Nervous System Regulation and Grounding Tools to Increase Resilience in System Involved Youth (SIY) and Families

Angela Luna

Training Description

Our bodies and minds are constantly responding to the stimuli around us, protecting us from real or perceived danger and seeking to create an inner balance. When we experience trauma, anxiety, and a stressful environment, our nervous system often responds by being on continual high alert. This leaves us feeling on edge, reactive, contracted, tight or depressed. This is particularly true for system-involved youth and their families, who face continued stressors and challenges. As such, it is essential to provide tools to ground and regulate the nervous system to better support SIY and those that support them to feel calm, healthy and whole. In this training, we will explore, and practice researched based, brain-body tools for grounding and regulating the nervous system in a fun and enriching environment.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe how trauma and stress affect and negatively impact the nervous system.

2. Identify at least 3 grounding skills and nervous system regulation skills.

3. Identify at least 2 ways to support SIY and families to ground and regulate the nervous system.

Agenda

10:00am-10:15am  Welcome and introductions

10:15am-12:00pm  Nervous System Response to Trauma and Stress, Grounding Skills and Nervous System Regulation Skills

12:00-12:15pm  BREAK (CE Hours will not be offered for this time)

12:15-12:45pm  Practical Application of Grounding Skills and Nervous System Regulation Skills

12:45pm -1:00pm  Closing, takeaways and evaluations

Meet Our Trainer

Luna is a psychotherapist, educator and trainer with over 20 years of experience working with individuals, children, families and organizations. A graduate of the Expressive Arts Therapy program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Luna holds a Masters of the Arts in Expressive Arts Therapy and a Jurist Doctorate from the University of California at Davis.  Luna feels passionate about supporting people to overcome traumatic experiences and actualize their best selves through mindfulness-based Holistic Expressive Arts and wellness.

For over a decade, Luna has played roles as manager, supervisor, trainer and clinician in a variety of settings, including The Alameda County Trauma Recovery Center, Contra Costa hospitals, Contra Costa School District and in her private practice. Luna also has provided classes, workshops and trainings in Expressive Arts Therapy, Parts Work, Mindfulness, Trauma/PTSD, Vicarious Trauma, Trauma Informed Care, Self-Care and Wellness to therapists, trainees, legal staff, law enforcement, clergy, school staff and students as well as a variety of organizations working with traumatized populations. In her private practice setting, Luna incorporates EMDR, Brainspotting, mindfulness, visual art, music, movement, nature therapy, Somatic/integrative mind-body therapeutic approaches and ritual work. Coming from a Mexican heritage, Luna feels inspired to provide bilingual therapy services and trainings.

Luna loves dogs, dancing, creating beauty and daily walks in nature.

This course meets the qualifications for (2.5) BBS CE Hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.