Polyvagal Theory and IFS - an Integrative Journey

For the first time ever, in the beautiful seaside setting of Ericeira, Portugal, Deb Dana and Alexia Rothman come together to offer a 3-day, fully interactive, experiential workshop examining the integration of Polyvagal Theory and Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy. 

The workshop will take place in person on 3 consecutive days:  
Friday, February 23 to Sunday, February 25, 2024 
9:00am-5:00pm GMT

In this workshop, you will:

Learn the fundamentals of Polyvagal Theory and Internal Family Systems Therapy. 
Examine how Polyvagal concepts can be understood and interpreted through an IFS lens. 
Discuss how an understanding of PVT can inform and support your IFS practice. 
Explore possibilities for the integration of PVT and IFS in therapy with your clients.

The agenda will include:

IFS-based meditations relevant to Polyvagal Theory 
Didactic presentations by Deb Dana and Alexia Rothman 
Discussion and Q&A 
Experiential exercises to personally connect with the material 
Live demonstrations of Polyvagal-informed therapy (Deb Dana) and PVT-informed IFS therapy (Alexia Rothman)

Daily Schedule:

9:00-10:15: Morning Session 1 
10:15-10:45: Coffee Break 
10:45-12:15: Morning Session 2 
12:15-2:00: LUNCH 
2:00-3:15: Afternoon Session 1 
3:15-3:45: Coffee Break 
3:45-5:00: Afternoon Session 2

Despite the diversity of content that brings clients to therapy, difficulty regulating their emotional experience is at the heart of their struggles. Clients can feel hijacked by extreme emotional states, uncomfortable in their own skin, and think or behave in ways they wish they wouldn’t. Polyvagal Theory helps us understand what’s happening on a biological level when our clients are emotionally dysregulated. And IFS offers a compassionate, non-shaming approach to healing the wounded, burdened, and traumatized parts of clients’ systems and increasing internal harmony and connection.           

Deb Dana, LCSW, is a clinician, consultant, author and speaker specializing in complex trauma. Her work is focused on using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma in our lives. Deb’s work shows how an understanding of Polyvagal Theory is applicable across the board to relationships, mental health, and trauma.  She delves into the intricacies of how we can all use an understanding of the organizing principles of Polyvagal Theory to change the ways we navigate our daily lives.  Deb is well known for translating PVT into a language and application that is both clear and accessible - and for her significant contribution, pioneering Rhythm of Regulation® methodology, tools, techniques and practices which continue to open up the power of PVT for professionals and curious people from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life. Deb has a busy career training therapists around the world in how to bring a Polyvagal approach into their clinical practice, and also works with agencies and larger systems to explore how to incorporate a Polyvagal perspective.  She is a founding member of The Polyvagal Institute, a consultant to Khiron Clinics, and an advisor to Unyte. Deb believes that we all benefit when we have a basic understanding of the ways the nervous system works and learn how to become active operators of this essential system.  Following this passion has led her to offering workshops in partnership with groups and communities outside of the clinical arena - and bringing the Polyvagal perspective to the ordinary, and sometimes extraordinary, experiences of daily living. 

Dr. Alexia Rothman is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Atlanta, GA, since 2004.  She is a Certified Internal Family Systems therapist, an Assistant Trainer for the IFS Institute, an international speaker and educator on the IFS model, and a professional consultant for clinicians seeking to deepen their knowledge and practice of IFS through theoretical discussions, case consultation, technique practice, and deep, personal experiential work with their own internal systems.Dr. Rothman has received extensive training in the IFS model, primarily from IFS developer, Dr. Richard Schwartz.  She has served  on staff for multiple Level 1, 2, and 3 experiential IFS trainings, and she offers workshops on the IFS model throughout the United States and abroad. Dr. Rothman is a United States Presidential Scholar who graduated summa cum laude from Emory University as a Robert W. Woodruff Scholar.  She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she was an Edwin W. Pauley Fellow and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.  She has held adjunct faculty positions at Emory University and Agnes Scott College.