Parents
Nona Prenatal Yoga & Support Nona Mind-Body Birth Education All Classes
Professionas
Perinatal Counselor Training Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training Birth Doula Training Advanced Doula Training
Counseling About Contact Blog
Dashboard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applied Polyvagal Theory in Childbirth:

Aligning the mind and body for birth™

Enroll Now

Integrate the Mind-Body Connection

The Applied Polyvagal Theory in Childbirth training is a professional-level course designed for doulas, childbirth educators, and perinatal professionals who want to deepen their understanding of the nervous system and its role in labor, birth, and support.

This training goes beyond coping strategies to offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the physiology of safety, connection, and regulation—giving you the tools to align the body and mind for birth with greater clarity and purpose.

Why This Training Matters

Polyvagal Theory offers a science-based lens through which to understand labor behaviors, stress responses, and emotional regulation. It explains why the birth environment matters, how relational safety supports physiologic birth, and what actually helps people cope when labor becomes intense.

This course will help you:

  • Recognize patterns of nervous system activation in labor

  • Support physiological birth while acknowledging when interventions are necessary

  • Use both top-down and bottom-up strategies to help clients regulate their nervous systems

  • Apply this knowledge to offer more precise, intentional, and responsive support

What you will learn:

 

Core Concepts

  • Foundations of Polyvagal Theory and its relevance in childbirth

  • Autonomic states and their influence on labor progression

  • The relationship between the nervous system and birth support

  • How perception of safety influences hormonal physiology

  • Distinguishing between pain and suffering through a polyvagal lens

Applied Skills

  • Identifying cues of dysregulation and nervous system shift during labor

  • Supporting co-regulation and using presence as an intervention

  • Language and tone as tools for nervous system support

  • Adapting support strategies when birth takes an unexpected path

  • Preparing parents using a nervous system-informed approach

Professional Integration

  • How to integrate polyvagal-informed support into childbirth education, prenatal visits, and labor support

  • Expanding your scope of practice with regulation tools

  • Understanding your own nervous system responses as a birth worker and how to regulate in real time

 

Understand the Physiology that Underlies the Mind-Body Connection of Birth

Polyvagal Theory offers a powerful lens through which to understand how safety, stress, and social connection shape the birth experience. This self-paced training bridges the gap between science and support, giving you practical tools to help clients navigate labor with greater ease and less suffering.

Whether you're a doula, educator, midwife, or yoga instructor, this course will help you speak to what you already know — and back it with neuroscience.

Enroll Now

Applied Polyvagal Theory in Childbirth

This advanced course is one of the first of it's kind to use polyvagal theory to illuminate the mind-body connection and apply that knowledge to childbirth and labor support.

Meet Your Instructor

 

Erica Kroll, M.Ed, LPC, is a licensed perinatal therapist, prenatal yoga teacher trainer, and retired doula with over 25 years of experience. Her work blends neuroscience, mindfulness, and mind-body birth education to equip professionals with tools that support safer, more connected birth experiences.

 

Take a Deep Dive into the neuro-psycho-social event of Childbirth.

When you develop an understanding of how deeply the physiology of birth is impacted by our relationships, environments, and psychology, you will have the necessary foundation to apply all other labor support skills with intention.  This is a foundational course for anyone who works with birthing parents.

Who This Training Is For

  • Trained doulas seeking advanced tools for birth support

  • Prenatal yoga teachers and childbirth educators looking to integrate neuroscience into their work

  • Therapists, counselors, and somatic professionals working in perinatal spaces

  • Anyone who wants a more nuanced, embodied understanding of birth support through the nervous system

What Sets This Training Apart

  • Designed by a perinatal therapist, educator, and retired doula, this course bridges clinical understanding with birth room application.

  • Not just theory—this course is about how to apply what you've learned. You’ll leave with skills you can use immediately to support regulation, reduce fear, and promote physiologic birth.

  • A truly integrative approach. This training brings together neuroscience, trauma-informed care, and labor support into one clear and usable model.

Course Details

 

  • đź’» 4 hours of on-demand video content
  • đź“Ą Downloadable notes and visual guides
  • 🔄 One year of access to quarterly live Q&A calls with Erica
  • đź’¬ Private discussion board for continued support
  • 🎓 Certificate of Completion (CE hours pending approval) 

 

Limited time introductory/pre-CEU price: $159.00

For all of 2025 save 25% percent with coupon code HAPPY25YEARS to celebrate my 25 years of teaching!

Questions?  Contact Erica at [email protected]

Enroll Now

"Safety isn’t just a feeling — it’s a physiological state that changes how birth unfolds."

Frequently Asked Questions:

Are you ready to deepen your skills?

 

Course Details

  • đź’» 4 hours of on-demand video content

  • đź“Ą Downloadable notes and visual guides

  • 🔄 One year of access to quarterly live Q&A calls with Erica

  • đź’¬ Private discussion board for continued support

  • 🎓 Certificate of Completion (CE hours pending approval)

All for just $159

For all of 2025 save 25% percent with coupon code HAPPY25YEARS to celebrate my 25 years of teaching!

I'm Ready to Enroll Now!