An introduction looking from the Polyvagal Perspective to guidance or treatment of clients within AAS. Milka spoke at last year’s virtual conference, this will be a unique opportunity to take part in a practical face to face learning experience, with practical exercises to help understand more about ourselves and the impact of our emotions on others. This workshop is a combination of theory and interactive practical exercises, with people and including dogs too. 

The workshop is divided into two parts. First, the Polyvagal Theory will be explained with practical exercises, immediately linking it to the work within AAS. This will cover both the importance of the interaction between humans and animals, as well as the significance of being self-regulated as a provider of AAS.

After exploring this within yourself and the dyad, we will apply it in the triad and the group. This is based on the idea that you, as a dog-human duo, must be regulated before engaging with clients.

Once you have attended this workshop, you will understand the essence of the Polyvagal Theory (autonomic states and neuroception) and know how it is applied in AAS through co-regulation, as well as how to use it more consciously.

Polyvagal theory is the theory of connection. We are feeling safe when we are connected and in situations of threat we lose our connection to ourselves and the world around us. Sympathetic activation of dorsal vagal shutdown is very helpful in cases of acute stress. But we nowadays live in a world full of chronic stress situations. Chronic stress causes lots of medical and psychological problems. The best medicine is connection. If not with a human, then with another mammal.