Building "Polyvagal Aware " communities means becoming trauma-informed & beyond.
You are powerful agents of change! Our approach goes beyond trauma-informed practices to help build a more resilient and connected community.
With Polyvagal Teen® psychoeducation, we are empowering the next generation to not only overcome past traumas but also understand how to where possible prevent future ones.
By cultivating safety and connection, we are reducing stress and enhancing overall well-being. We are also dedicated to raising awareness about the profound effects of socio-economic adversity on our nervous system.
Together, we can create a society that is supportive, inclusive and equipped to handle life's challenges. Let's embrace this opportunity to make a positive impact on the world!
About Me - At Polyvagal Teen®
- Our mission is to revolutionise the way we approach mental health care – by making psychoeducation therapy resources more enjoyable and relatable. I believe that it's possible for learning, understanding, and transforming unhelpful patterns to be a fun process with our specially designed tools and programs on addressing trauma, adversity and growing connection and safety! My dedication comes from my lived experience of childhood adversity resulting in education being a struggle. I am late diagnosed ADHD, Dyslexic and have Dyspraxia. As an adult I have personally broken free of unhelpful generational patterns with own family.
- I am aware for whatever reasons - one to one therapy is not accessible to everyone. I am a firm a believer we can develop skills through sharing knowledge. At Polyvagal Teen®, we strive to empower the youth of today, their parents and educators with life-changing knowledge. Our tools and programs are based on teachings from leading professionals in the fields of attachment theory, including Dr Stephen Porges, Dr Bessel Van Der Kolk and Bruce Perry; as well Three Gunas of Ayurveda & Buddhism for somatic benefit!
- If you are wondering what qualifies me? I'm Yasmin Shaheen-Zaffar, a qualified counsellor registered with the BACP in the U.K, trained in trauma & stress studies with The Trauma Foundation. I created Polyvagal Teen® after trying to learn about Polyvagal Theory as a counsellor. It's an awesome theory developed by Dr Stephen Porges, which has helped my clients in my clinical practice understand their nervous system. Both young and old. Personally it transformed the way I relate to myself & the world around me - making me most definitely a better parent. I am also Leeds regional ambassador for The Creative Counsellors Community and founder of World Let's Stop Shouting Day. But above all through hard work - I stopped my adverse childhood experiences impacting my parenting negatively. Now I am in a fortunate position to support others.
- We at Polyvagal Teen® believe strongly that psychoeducation therapy programs and tools have a crucial role to play in our wellness and not only can reinforce learning for young people, parents and educators but also contribute to the deterioration and prevention of mental health challenges.
FAQ'S
- How and why was Polyvagal Teen® created? I'm Dyslexic, ADHD and have Dyspraxia - I found the books and resources out there made the learning difficult for me. Don't get me wrong - they are great books, but I needed something to accomodate my learning differences - so Polyvagal Teen® was born - it's sole mission to help create generations become "Polyvagal Aware".
- If you are wondering "What is a Polyvagal Teen®? you can find out right here
- To visit a timeline of the resources & tools I have created visit this link here
- You may have also heard some criticism about Polyvagal Theory. The thing is all theories are criticised, they have to be. Polyvagal Theory gives us a working model of the nervous system. You can read Dr Stephen Porges response to the criticism here.
Our Polyvagal Teen® Resources
- Polyvagal Theory made simple to understand through learning and doing.
- Backed by science & research.
- Learn what “Behaviour” actually is.
- Understand the full impact of what feeling safe means to relationships and to your teen.
- Find out why why we need to know our nervous system and how it can help others to regulate.
- Learn to track your teens and your own nervous system and get to know it better.
- Understand what trauma is and how to begin to heal from it.
- Program and resources created by a qualified BACP Registered Counsellor.
Our Tools & Resources To Engage.
We have a number of resources and tools for young people, parents, caregivers and professionals. From Polyvagal posters, card deck, merch, our toolbag and more. Take a browse.
