The autonomic nervous system is at the heart of daily living and at the center of therapeutic change. Polyvagal Theory, developed by renowned scientist Stephen Porges, defines the role of the autonomic nervous system in creating experiences of risk and protection, safety and connection. Trauma interrupts the development of autonomic regulation and shapes the system away from connection into patterns of protection. For many of our clients, states of fight, flight, and collapse are familiar, frequent, and prolonged while the state of safety and connection is elusive and scary. Using the organizing principles of neuroception, hierarchy, and co-regulation we have a roadmap to help clients safely tune into their autonomic states and rewrite the trauma stories that are carried in their autonomic pathways. In this presentation we will learn the science behind these principles and explore practices to bring them alive in clinical work. *This keynote will introduce the three organizing principles of polyvagal theory to those who haven’t covered it before. It will be a good session for those new to the theory and wanting to learn what it means for their work and the support of children. These fundamentals will be assumed knowledge in Deb’s Masterclass and Advanced Workshop Sessions.