Trauma & The Nervous System

A 4.5-Hour Masterclass for Clinicians and Trauma-Informed Practitioners.

Finally understand why some clients stay stuck, and what to do about it.

£47 — Lifetime Access

The training most of us never got.

We were taught to work with thoughts. Narratives. Behaviour.

We learned to help clients gain insight, make meaning, challenge unhelpful beliefs.

And for many clients, that works.
But for others, especially those carrying trauma, something's missing.

They understand their patterns perfectly. They can explain their history with remarkable sophistication. They've done the work.

And yet their body still reacts. Their system still floods. Their survival responses still fire.

This masterclass fills the gap

What you'll learn

Module One: Mapping the Nervous System

60 minutes

The foundation. Understanding how the brain and body communicate, why trauma is physiological not just psychological, and how to see behaviour through a nervous system lens.

You'll understand:

Why 80% of vagal communication flows from body to brain
How interoception (sensing the internal world) gets distorted by trauma
The HPA axis and what chronic stress actually does to the body
Why trauma memories are stored as fragments, sensation, image, emotion, not narrative
The five survival states: fight, flight, freeze, fawn, flop
Why survival responses are biology, not behaviour

Clinical vignette: Anna, functional freeze mistaken for engagement

Module Two: Organised Survival

70 minutes

How the nervous system organises around trauma over time. Polyvagal theory as a useful map, neuroception, the Window of Tolerance, and understanding how survival becomes patterned.

You'll understand:

The nervous system seeks safety, not calm
Polyvagal theory: three pathways (ventral, sympathetic, dorsal)
Neuroception: the unconscious safety scanner
The Window of Tolerance as dynamic, not fixed
State-dependent memory and why insight disappears under stress
The crucial difference between quiet and dorsal drift
Why exposure without safety retraumatises
How rupture and repair actually build trust

Clinical vignette: David, high-functioning freeze; Maya, missed dorsal drift

Module Three: The Inner World

65 minutes

How trauma shapes the inner landscape, parts, beliefs, identity, and why insight alone doesn't shift what the body still holds.

You'll understand:

Why behind every pattern is a part, not a flaw
The Wounded/Adapted/Adult framework
How state creates belief — and belief maintains state (the stuck loop)
The Five Belief Domains where trauma lands
Meta beliefs: core conclusions that feed everything else
Survival loyalty: why parts hold on even when it hurts
Integration, not elimination

Clinical vignette: Priya, the relentless driver protector; James, the self-critical part; Rachel, state-dependent identity

Module Four: Trauma-Informed Practice

75 minutes

Bringing it all into the room. Reading state, language that heals, pacing, containment, and caring for your own nervous system so you can sustain this work.

You'll learn:

Your nervous system as the intervention
Reading state in real time: breath, eyes, posture, voice
The trauma-safe language palette: pacing, permission, grounding, orienting, normalising, shame-soothing
Titration and pendulation: pacing for integration
Containment versus coldness
Vicarious trauma versus secondary traumatic stress
Your Nervous System Hygiene Plan: before, between, after work
When to refer out, and the courage it takes

Clinical vignette: Tom, what happens when we push too fast.

The Four Guiding Phrases

Threading through the entire masterclass are four anchoring principles:

Regulation before Revelation Don't push for insight until the system can integrate it.

Safety before Story Prioritise felt safety over narrative.

Compassion before Correction Meet protection with respect, not frustration.

Presence before Perfection Your presence matters more than your technique.

These aren't just nice ideas.
They're the compass you'll return to whenever the work feels complex.

What's included

4.5 hours of video training Four comprehensive modules you can watch at your own pace.

104 slides of visual content Clear, elegant visuals that support the teaching.

Companion workbook Reflection exercises, self-assessments, practical tools, including:

Your Window of Tolerance self-assessment
The Five Belief Domains mapping exercise
Trauma-safe language reference palette
Your Nervous System Hygiene Plan template

Lifetime access Return and rewatch whenever you need a refresh.

Certificate of completion For your CPD portfolio.

£47 — Lifetime Access.

ENROL NOW

Gadgets & Gizmos: A Trauma-Informed Guide to Nervous System Technology:

An 80-page ebook covering everything practitioners need to know about regulation technology:

Vagal stimulators (Sensate, Apollo, Pulsetto, and more)
Sound-based protocols (Safe and Sound Protocol, Brain.fm, and more)
HRV monitors and biofeedback (HeartMath, Oura, Whoop)
Neurofeedback devices (Muse, NeoRhythm)
Sensory tools (weighted blankets, cold exposure, compression)
Breathwork technology
Light and circadian tools

For each tool: what it claims, the actual physiology, what the research shows, who it helps, who should be cautious, and my clinical view.

Plus: The Four Questions Framework for evaluating any tool, guidance on when tech helps versus harms, and how to talk to clients about regulation technology.

"They can support the work, but they are not the work."

Add to your order for just £7, available at checkout.

This masterclass is for you if:

✅ You're a therapist, counsellor, psychologist, coach, or helping professional

✅ You've felt frustrated when clients have insight but can't change

✅ You want to understand the "why" behind what you see in your clients

✅ You're curious about nervous system approaches but haven't had proper training

✅ You want practical tools, not just theory

✅ You care about your own sustainability in this work

✅ You want something you can return to again and again

This masterclass might not be for you if:

❌ You want a certification or accredited qualification (this is CPD, not a certificate programme)

❌ You're looking for rigid scripts and protocols

❌ You prefer surface-level overviews to in-depth exploration

❌ You're not willing to reflect on your own nervous system and patterns

What practitioners say:

"This changed how I see every client. I finally understand why some people stay stuck despite having all the insight." — Clinical Psychologist

"Lou's approach is warm, grounded and deeply practical. I use what I learned every single day." — Trauma Therapist

"I wish I'd learned this in my original training. It would have saved me years of frustration." — Counsellor

"Module 4 alone was worth the investment. Finally someone talking about practitioner self-care properly." — Psychotherapist

"The Four Guiding Phrases have become my anchor. When I'm not sure what to do, I come back to them." — Coach

About Lou Lebentz

Lou Lebentz is the founder of The Voyage®, a comprehensive trauma-informed training methodology developed over 25+ years as a UKCP-registered trauma therapist, clinical supervisor, and international speaker.

She has trained over 1,000 professionals worldwide in trauma-aware practice, working across clinical and non-clinical settings including the NHS, corporate organisations, addiction treatment centres, and educational institutions.

Lou's approach centres on nervous system literacy, parts-based work, and moving practitioners beyond surface-level trauma awareness into genuine trauma-informed practice.

Her work integrates contemporary research from leaders including Bessel van der Kolk, Stephen Porges, Janina Fisher, Peter Levine, and Pat Ogden — while maintaining a distinctive voice that is warm, grounded, and refreshingly direct.

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