Trauma-Informed Care & the Nervous System
Friday, September 5, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
Live Webinar
Presentation Description
A trauma-informed approach is not just about what we do—it’s about how we show up. This workshop explores the connection between trauma, the nervous system, and holistic healing, emphasizing embodied trauma-informed care to cultivate safe, regulated healing spaces.
We’ll break down shock trauma, developmental trauma, and systemic trauma, examining how these experiences shape nervous system responses, self-regulation, and perception of safety. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of dysregulation, polyvagal theory, and the role of self-awareness in co-regulation.
Beyond theory, we’ll focus on self-regulation practices that help participants model grounding, centering, and nervous system stabilization techniques in their work. We’ll also explore how movement-based and somatic practices, including breathwork, yoga, and sound healing, can support nervous system regulation. Through discussions and guided experiences, participants will leave with tangible strategies to integrate trauma-sensitive practices into their professional and personal work.
Presenter: LeNaya Smith Crawford ’17, LMFT, ERYT-500
LeNaya Smith Crawford, LMFT, ERYT-500, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Holistic Mental Health and Healing Educator, and Business Mentor with over a decade of experience in mental health, wellness education, and professional training. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College and her M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Richmont Graduate University, where she also completed a Certificate in Trauma-Informed Therapy. She is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT-500) with a specialization in Trauma-Informed Yoga, Certified Sound Healer, and Breathwork & Meditation Certification Facilitator.
As the co-owner of Seviin Yoga Studio + Yoga School in Atlanta, Georgia, and founder of The Holistic Therapist Academy™ and The Holistic Healing Circle™, she specializes in integrating holistic healing practices with evidence-based therapy to support both clinicians and clients. She trains mental health professionals in nervous system regulation, trauma-informed care, and holistic self-care practices that enhance therapeutic effectiveness. In addition to her work with therapists and healers, she regularly lectures on integrative mental health and clinician well-being and has been featured in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Essence, and Healthline.
Learning Objectives: As a result of attending, participants will be able to:
1) Describe how trauma affects the nervous system and influences self-regulation and stress responses (fight, flight, freeze, collapse).
2) Identify signs of nervous system dysregulation and apply trauma-sensitive interventions such as grounding, centering, and breath-based techniques.
3) Demonstrate the ethical integration of yoga, breathwork, and sound healing to support client safety and nervous system resilience.
Continuing Education: 3 CE Hours Available
Target Audience: Psychotherapists from all disciplines: Psychologists, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Social Workers, Graduate Students in Mental Health Fields, Pastoral Counselors & Faith-Based Therapists, Holistic & Integrative Mental Health Practitioners
Instruction Level: Appropriate for all levels
Schedule of the Day
9:00 – 9:25 AM – Foundations of Trauma-Informed Care & The Nervous System
Overview of trauma-informed care, including shock trauma, developmental trauma, and systemic trauma. Discussion of how trauma affects nervous system regulation and perception of safety.
9:25 – 9:55 AM – Understanding Nervous System Responses & Dysregulation
Explanation of polyvagal theory and autonomic nervous system responses. Exploration of stress responses—fight, flight, freeze, and collapse—and how dysregulation manifests through hyperarousal, dissociation, and somatic symptoms.
9:55 – 10:20 AM – The Role of Self-Regulation & Co-Regulation in Trauma-Informed Care
Examination of the importance of practitioner self-regulation and co-regulation in creating safe, healing-centered spaces. Participants will explore how to develop a personal practice for nervous system regulation.
10:20 – 10:30 AM – Break
10:30 – 11:05 AM – Trauma-Sensitive Interventions for Nervous System Regulation
Application of trauma-sensitive interventions, including grounding, orienting, and centering techniques. Introduction to breathwork as a tool for nervous system stabilization and self-regulation in clinical and healing spaces.
11:05 – 11:40 AM – Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga, Breathwork & Sound Healing
Exploration of trauma-informed yoga, breath, and sound healing as tools for nervous system regulation. Discussion of ethical considerations in trauma-sensitive facilitation and the integration of these modalities in client care.
11:40 – 12:05 PM – Guided Practice & Experiential Learning
Engagement in trauma-informed modalities, including yoga, breathwork, and sound healing. Reflection and discussion on how to integrate these practices into professional work.
12:05 – 12:10 PM – Closing Remarks & Q&A
Review of key takeaways from the workshop and open space for participant questions and discussion.
Refund policy: In order to receive a refund, requests must be submitted prior to August 29, 2025.
For questions, including information about accommodations, please contact Amy Estes at ContinuingEd@Richmont.edu.
There is no known commercial support for this program.
Richmont Graduate University has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 4534. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Richmont Graduate University is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Presentation References:
The Role of the Nervous System in Trauma-Informed Care
Porges, S. W. (1995). Orienting in a defensive world: Mammalian modifications of our evolutionary heritage. Psychophysiology, 32(4), 301–318. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1995.tb01213.x
Dana, D. (2018). The polyvagal theory in therapy: Engaging the rhythm of regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
Trauma-Informed Care and Nervous System Regulation
Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the tiger: Healing trauma. North Atlantic Books.
Ogden, P., & Fisher, J. (2015). Sensorimotor psychotherapy: Interventions for trauma and attachment. W. W. Norton & Company.
Integrating Yoga, Breathwork & Sound Healing into Therapy
Gard, T., Noggle, J. J., Park, C. L., Vago, D. R., & Wilson, A. (2014). Potential self-regulatory mechanisms of yoga for psychological health. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 770. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00770
Emerson, D., & Hopper, E. (2011). Overcoming trauma through yoga: Reclaiming your body. North Atlantic Books.
Ethical Integration of Holistic Practices and Practitioner Self-Care
Barnett, J. E., Baker, E. K., Elman, N. S., & Schoener, G. R. (2007). In pursuit of wellness: The self-care imperative. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38(6), 603–612. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.38.6.603
Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., & Biegel, G. M. (2007). Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1(2), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1037/1931-3918.1.2.105
