• course Info
  • Content
  • Ce Approvals

Messy Mindfulness: Tools for Emotional Regulation

CE Hours 1.5 1.5 Clinical

About this course

Let's make mindfulness accessible for everyone. An engaging class that provides experiential exercises and tools to empower your efforts to become more embodied with a regulated sense of self. Discover practical, research-based tools to manage emotional distress with mindfulness. You will walk away with concrete strategies you can immediately apply to your own life and implement with clients. We will begin with a brief overview of the nervous system to better understand self-regulation regarding anxiety, stress, worry, overthinking, overwhelm, and emotional flooding. We will identify physiological symptoms and improve awareness of our “felt sense” by noticing somatic cues in the body. The interactive format will also include demonstrations, exercises, a case study, and practical applications.

Props for class: A real candle with a lighter or a battery-operated flameless candle. If you are unable to use either, please have a favorite object, such a special seashell, a picture, plant, etc.

Slide deck included, and a bonus resources inclduing A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook 


Please note: participants will be watching a recorded video.

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 one 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

Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Professional Counselors, and other mental health professionals.

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

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

References

  • Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207–1212.
  • Bryant F. B. (2021). Current Progress and Future Directions for Theory and Research on Savoring. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 771698.
  • Carneiro, B. D., Pozza, D. H., Costa-Pereira, J. T., & Tavares, I. (2025). Mindfulness in Mental Health and Psychiatric Disorders of Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Pediatric reports, 17(3), 59. https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric17030059
  • Chayadi, E., Baes, N., & Kiropoulos, L. (2022). The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and cancer-related fatigue in oncology patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one, 17(7), e0269519. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269519
  • Cross, T., Elliott, C., Depa, N., Furness, J., & Kemp-Smith, K. (2026). Systematic Review of the Lived Experiences of Women Participating in Therapeutic Yoga. International journal of yoga therapy, 35(2025), Article 22. https://doi.org/10.17761/2025-D-24-00078
  • 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.
  • Giridharan, S., Pandiyan, B., Kumar, N. V., Godbole, M., & Soumian, S. (2026). Effects of Isha Yoga Practices on Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Controlled Studies. Cureus, 18(1), e101478. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.101478
  • 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
  • Li, J., Cai, Z., Li, X., Du, R., Shi, Z., Hua, Q., Zhang, M., Zhu, C., Zhang, L., & Zhan, X. (2021). Mindfulness-based therapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy for people with anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of random controlled trials. Annals of palliative medicine, 10(7), 7596–7612. https://doi.org/10.21037/apm-21-1212
  • Neff K. D. (2023). Self-Compassion: Theory, Method, Research, and Intervention. Annual review of psychology, 74, 193–218. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-031047
  • 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. (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
  • Tremblay, L., Van Gordon, W., & Elander, J. (2025). Enhancing Traumatic Stress Recovery Through Nonattachment Principles: A Scoping Review. Journal of personalized medicine, 15(12), 614. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm15120614
  • Weder BJ (2022) Mindfulness in the focus of the neurosciences - The contribution of neuroimaging to the understanding of mindfulness. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 16:928522. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.928522
  • 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

CE Process Info

Content

  • Materials
    2 parts
    • Messy Mindfulness Video
    • Slide Deck
  • Bonus Resources
    4 parts
    • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook
    • Coloring Page for Fun!
    • Coloring Page for Fun!
    • Mindful Self Care Scale
  • 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 1.5 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

Messy Mindfulness: Tools for Emotional Regulation
You Have Completed This course
$35
You are enrolled
  • CE Hours
    1.5
  • Type
    Self-Paced
  • Publication Date
    Feb 22nd, 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(', ') }}
    ${{ 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