It's not always about the therapeutic relationship
Some clients understand what is happening. They may have insight, language and a strong relationship with you, yet under stress they still fall into inertia. They lose access to speech, movement, thinking, initiation, interoception - choice and independence.
For others, those capacities may be limited from the outset.
The problem is not simply emotional connection. It is whether the underlying neurophysiological organisation is well enough in place - to make those capacities available.
A.R.T. introduces a way of working with the physiological organisation underneath function.
Begin integrating A.R.T. practices into your work.
You probably already have good tools
The problem is, that many clients don't have the foundational capacities to access them.
They may understand. They may have the insight and the desire, but they don't have the language, interoception, or motor control.
Sometimes these capacities are available, but short-circuit just when you are getting going. As you know, this is not always resistance or a lack of motivatation, its something more fundamental happening physiologically.
The question then becomes: what can unlock their capacity?
REVIEWS - WHAT A.R.T CAN DO
A.R.T. FOUNDATIONS
A gentle, powerful introduction to the Anxiety Reframe Technique
You’ll walk away with practical tools, science you can easily incorporate, and a fresh connection to your own nervous system intelligence.
TESTIMONIALS
PROFESSOR STEPHEN PORGES
University of North Carolina; Creator of The Polyvagal Theory
Holly continues to refine her clinical style, to enable her to support her clients’ journey to have richer lives and to experience the benefits of being safe enough to co-regulate with others. She has successfully expanded her clients’ range of social behaviour and resilience.
DR. SREE THAMBURAJA
Consultant Forensic Psychologist, FRCPsych
As a Psychiatrist, A.R.T exercises and vocabulary has given many patients with chronic mental health issues the much needed ‘exhale’, the words describing their experience living in and with their bodies. A.R.T in many ways is a portable toolkit for clinicians wishing to work with patients in a therapeutically non intrusive way.
ANGELINE HAZEBROEK
Senior OT
My young client previously presented with a very blunted affect, but is now displaying a wide range of emotions and facial expressions, as well as expressing his needs. I have watched as this young person has “come alive”, he is asking questions, advocating for himself and expressing himself with greater clarity and insight.
DR. GERARD COSTA
Former Director, Centre for Autism, Early Childhood Mental Health.
Montclair State University, New JerseyHolly is one of those rare “translators” of science into application and practice. She teaches professionals and families and supports those with developmental difficulties with deep understanding, passion and care. She is a gift to our work.
Polyvagal, Trauma, Neurodiversity Informed
WHAT'S INCLUDED
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6 online modules & accompanying fillable workbooks.
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12 live video replays on the practical application of concepts and techniques of Anxiety Reframe Technique (A.R.T.)
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6 month access to content
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Work at your own pace
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Certification Exam - for those who require a certificate, + who wish to proceed to formal accreditation
Fee
$299 USD
COURSE MODULES
1: Setting a New Stage
We step back from labels and look at the whole person. Using Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory, we explore how a client’s experience is shaped by:
- physiology and emotion
- relationships and environment
- culture and life experience
- autism, neurodivergence and mental health frameworks
- the meanings and labels attached to their experience
The aim is to give practitioners a broader framework for understanding what they are seeing; one that holds both capacity and difficulty, without reducing the person to a diagnosis.
Integral Theory / History / Neurodivergence / The Whole Person
2: Polyvagal Theory
Explores Polyvagal Theory through an A.R.T. lens, with added biology and anatomy to help make sense of:
- stress, overwhelm and shutdown
- meltdowns and sudden loss of access
- shifts in energy and autonomic state
- connection and engagement
- patterns common in autism and neurodivergence
- why behaviour can change even when capacity is still present
The aim is to help practitioners read autonomic state more clearly and understand what may be happening underneath changes in function, behaviour and access.
Polyvagal Theory / Autonomic States / Autism / Neurodivergence / Shutdown / Wellbeing
3: Brain/Body Circuitry
We explore how the body’s major regulatory systems work together, including the:
- brain
- vestibular system
- immune system
- autonomic nervous system
- limbic system
Through an A.R.T. lens, we look at how shifts across these systems can change a client’s access to movement, attention, regulation, energy and executive function.
These principles can help practitioners make sense of presentations associated with autism and neurodivergence, as well as trauma, chronic illness, anxiety and fatigue.
Brain / Body Integration / Vestibular System / Immune System / Limbic System / Executive Function
4: Brain Plasticity
Drawing on Anat Baniel’s Nine Essentials through a neurodivergent lens, this module explores how to create better conditions for learning and change.
You’ll look at how:
- attention supports learning
- variation opens new options
- curiosity changes engagement
- pacing reduces overload
- meaningful experience helps new patterns stick
The focus is on helping practitioners work more effectively with systems that are sensitive, easily overwhelmed or prone to getting stuck.
Neuroplasticity / Nine Essentials / Variation / Attention / State Flexibility / Agency
5: Hara Ball Exercise
Here we introduce the Hara Ball Exercise, one of the core practices in A.R.T.
You’ll learn how rhythmic movement and pressure can be used to support:
- body awareness
- autonomic regulation
- state flexibility
- movement and coordination
- greater connection to the body
The focus is on learning how to apply the Hara Ball correctly, recognise when it is most useful, and adapt its use to the individual in front of you.
Autonomic Regulation / Hara / Movement / Interoception / State Flexibility
6: Hara Hand Points
This module explores how the brain maps and organises sensory information, and how this can influence:
- emotion
- body awareness
- autonomic response
- familiar patterns of reaction
You’ll then learn Holly’s A.R.T. Acupressure Hand Points, using targeted sensory input to:
- notice shifts in state
- interrupt familiar physiological patterns
- support a different response
Practical instruction and a real-life case study are included.
Neurosensory Alignment / Sensory Mapping / Interoception / Acupressure / Autonomic Response
Ready to learn the foundations of this new way of working to help your clients?
FAQ's
