About this course

Learning Objectives

• Identify how trauma impacts autonomic states and neuroception of safety in clients .
• Identify the three primary autonomic states outlined in polyvagal theory and their behavioral manifestations in clients.
• Apply polyvagal-informed interventions that support trauma recovery and nervous system regulation
• Analyze how neuroception impacts the therapeutic relationship and treatment planning

Learning Levels

• All

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Gabrielle Juliano-Villani, LCSW

  Gabrielle Juliano-Villani is a business mindset coach, consultant, and former group practice owner who helps therapists scale, sell, and thrive without burning out. After building and successfully selling her own 7-figure group practice in 2021, she made it her mission to help other entrepreneurs create sustainable, profitable businesses without sacrificing their mental health. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Small Business Administration coach, Gabrielle brings a unique blend of clinical expertise and business strategy to her work. She specializes in supporting practice owners as they navigate complex systems like Medicare and Medicaid billing. Her approach combines practical business strategies with mind-body techniques, drawing from her experience as an EMDR and Polyvagal-informed therapist. Based in Sarasota, FL, Gabrielle is an international speaker and retreat leader who has been featured on NBC News, Spruce Health, and dozens of top industry podcasts. When she's not helping practice owners transform their businesses, you'll find her teaching Zumba, traveling the world, or reading psychological thrillers on the beach.

References

• Porges, S. W. (2025). Exploring vagus nerve stimulation through the lens of the polyvagal theory☆. In Vagus Nerve Stimulation (pp. 83-93). Academic Press.
• Ajwani, N. (2024). How Clinicians Integrate Theoretical Constructs of Polyvagal Theory (PVT) in Their Clinical Work (Doctoral dissertation, Smith College School for Social Work).
• Kerdabadi, Z. A., Ghamarani, A., & Salehi, M. (2024). Comprehensive Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Interventions Based on Polyvagal Theory for Psychological Disorders. Quarterly Journal of Applied Psychology/Faṣlnāmah-i Ravān/shināsī-i Kārburdī, 18(2).
• Manzotti, A., Panisi, C., Pivotto, M., Vinciguerra, F., Benedet, M., Brazzoli, F., ... & Chiera, M. (2024). An in‐depth analysis of the polyvagal theory in light of current findings in neuroscience and clinical research. Developmental Psychobiology, 66(2), e22450.
• Porges, S. W., & Porges, S. (2023). Our polyvagal world: How safety and trauma change us. WW Norton & Company.
• Porges, S. W. (2022). Polyvagal theory: A science of safety. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience, 16, 871227.
• Ryland, S., Johnson, L. N., & Bernards, J. C. (2022). Honoring protective responses: reframing resistance in therapy using polyvagal theory. Contemporary Family Therapy, 44(3), 267-275.
• Winter, M., & Tyree, K. (2021). Polyvagal theory. In Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (pp. 6062-6066). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Porges, S. W., & Dana, D. (2018). Clinical applications of the polyvagal theory: The emergence of polyvagal-informed therapies (Norton series on interpersonal neurobiology). WW Norton & Company.