Certificate in Polyvagal-Informed Somatic Trauma Treatment

Now offering a payment installment plan (use the second sign-up form below)!

This comprehensive 23.25 CE training series is designed for clinicians ready to move beyond surface-level “nervous system” language and develop practice-ready mastery of polyvagal-informed somatic trauma treatment. Taught by a team of expert instructors — including Stanford-trained neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Dr. Jennifer Sweeton, internationally recognized trauma psychologist Dr. Arielle Schwartz, and Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™ developer Jan Winhall — the program pairs rigorous neuroscientific foundation with applied somatic technique, case demonstrations, and experiential practices that build both clinical depth and immediate applicability.

Program participants in clinical practice who complete this certificate become eligible to earn the C-PSTP™ post-nominal certification credential and digital badge through Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC, signaling advanced clinical training in polyvagal-informed somatic trauma treatment, neuroscience-based case formulation, and evidence-informed integrations across individuals, couples, and complex trauma presentations.

Across seven course modules, you’ll develop fluency in:

 

  • The neural architecture of trauma and anxiety — the amygdala, insula, prefrontal cortex, and brainstem nuclei that govern neuroception, threat detection, and autonomic regulation — and a precise, brain-based framework for case conceptualization that maps client presentations onto dorsal vagal shutdown, sympathetic hyperarousal, and ventral vagal social engagement.
  • The Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™ (FSPM) developed across Jan Winhall’s forty years of clinical practice, integrating Porges’s polyvagal theory with Gendlin’s Focusing/Felt Sense — including the Embodied Assessment and Treatment Tool™, Carnes’ Four Circle Harm Reduction Practice, and the Seven F’s autonomic states model for reframing trauma and addictive behaviors as adaptive responses.
  • Polyvagal-informed couples therapy through the two-phase Felt Sense Polyvagal Dialogue (FSPD) for embodied listening, co-regulation, and reprocessing of relational trauma.
  • A full vagal toning skill set with Dr. Arielle Schwartz — breath, sound, eye-movement, self-applied touch, Havening, and the Salamander exercise — to strengthen the social engagement system and address dysautonomia, chronic anxiety, and post-viral nervous system imbalance.
  • Foundational somatic intervention skills grounded in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, and attachment science — tracking, grounding, orienting, titration, containment, and somatic readiness assessment — adapted for dissociation, complex trauma, anxiety, and attachment wounds.
  • Clinician sustainability and ethical practice — co-regulation and self-regulation strategies to prevent burnout, plus documentation and emergency protocols for managing dysregulated, high-risk clients without depleting your own nervous system.

DISCLAIMER: This certificate program has been developed and offered by Online CE Credits. The post-nominal certification credential associated with this program is conferred by Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC (MWCE), an independent certification body. This program is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, approved by, or formally recognized by the Polyvagal Institute, Stephen W. Porges, PhD, the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™, Jan Winhall, MSW, FOT, or any other outside organization, institute, training company, certification body, psychotherapy training broker, model developer, course publisher, person, or business entity, unless expressly stated otherwise. The MWCE credential associated with this program recognizes completion of an independent professional certification curriculum and does not expand clinical scope of practice, authorize independent practice, or replace state licensure requirements.

Program Courses

To be a successful, competent, in-demand mental health clinician, you absolutely need access to premium, specialized clinical training (with the ability to go back for refreshers), as well as opportunities for ongoing peer consultation. That’s exactly what this program delivers, plus:

  • Polyvagal Neuroscience: Safety, Trauma, and Anxiety
2.75 CEs
  • Integrating Polyvagal Theory Into Practice: Clinical Strategies & Techniques

2.25 CEs

  • "Felt Sense" Polyvagal Model: Re-envisioning Trauma & Addiction Treatment
2.5 CEs
  • Polyvagal Informed Couples Therapy: The Felt Sense Polyvagal Model

2.5 CEs

  • Polyvagal Self-Regulation for Clinicians: A Mastery Approach to Co-Regulation
2.5 CEs
  • Vagal Toning Masterclass: Tools for Nervous System Regulation and Client Wellness
5.75 CEs
  • Somatic-Based Interventions: A Body-Centered Approach for Healing Trauma

5.0 CEs

Program Instructors

  • Jennifer Sweeton, PsyD, JD, MS, MA

    Originally trained as a neuroscientist, Dr. Jennifer Sweeton is a clinical and forensic psychologist, Amazon #1 best-selling author in clinical psychology, and internationally-recognized expert on trauma and the neuroscience of mental health. She is the author of the Trauma Treatment Toolbox (PESI Publishing), Train Your Brain Card Deck (PESI Publishing and Media), Eight Key Brain Areas of Mental Health and Illness (W. W. Norton & Company), and the forthcoming Traumatic Stress Recovery Workbook (New Harbinger Publications, Inc). Dr. Sweeton completed her doctoral training at the Stanford University School of Medicine, the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, and the National Center for PTSD. Additionally, she holds a master’s degree in personality psychology (with an emphasis in affective neuroscience) from Stanford University, and studied behavioral genetics and psychopathology at Harvard University. In 2025, Dr. Sweeton earned her JD from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and serves as Outside Counsel for Online CE Credits, which she co-owns. Dr. Sweeton resides in the greater Kansas City area, where she owns a private practice. She is the founder and co-owner of two nationwide continuing education companies, OnlineCECredits.com, which offers high-quality courses to over 100,000 licensed mental health providers, and LegalMasterCLE.com, which provides cutting-edge continuing legal education to attorneys. Dr. Sweeton has held adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center , and is a former President of the Greater Kansas City Psychological Association and the Oklahoma Psychological Association. Dr. Sweeton offers forensic assessment services, consultation, and trauma-focused psychotherapy to clients worldwide. She is the developer of Neural Desensitization and Integration Training (NDIT), an evidence-informed, module-based psychotherapy for PTSD. Referred to as a “world-renowned trauma treatment expert” by PESI, Dr. Sweeton has trained more than 60,000 mental health professionals globally.

  • Arielle Schwartz, PhD

    Arielle Schwartz, PhD, CCTP-II, E-RYT, is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified complex trauma professional, EMDR Consultant, and Kripalu yoga teacher. She is an internationally sought-out speaker, leading voice in the field of trauma recovery, and the author of seven books including The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook, and her latest, Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga. As the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy, she offers an integrative, mind-body approach to therapy that includes relational therapy, somatic psychology, EMDR Therapy, parts-work therapy, and therapeutic yoga for trauma. She specializes in applied polyvagal theory which focuses on addressing imbalances within the autonomic nervous system that underlie most mental and physical health conditions. Dr. Schwartz provides informational mental health and wellness updates through her writing, public speaking, social media presence, and blog. She believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart. Learn more at www.drarielleschwartz.com.

  • Jan Winhall, MSW, FOT

    Jan Winhall, M.S.W. P.I.F.O.T. is an author, teacher and seasoned trauma and addiction psychotherapist. She is an Educational Partner and Course Developer with the Polyvagal Institute where she offers a training program based on her book Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model, Routledge 2021.  She is an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto and a Certifying Co-Ordinator with the International Focusing Institute. Jan is Co-Director of the Borden Street Clinic where she supervises graduate students. She enjoys teaching all over the world. You can reach her at janwinhall.com.

  • Megan Salar, MSW

    Megan Salar, MSW, is an author, educator, and consultant with advanced training in EMDR and trauma-informed approaches. She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Northwest Nazarene University in 2011 and has spent over a decade immersed in trauma, attachment, and addiction-related education and professional training. Megan has provided training and educational consultation to thousands of mental health professionals in the U.S. and internationally, focusing on the practical application of EMDR-informed, trauma-responsive, and evidence-informed frameworks. Her work emphasizes clarity, ethical decision-making, and real-world integration of complex concepts. She is the author of EMDR Workbook for Trauma and PTSD: Skills to Manage Triggers, Move Beyond Traumatic Memories, and Take Back Your Life (New Harbinger Publications, 2023) and EMDR for Dummies (Wiley Publishing) and is set to release EMDR Workbook for Addiction (new Harbinger Publications, 2027). Her writing is intended for educational purposes and reflects contemporary research and professional best practices. Previously, Megan founded and operated an intensive outpatient treatment program that was recognized for excellence in practice in 2019. She now focuses exclusively on education, authorship, consulting, and professional training, with a passion for advancing trauma-informed understanding across disciplines. All services provided are educational and consultative in nature and do not constitute psychotherapy or clinical treatment.

  • Brent Moore, PhD, LPC

    Dr. Brent Moore is the director of clinical mental health counseling and associate professor of counselor education at Indiana Wesleyan University. He has taught graduate counseling in a full-time capacity for the past nine years. Dr. Moore is a registered play therapist and founder of Neural Pathways Learning Center in Liberty, MO, which serves to assess and treat anxiety, attention, and focus issues related to academic performance. He is a licensed counselor and approved supervisor for the states of Kansas and Missouri. Dr. Moore is the former president of the American Counseling Association of Missouri.

  • Jodi Ann Geis-Crowder, MS, LPC, ACS

    Jodi is a dual-licensed Professional Counselor, Approved Clinical Supervisor (CCE/NBCC), and certified professional coach with 27 years of experience in behavioral health, clinical supervision, and rural service innovation across Colorado and Wyoming. Her continuing education trainings blend clinical depth with creative engagement, focusing on ethics, telehealth, clinical supervision, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, trauma-informed care (including Polyvagal Theory and somatic practices), couples and family therapy, the human–animal bond, and underserved, rural behavior health. Jodi pioneered animal-assisted therapy and therapeutic horticulture in community behavioral health settings, where she also served as clinician, program manager, and regional clinical director. Currently, Jodi is a clinical supervisor and educator with Volunteers of America Northern Rockies, and leads professional education, consultation, and coaching through JGC Enterprises, LLC. Jodi was selected for the ACA Supervision Course Curriculum Development Subgroup in 2025. She is also a professional watercolor artist and photographer.

Want the Credential + Digital Badge?

Your enrollment includes the full Certificate Program curriculum through Online CE Credits—complete the training, quizzes, and evaluation to earn your CE certificates and your Program Certificate of Completion.

If you’d like to pursue the professional certification credential (including the post-nominal designation and a digital badge), you can do so through Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC (MWCE)—our independent certification body backed by a 30+ member advisory board.

No additional fee: If you complete the full OCEC program curriculum, you can earn certification through MWCE at no extra cost.

You can decide later—this is optional and can be started anytime.

ATTENTION: Certificate Programs are not included in the Essentials CE Plan, so please enroll and pay here. Legacy “Everything Plan” members already have access and should not pay.

Payment

Included in this certificate program (23.25 CEs), you'll...

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Our benefits

Included in this certificate program (23.25 CEs), you’ll…

  • RBe eligible to receive the C-PSTP™ post-nominal certification credential and digital badge through Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC to include on your resume, website, and directory profiles.
  • RBuild a confident, working command of polyvagal theory's neural foundations — including the amygdala, insula, prefrontal cortex, and brainstem nuclei governing neuroception — and learn to map client presentations onto dorsal vagal, sympathetic, and ventral vagal autonomic states for precise case conceptualization.
  • RLearn to apply the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™ (FSPM) developed by Jan Winhall across both individual trauma and addiction work and couples therapy, including the Embodied Assessment and Treatment Tool™, the Seven F's autonomic states model, Carnes' Four Circle Harm Reduction Practice, and the Felt Sense Polyvagal Dialogue (FSPD) for embodied co-regulation between partners.
  • RMaster a full vagal toning skill set with Dr. Arielle Schwartz — including breath, sound, eye-movement, self-applied touch, Havening, and the Salamander exercise — to strengthen the social engagement system and address chronic anxiety, dysautonomia, and post-viral nervous system imbalance in your clients.
  • RBuild practical somatic intervention skills grounded in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, and attachment science — including tracking, grounding, orienting, titration, containment, and somatic readiness assessment — adapted for clients presenting with dissociation, complex trauma, anxiety, and attachment wounds.
  • RDevelop sustainable clinical practice habits with polyvagal-informed self-regulation and co-regulation strategies to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue, plus documentation and emergency protocols for ethically managing dysregulated, high-risk clients.
  • RLearn from a team of expert instructors including Stanford-trained neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Dr. Jennifer Sweeton and internationally recognized trauma psychologist Dr. Arielle Schwartz, with case demonstrations, experiential practices, and real-world clinical examples throughout.
  • RGet free admission to up to four, 1-hour consultation groups to troubleshoot your most difficult clinical cases.

Why Choose Us?

Why Choose Our Certificate in Polyvagal-Informed Somatic Trauma Treatment?

Polyvagal theory has moved from the edges of trauma treatment into the center of how clinicians across every practice setting are conceptualizing nervous system regulation, attachment, and embodied healing. Clients presenting with chronic anxiety, dissociation, complex trauma, addictive behaviors, attachment wounds, and stress-related physical symptoms are filling caseloads — and increasingly arriving in the room already familiar with terms like “ventral vagal,” “co-regulation,” and “felt sense.” Referral sources are asking whether clinicians are “polyvagal-informed” or “somatically trained.” Clients are specifically requesting body-based work. And the research continues to affirm what experienced trauma clinicians already know: when somatic and polyvagal-informed interventions are applied well, they reach what insight-based talk therapy alone cannot — the subcortical circuits where trauma actually lives.

The challenge is that most polyvagal continuing education stops at broad concepts and metaphor. Clinicians walk away able to talk about the autonomic ladder but feeling underprepared for the real clinical complexity that walks through the door — the dissociative client who shuts down before processing can begin, the dysregulated couple whose conflict cycles defy traditional therapy, the trauma survivor whose body needs intervention before their cognition can engage, the addiction case where shame-based protective behaviors keep blocking progress. That’s exactly the gap this program is designed to close.

This comprehensive certificate program gives you synthesized, practice-ready training across the full arc of polyvagal-informed somatic clinical application: from the underlying neuroscience of threat and safety through the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™ for individuals and couples, vagal toning protocols, foundational somatic intervention skills, and the clinician self-regulation and ethics framework needed to sustain this demanding work. You can complete the program in approximately 24 self-paced hours, on your own schedule, with lifetime access to all course content. If you want to revisit a module, reinforce a skill set, or simply brush up before a challenging case — it’s always there.

If you opt to submit your training requirements to receive your post-nominal credential, you will not be required to take additional courses or pay more money just to keep your C-PSTP™ post-nominal credential “current.” We believe that when you’ve built real polyvagal-informed somatic clinical skills, you don’t lose them after a year or two. Just as you don’t have to re-earn your degree, clinical competence is deepened over time through continued practice and learning — not forfeited on a renewal calendar. If you ever feel like you’d benefit from a refresher, we welcome you to attend our group consultations (up to 4 for FREE with your program enrollment!), retake any of your enrolled on-demand program courses at no additional cost, or register for additional courses in our live webinar or home study CE catalog. Individual consultation sessions are also available if you’d like more personalized support.

When you earn your Certificate in Polyvagal-Informed Somatic Trauma Treatment and C-PSTP™ post-nominal credential through Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC, it becomes a signal to potential clients and referral sources that you’ve invested in serious, applied somatic and polyvagal-informed training — and that you’re prepared to meet the clinical complexity they’re bringing. And because your program-level certificate and C-PSTP™ certification credential doesn’t expire, you don’t have to worry about anyone telling you to stop listing it on your website, directory profiles, or resume.

We’re excited to support your polyvagal-informed somatic learning journey! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at cc@onlinececredits.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Does Online CE Credits grant this program's post-nominal certification credential?

No! The trainings and CEs (along with the program-level Certificate) are offered by Online CE Credits, but the certification credential and digital badge are issued by Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC, our independent certification body backed by a 30+ person advisory board.

Can I get new letters after my name when I complete the full certification?

Yes! Completion of all program courses gets you all the CEs through Online CE Credits and a program-level certificate. If you elect to complete all certification requirements through our independent certification body (Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC) you will receive a digital badge with a new post-nominal certification credential that you may advertise on your website, directories, CV, etc.

DISCLAIMER: No credential earned in the pursuit of continuing education guarantees competency to practice, and there is no expressed or written consent, direct or implied, given by Online CE Credits, Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC or their affiliates regarding your competency, ability, or legal right to practice. You must adhere to all licensing laws, rules, regulations, codes, and ethical guidelines of your applicable state professional licensing authority.  

Can I pay in installments?

Yes! We offer installment plans for our certificate programs – most of them split into 3 or 4 monthly payments. You get immediate access to the program with your first installment!

Who/What is the administering body for your certificate programs?

Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC (MWCE). MWCE is owned by Online CE Credits (DBA for Mind Works Professional Education, Inc.) but is a separate legal entity backed by an advisory board that oversees program quality and certification standards.

What learning platform is used to facilitate the learning experience?

Online CE Credits (www.onlinececredits.com)

How long will these certificate programs usually take to complete?

Our programs on average take about 1.10x the total CE value to complete. You earn CE certificates along the way as you complete each module. No requirement to purchase “recertification”; Keep access to your course modules for your own review as needed!

Will a certificate or certification from Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC permit me to practice?

No! Only your state’s licensing board can permit you to practice as a mental health professional (social worker, LPC, LMFT, psychologist, etc.). Our cert programs provide knowledge credentials, not practice qualifiers! That said, many clinicians find that these credentials are fantastic credibility markers for their clients, potential clients, and employers.

Is there an appeals process for the certificate/certification process?

Our standards are objective and non-exclusionary; anyone who meets the program’s requirements can earn the credential. Thus, an appeals process has never been needed. However, if you experience any challenges with the learning platform or course content, you may email us at cc@onlinececredits.com.If you have questions or need help completing your certification requirements after completing coursework, you may contact our independent certification body – Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC – by clicking here.

Can I get a refund?

Yes! If you purchase a full program and desire a refund, you may do so within 24 hours of your order, no questions asked, as long as you have not completed any courses within the program.

Where can I learn more about the specific requirements for certificate/certification programs?

Mind Works Continuing Education, LLC (MWCE) is our independent certification body that grants post-nominal credentials, and as such, establishes the criteria for certifications. For specific information on standards and requirements, visit MWCE at mindworkscontinuinged.com.

Do I need to pay again or take additional courses after earning my certificate and/or post-nominal credential, to keep it "current?"

No! You do not need to take additional courses or pay more money just to stay “current.” Just like you earn your graduate degree once (and pay for it once), you likewise earn your continuing education certificate and credential once (and pay for it once).

Keep lifetime access to your content for refresher training and take advantage of included direct consultation to maintain your expertise in both theory and practice.

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