

Disclosure

EngagedMinds Continuing Education, Erena DiGonis, and planners have no financial disclosures or commercial bias or promote commercial interests during CE activities.

References

  • Benson, H., & Klipper, M. Z. (1975). The relaxation response. New York: Avon
  • Calderone, A., Latella, D., Impellizzeri, F., de Pasquale, P., Famà, F., Quartarone, A., & Calabrò, R. S. (2024). Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review. Biomedicines, 12(11), 2613. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12112613
  • Caragol, J. A., Johnson, A. R., & Kwan, B. M. (2022). A gratitude intervention to improve clinician stress and professional satisfaction: A pilot and feasibility trial. International journal of psychiatry in medicine, 57(2), 103–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091217420982112
  • Dalky, H. F., Shatnawi, B. A., Dalky, A. F., & Alkhawaldeh, A. (2025). The Relationship Between Self-Compassion, Burnout, and Job Satisfaction among Healthcare Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study. SAGE open nursing, 11, 23779608251400639. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608251400639
  • Dana D. & Porges S. W. (2020). Polyvagal exercises for safety and connection: 50 client-centered practices (First). W.W. Norton & Company.
  • Durpoix, A., Blay, M., Moog, C., Rolling, J., Weiner, L., Lalanne, L., & Weibel, S. (2026). Clarifying conceptualization of emotional dysregulation: Differences with emotional lability during 4-month DBT skills training - A naturalistic study. Journal of affective disorders, 392, 120199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120199
  • Gu, X., Luo, W., Zhao, X., Chen, Y., Zheng, Y., Zhou, J., Zeng, X., Yan, L., Chen, Y., Zhang, X., Lv, J., Lang, Y., Wang, Z., Gao, C., Jiang, Y., & Li, R. (2022). The effects of loving-kindness and compassion meditation on life satisfaction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied psychology. Health and well-being, 14(3), 1081–1101.
  • Hawker, P. J., Bellamy, J., Wong, T. Y., McHugh, C., Ward, P., Wood, A., Tonge, B., Williams, K., Bellgrove, M., Silk, T. J., Anderson, V., Akram, F., & Eapen, V. (2025). Effectiveness of lifestyle interventions for preventing or managing the adverse cardiometabolic and other physical health effects of antipsychotic medications in children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis. BJPsych open, 12(1), e21. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2025.10919
  • Isaacowitz, D. M., & English, T. (2024). Beyond strategies: The when and why of emotion regulation in aging. Current opinion in psychology, 56, 101763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101763
  • Jamil, A., Gutlapalli, S. D., Ali, M., Oble, M. J. P., Sonia, S. N., George, S., Shahi, S. R., Ali, Z., Abaza, A., & Mohammed, L. (2023). Meditation and Its Mental and Physical Health Benefits in 2023. Cureus, 15(6), e40650. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.40650
  • Koelsch, S., Fritz, T., & Schlaug, G. (2008). Amygdala activity can be modulated by unexpected chord functions during music listening. Neuroreport, 19(18), 1815–1819. https://doi.org/10.1097/WNR.0b013e32831a8722
  • Kumar, A., Pramanik, J., Goyal, N., Chauhan, D., Sivamaruthi, B. S., Prajapati, B. G., & Chaiyasut, C. (2023). Gut Microbiota in Anxiety and Depression: Unveiling the Relationships and Management Options. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 16(4), 565. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16040565
  • Kurzom, N., Lorenzi, I., & Mendelsohn, A. (2023). Increasing the complexity of isolated musical chords benefits concurrent associative memory formation. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 7563. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34345-y
  • Kyriakoulis, P., Kyrios, M., Nardi, A. E., Freire, R. C., & Schier, M. (2021). The Implications of the Diving Response in Reducing Panic Symptoms. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12, 784884. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.784884
  • Lantz, L. B., Gregory, A. A., Brown, R., Bodnar-Deren, S. M., Case, K. A., & Kinser, P. A. (2025). Scoping review of non-pharmacological or self-management interventions for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders tested with Hispanic and Latina women. Frontiers in psychiatry, 16, 1644798. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1644798
  • Montanari, A., Wang, L., Birenboim, A., & Chaix, B. (2024). Urban environment influences on stress, autonomic reactivity and circadian rhythm: protocol for an ambulatory study of mental health and sleep. Frontiers in public health, 12, 1175109. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1175109
  • Payne, P., Levine, P. A., & Crane-Godreau, M. A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 93. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093
  • Porges S. W. (2022). Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience, 16, 871227. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2022.871227
  • Soliman, O. M., Messer, M., Skvarc, D., Moffitt, R. L., & Linardon, J. (2025). Exploring the role of mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance during delivery of a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy app for recurrent binge eating. Eating disorders, 1–23. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2025.2602455
  • Swathi, P. S., Bhat, R., & Saoji, A. A. (2021). Effect of Trataka (Yogic Visual Concentration) on the Performance in the Corsi-Block Tapping Task: A Repeated Measures Study. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 773049. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.773049
  • Treleaven, D. A. (2021). Why Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Matters. Norton.

CE Process Info

Content

  • Materials
    6 parts
    • Slide Deck
    • Article: Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review
    • Window of Tolerance
    • Yoga and PTSD Article
    • SUDS Scale
    • Coloring Page: Be Kind to Your Mind
  • Recordings
    2 parts
    • Shared Screen With Speaker View(CC)
    • Audio Only
  • New York State Education Department's State Board for SW (NYSED SW)

    EngagedMinds Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0676.

  • Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)

    EngagedMinds Continuing Education, #1858, formerly Erena DiGonis, LCSW, PLLC, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/25/2024-8/25/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 2 continuing education credits.

  • National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

    EngagedMinds Continuing Education has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7455. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. EngagedMinds Continuing Education is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for LMHC (NYSED LMHC)

    EngagedMinds Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0284.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners (NYSED LMFT)

    EngagedMinds Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0117.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology (NYSED PSY)

    Erena DiGonis, LCSW, PLLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0270.

  • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)

    EngagedMinds Continuing Education is hereby recognized as a CAMFT-approved Continuing Education Provider. Provider number: 1032895

10 Nervous System Regulation Tools for Clients Who Hate Meditation
You Have Completed This course
$45
You are enrolled
  • CE Hours
    2
  • Type
    Self-Paced
  • Publication Date
    Sep 20th, 2026

Reset password


Reset your password by providing your email below





Next

We sent a reset password link to the email address you provided.


{{reset.email}}


If you do not see the email, try checking your junk or spam folder.


If you don't receive a link in the email you provided, please click the button below to resend the verification email.

Resend

Please wait {{timer}} seconds to resend



Next

Sign in


Enter your email to get started.




Next

Sign in


Good news! Your email is associated with an account. Enter your password or click here to reset it




Login

Thanks for signing up!


We sent an verification email to the address you provided. Please check your email to verify your email address.


{{signup.email}}


If you do not see the email, try checking your junk or spam folder.


If you don't receive a link in the email you provided, please click the button below to resend the verification email.



Resend

Please wait {{timer}} seconds to resend

Sign up




Sign up

Shopping Cart


Items
Price
Remove
  • {{ item.name }} ({{ item.courses.length }} courses)

    {{ item.credit_hours }} Credits
    {{ item.coupons.map((c)=> c.code).join(', ') }} Membership discount (-${{ item.membership_discount.amount }})
    ${{ item.totals.price }}
    ${{ item.totals.total_price }}
Apply


Cart is empty

Thank you for your purchase


To access the course content, click the button below. Enrolled courses may be accessed at any time by going to your Account and clicking Courses


Go to Course

Thank you for your purchase

To access your courses, please click the button below. Enrolled courses may be accessed at any time by going to your Account and clicking either Events or Courses


My Account

Payment

{{$store.state.payment.paymentErrorMessage }}
Pay now