About this course

Learning Objectives

• explain the positive benefits that mindfulness has on the brain and nervous system.
• identify awareness of somatic cues of the body and felt sense related to emotional distress and activation.
• apply a Polyvagal-Informed emotional regulation technique
• list three techniques that help manage emotional distress and activation 
symptoms.

Learning Levels

• Beginner and Intermediate, all levels welcome

Target Audience

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 certified in Brainspotting and trained in EMDR. Erena has twenty-three years of practical and professional experience as an active clinician, teacher, and supervisor. She has worked in a variety of community, psychiatric, in-home, and private practice settings with hundreds of complex cases.

  Erena is a sought-after writer, speaker, and consultant and has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Psychology Today, Reader’s Digest, Women's Health, and MEL magazine. She has reviewed book proposals for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and is an Advisory Board Member for the CPTSD Foundation. Erena serves as the Founder and Continuing Education Director of EngagedMinds, a national Continuing Education business providing training for Counselors, Social Workers, and Therapists.

Disclosure

References

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• Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel-Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K., & Ross, G. (2017). Somatic Experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled outcome study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30, 304–312.
• Bryant F. B. (2021). Current Progress and Future Directions for Theory and Research on Savoring. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 771698.
• Dana D. & Porges S. W. (2020). Polyvagal exercises for safety and connection: 50 client-centered practices (First). W.W. Norton & Company.
• Gendlin E. T. (1981). Focusing (2nd ed. new rev. instructions). Bantam Books.
• Hägerhäll, C. M., Laike, T., Küller, M., Marcheschi, E., Boydston, C., & Taylor, R. P. (2015). Human physiological benefits of viewing nature: EEG responses to exact and statistical fractal patterns. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences, 19(1), 1–12.
• Hoge, E. A., Bui, E., Mete, M., Dutton, M. A., Baker, A. W., & Simon, N. M. (2023). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Escitalopram for the Treatment of Adults With Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA psychiatry, 80(1), 13–21. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.3679
• Ng, H. H., Wu, C. W., Huang, F. Y., Cheng, Y. T., Guu, S. F., Huang, C. M., Hsu, C. F., Chao, Y. P., Jung, T. P., & Chuang, C. H. (2021). Mindfulness Training Associated With Resting-State Electroencephalograms Dynamics in Novice Practitioners via Mindful Breathing and Body- Scan. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 748584.
• Porges, S. W., & Dana, D. (Eds.). (2018). Clinical applications of the polyvagal theory: The emergence of polyvagal-informed therapies. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Porges S. W. (2022). Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience, 16, 871227. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2022.871227
• Sherlee, J. I., & David, A. (2020). Effectiveness of yogic visual concentration (Trataka) on cognitive performance and anxiety among adolescents. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine, 17(3), 10.1515/jcim-2019-0055. https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2019-0055
• Wielgosz, J., Goldberg, S. B., Kral, T., Dunne, J. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2019). Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology. Annual review of clinical psychology, 15, 285–316. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093423
• Winblad, N. E., Changaris, M., & Stein, P. K. (2018). Effect of Somatic Experiencing resiliency-based trauma treatment training on quality of life and psychological health as potential markers of resilience in treating professionals. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12(70), 1–10.
• Zhang D. Lee E. K, Mak E. C. W., Ho C. Y. and Wong, S. Y. S (2021). Mindfulness Based Interventions: an overall review. British Medical Bulletin, Volume 138, Issue 1, June 2021, Pages 41–57, https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldab005
• Zollars, I., Poirier, T. I., & Pailden, J. (2019). Effects of mindfulness meditation on mindfulness, mental well-being, and perceived stress. Currents in pharmacy teaching & learning, 11(10), 1022– 1028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2019.06.005