The Art of Heart-Centered Psychological First-Aid
Learn to Respond to Acute Distress with Presence, Clarity, and Ethical Care
Details:
A trauma-informed training in Psychological First Aid, co-regulation, and nervous system-aware support for moments of crisis and emotional destabilisation.
Facilitated by Dr. Carolina Herbert
2 × 3 hour workshops over two days (6 teaching hours), July 25-26, 2026 2pm-5pm GMT
Online via Zoom / In-person option available on request
Accredited CPD Certificate
Why This Training Matters
In moments of acute distress, crisis, or emotional overwhelm, how we respond matters deeply.
Without the right understanding, responses can unintentionally lead to:
Over-rescuing or emotional over-involvement
Emotional shutdown or avoidance
Mis-attuned support or rushed reassurance
Ethical uncertainty in high-stakes situations
This training helps you develop the capacity to respond with clarity, grounding, and relational presence—without losing your own stability or stepping outside your scope of practice.
Who This Is For
This training is for you if you:
Work with individuals in crisis or emotional distress
Support clients through acute psychological or emotional states
Want to build confidence in safe, ethical crisis response
Need tools for co-regulation and grounding in real time
Want to avoid burnout in high-intensity relational work
What We’ll Explore Together
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Core principles of Psychological First Aid (PFA)
Difference between PFA and therapy
When PFA is appropriate—and when it is not
Safety, calm, connection, and hope in crisis response
Heart-centred PFA and relational presence
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Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses
Acute distress, shock, and dysregulation
Window of tolerance and capacity
Co-regulation and nervous system influence in real time
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Grounding tools for acute distress
Reading nervous system cues in others
Co-regulation through breath, voice, and presence
Ethical use of proximity, eye contact, and touch (with consent)
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Support vs rescue dynamics
Over-identification and compassion fatigue
Staying present without fixing
Avoiding reassurance-based bypassing
Knowing when to stay and when to step back
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Scope of practice in crisis situations
Risk indicators and safeguarding considerations
When to refer or escalate support
Working within organisational and multi-agency systems
Responding to high-risk presentations safely
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Emotional impact of holding distress
Practitioner regulation and somatic awareness
Supervision and debriefing practices
Micro-regulation after intense sessions
Boundaries as ethical self-care
What You’ll Learn
By the end of this training, you will be able to:
Understand the principles of Psychological First Aid in adult therapeutic contexts
Apply grounding, attunement, and co-regulation in moments of acute distress
Recognise nervous system responses during crisis and destabilisation
Identify ethical boundaries, scope of practice, and referral thresholds
Reflect on your own emotional and somatic responses in crisis work
Develop practices to sustain your capacity when holding distress
In moments of crisis, presence is often more powerful than solutions.
This training supports you in developing the capacity to stay grounded, ethically aware, and relationally present—without losing yourself in the process of helping others.