The Science of Safety: A Polyvagal Skills Workshop for Clinicians w/ Deb Dana

The Science of Safety: A Polyvagal Skills Workshop for Clinicians 

With Deb Dana, LCSW

Time: Wednesday at 5PM to 8 PM for the intro workshop & Thursday through Saturday at 10AM to 5PM for the whole workshop

Place: Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke, Community Hall | Fælledvej 12, Entrance C, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

Our nervous systems are at the heart of daily living — always listening, always shaping the stories we tell ourselves and influencing how we connect with others. When we understand the science of safety, we can help our clients move from protection toward connection.

This workshop offers an introduction to Polyvagal Theory and practical skills you can bring into your clinical work immediately. We'll explore how the autonomic nervous system shapes experience, learn to recognize the neural pathways that organize our responses, and discover how to bring the wisdom of the nervous system into clinical work.

Through didactic teaching, experiential exercises, clinical examples, and reflective practice, you'll develop your capacity to track autonomic states — your own and your clients’ — while building a toolkit of polyvagal-informed interventions. We'll focus on befriending the nervous system, honoring its protective strategies, and creating pathways to regulation and resilience. We’ll discover how to help clients reshape their autonomic responses and rewrite the stories that are carried in their autonomic pathways.

Whether you're new to Polyvagal Theory or deepening your understanding, this workshop will help you see your clients—and yourself—through a compassionate, nervous system-informed lens.

Come curious. Leave with skills, insight, and a new way of navigating the therapeutic relationship. Join internationally recognized expert Deb Dana for an evening introduction and gain a beginning understanding of Polyvagal Theory. Deepen your practice by joining the full training over the following three days. 

Program Structure

Evening Introduction (stand-alone option)
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 17:00–20:00
An introductory workshop open to all, offering a foundational understanding of Polyvagal Theory and its clinical relevance.
Participants may register for this session only.

Full Training (includes mandatory introduction)
Thursday, November 19 – Saturday, November 21, 2026 | 9:00–16:00 all days
A deeper immersive training designed for clinicians who wish to integrate polyvagal-informed approaches into their therapeutic practice.
Participation in the full training includes and requires attendance at the Wednesday evening introduction.

Learning Objectives & Key Topics

During the workshop, participants will:

• Explore the three organizing principles of Polyvagal Theory and how to use them to guide clients in reshaping their autonomic responses
• Engage in autonomic mapping practices
• Learn to use elements of the social engagement system to cultivate safety in connection
• Track states of regulation and dysregulation
• Listen to the unique stories carried within autonomic states
• Apply the safety/danger equation to inform clinical decision-making
• Create continuums that expand autonomic awareness
• Practice Savoring, SIFTing, and Glimmering
• Develop multiple resources to support ventral vagal regulation

The training emphasizes befriending the nervous system, honoring its protective strategies, and supporting clients in rewriting the stories carried within their autonomic pathways.

Teaching Format

The workshop combines:

• Didactic teaching
• Experiential exercises
• Clinical demonstrations and examples
• Reflective practice

Participants will build a practical toolkit of polyvagal-informed interventions that can be applied immediately in clinical settings.

The workshop is open to all participants with a focus on psychologists and other professionals working with therapy or clinical psychology.

About the Teacher

Deb Dana, LCSW is a clinician, author, speaker and internationally recognized expert on the clinical application of Polyvagal Theory. Through her work she plays a critical role in advancing the application of Polyvagal-informed approaches in clinical settings.

Deb is well known for her ability to translate the complexities of Polyvagal Theory into accessible, client-centered interventions. Through her Rhythm of Regulation® methodology, she has introduced groundbreaking tools and practices that empower professionals and individuals alike to understand and navigate autonomic regulation in everyday life. 

She is the author of:

• The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy
• Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection
• Polyvagal Practices
• Polyvagal Prompts
• Anchored
• The Nervous System Workbook

She is also co-editor, together with renowned scientist Stephen Porges, of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory, and creator of the Polyvagal Flip Chart, the Polyvagal Card Deck, and The Glimmers Journal.