Regulate to Recover: Essential Nervous System Tools for Addiction Therapists

Course overview

Addiction is fundamentally a nervous system disorder, yet many traditional treatment approaches fail to address the underlying autonomic dysregulation that contributes to compulsive behavior. This 3-hour training bridges neuroscience research with practical clinical application, providing helping professionals with a nervous system framework for understanding and treating addiction beyond behavioral and moral models. Grounded in polyvagal theory and Somatic Experiencing, this training examines the strong relationship between trauma and addiction and explores how compulsive behavior can function as the nervous system's attempt to regulate overwhelming states of arousal. Participants will examine dysregulation patterns associated with three prevalent addiction presentations (substance use disorders, eating disorders, and sex/porn addiction) and leave with targeted somatic regulation tools that can be applied immediately in clinical practice.