What is this course?
The Regulated Self is a six module CPD resource designed for counsellors, coaches, and helping professionals who want to deepen their understanding of one of the most important and fascinating areas in modern psychology — the nervous system.
Many of the experiences clients bring to counselling—such as anxiety, overwhelm, shutdown or difficulty feeling safe—can involve nervous-system responses. Your own nervous system matters too: your presence, regulation and ability to remain alongside difficulty can influence the therapeutic relationship.
This course gives you the knowledge, the language, and the personal insight to understand what is happening in the bodies of the people you work with — and in your own body — so that you can show up more effectively, more compassionately, and more genuinely for the people who trust you with their most difficult experiences.
Scope of course
This course is designed as an accessible introduction to polyvagal theory and nervous-system awareness for counsellors working at Level 4 and above. It is not specialist trauma-therapy training. Where the content touches on areas that may require specialist training, such as complex trauma, this is clearly signposted throughout. As always, bring anything significant that arises to supervision.
CPD Hours
This course has been designed as a reflective practice resource suitable for use as Continuing Professional Development. Estimated total engagement time is 7 hours across all six modules.
Participants are responsible for recording and claiming CPD hours in line with their own professional body's requirements. A personalised certificate of completion is issued automatically upon finishing the course.
Who is this course for?
This course is for you if you are:
- A qualified or trainee counsellor or psychotherapist
- A coach or helping professional
- Someone who wants to understand anxiety, stress, and nervous system responses at a deeper level
- Someone who recognises that the most important tool they bring into the room is themselves — regulated, present, and genuinely available
Course curriculum
What will you explore?
Module 1 — Introduction to the Nervous System
What the nervous system is, why it matters for counsellors, and how the mind and body are in constant conversation. The foundation for everything that follows.
Module 2 — Polyvagal Theory
An introduction to Stephen Porges’ polyvagal theory, including its proposed model of autonomic states and concepts such as the polyvagal ladder, the vagal brake and neuroception. The module considers how these ideas are used as a framework for thinking about safety and threat, while recognising that aspects of the theory remain scientifically debated.
Module 3 — Anxiety, Fight, Flight and Freeze
A deep and honest exploration of what happens when the nervous system moves into activation or shutdown — and how it shows up in your clients and in yourself.
Module 4 — Coming Back to Safety
An exploration of breathing, grounding, movement and co-regulation, together with the counsellor’s presence in the therapeutic relationship. These approaches are presented for general practice awareness rather than as specialist trauma interventions. Practitioners remain responsible for working within their own competence, training and professional framework.
Module 5 — ACT and Alternative Approaches
An accessible introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), including defusion, acceptance, psychological flexibility and values-based action. These ideas are explored for awareness and reflective learning rather than as training to practise ACT as a specialist therapeutic model.
Module 6 — You and Your Nervous System
The most personal module in the course: an honest, compassionate examination of your own nervous-system responses, your triggers, your regulation practices and how your state may influence your work with clients. It also explores what genuine self-care can look like, using polyvagal theory as one reflective lens.
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1Module 1
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2Module 2
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3Module 3
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4Module 4
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5Module 5
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6Module 6