Safety is foundational for therapeutic work and healthy human beings. During our therapeutic journey we get familiar with the landmarks and territory of your nervous system.
Befriending the nervous system means getting to know the triggers, glimmers, anchors and resources that activate, shape and support the responses of your unique nervous system. Our nervous system is in constant communication with our internal and external environment every moment of the day via interoception and neuroception.
We might become activated when current experiences are detected as similar to past events that felt unsafe or overwhelming. These similar experiences (often referred to as triggers) are cues that activate our protective responses (fight/flight/freeze/fawn).
We can influence the regulation of our nervous system and help it through a stressful or emotional experiences by creating resources that prompt the vagus nerve to cue safety in the body (commonly referred to as glimmers).
We can create, connect and enrich resources (people, things, places, emotions, sensations) to help us connect and establish safety in the body. This work offers the reassurance we can apply the brake and accelerator and maintain our function within healthy parameters (the window of tolerance/capacity) and so proceed in our work incrementally without risk of overwhelm or shutdown.
