Restoring

OCC’s Autonomic Nervous System Regulation Program

A 12-month experiential education delivered in weekly group meetings with a cohort of your peers.

Together with your cohort, we guide you along a deep inner exploration through which you become intimately familiar with your autonomic nervous system, its states, and your own unique personal patterns.

Deeply informed by Polyvagal Theory

Our curriculum draws upon the work of Dr. Stephen Porges, PhD, developer of Polyvagal Theory, and Deb Dana, LCSW, co-founder of the Polyvagal Institute. In particular, we utilize Deb Dana’s structure for autonomic reorganization called the BASIC Framework. This framework was developed to help people “build the capacity to safely connect to their autonomic responses and navigate their daily experiences in new ways.”

  • Education

    Engaging conversations that will introduce that months’ autonomic nervous system regulation phase. Members will learn together in a safe group setting, with ample opportunities for clarifying questions, sharing personal experiences and exploring ways to integrate these teachings in our day-to-day lives. Handouts are provided in advance of the class so that notes can be taken to support your learning.

  • Practice, Guidance, and Support

    Skillfully facilitated group sessions where members ask questions about home practice, share breakthroughs and challenges, and give and receive encouragement. Additional exercises are offered to expand your toolkit and strengthen your learning. We create a safe, caring, compassionate space for playful, engaging interactions and deeply authentic conversations designed to foster relational safety and meaningful connection — which, as you will learn, are essential for restoring our bodies’ capacity for healing and repair.

  • Connection and Co-Regulation

    Connection communicates safety to the autonomic nervous system and is a key component of OCC’s approach. Throughout each session there is ample time for relaxed connection and engagement. Discussions run the gamut, and your leader helps reflect insights through a Polyvagal lens and encourages reframing of life experiences with self-compassion and appreciation for your autonomic nervous system’s wisdom and protection.

At the end of this 12-month group program, you’ll have acquired a whole new language for understanding the biology of your autonomic nervous system and how it influences your physiological health as well as your thoughts, emotions, motivations, behaviors and relationships below the level of conscious awareness. From this point forward, you’ll have an entirely new way of relating to yourself and others — with greater wisdom, clarity and insight.

Most importantly, you'll have a new set of tools for influencing your biology toward healing — physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and socially. 

“This class is just having a profound and wonderful impact on me. I am so grateful to be part of this group. I am a little mind-blown at how obvious the impact is. I expected to learn and to make strides in my healing work, but I did not have any idea how deeply empowering and validating it would be to me. I literally was questioning how I could find a way to feel good again just two days ago, and after class, I feel the answer has come! So, thank you so much for doing this work and for making this safe space for all of us to participate.”

— Heather P.

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