Series Dates: April 10 - May 8, 2026
Join Gina Kiem and Dr. Niloufer Merchant, two passionate companions walking alongside communities in the practice of embodied healing, for this 4-part series rooted in Polyvagal Theory and grounded in liberation and collective care.
In this short video, we share what inspired PV“TEA” and what we hope this series offers our communities.
Understanding our cultural and racial trauma starts with you learning about your own autonomic nervous system first. This framework allows for developing an embodied experience of how your nervous system has been shaped historically, systemically, and personally, along with the impact of the pervasive nature of racism, colonialism (and other forms of oppression) on your nervous system.
Offered through Rhythm of Regulation®, in collaboration with Deb Dana, this series is specifically designed for Communities of Color both in local and global spaces and is intended for people who have been historically excluded or marginalized based on race, nationality, or culture.
What is Polyvagal Theory (PVT)?
Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, helps us understand how our autonomic nervous systems respond to safety, connection, and threat. It offers a compassionate framework for recognizing our body’s cues, honoring our lived experiences, and finding pathways back to regulation and connection.
Deb Dana, LCSW, has played a central role in bringing Polyvagal Theory into everyday practice; translating the science into accessible language, tools, and applications that support healing, connection, and collective care.
If you’re new to PVT or would like to explore further, you can learn more on Deb Dana’s website here: [Rhythm of Regulation: Polyvagal Theory] or view/download Deb's beginner's guide here: [Deb Dana's Beginner's Guide]
Why PV"TEA"?
PV“TEA” grew from our lived experiences, our cultural lineages, and the longings we carried into our own healing journeys and community work. Together, our stories weave the heart of PVTEA: a space where science meets lived experience, where culture and nervous system wisdom are honored side by side, and where healing is held in community rather than isolation.
Across many Communities of Color, tea is more than a beverage. It is a ritual of gathering, pausing, connecting, and tending to one another. As we each learned Polyvagal Theory, the practice of tea became a natural doorway into understanding our nervous systems and remembering the wisdom held in our cultures.
Gina's Origin Story
“When I reflect on my Asian upbringing, I return to our family rituals and the quiet dignity my parents embodied as they lovingly honored, celebrated, and passed down their cultural traditions. One of our most cherished rituals was going for dim sum on the weekends… I treasured this feeling of togetherness and safety in this family circle.”
→ Read Gina’s full Origin Story
Niloufer’s Origin Story
“In my South Asian, Indian heritage, tea drinking is a daily ritual — a way to greet and meet others, connect and share stories, and pause amid the day. As I learned about Polyvagal Theory, these cultural practices immediately came alive. Tea became the entry point to understanding my nervous system.”
→ Read Niloufer’s full Origin Story
What you will learn:
This series creates sacred space to explore how our nervous systems carry the ancient wisdom — and the weight — of our lived experiences and ancestral stories.
In this 4-part presentation, you will learn the three organizing principles of Polyvagal Theory (PVT) created by Dr. Stephen Porges and brought into clinical application by Deb Dana: hierarchy, neuroception, and co-regulation. Using Deb Dana’s framework for the application of PVT, you will have an opportunity to create your own personal autonomic nervous system maps. We will also explore how to apply PVT concepts from a cultural and racial context.
Together, we will:
Explore the science and spirit of Polyvagal Theory through a lens that honors culture, context, and lived experience
Reclaim connection and safety as birthrights in bodies that have survived historical and systemic oppression
Engage in gentle embodiment practices, meditation, and storytelling as ways of returning to wholeness
Practice co-regulation and community care, remembering that healing happens in relationship
Weave ancestral and cultural wisdom with nervous system understanding to nurture resilience and joy
Details
Dates: April 10, April 17, May 1, May 8, 2026
Time: Fridays, 12:00 - 3:00pm ET; 11:00am - 2:00pm CT; 9:00am - 12:00pm PT
Each session will be 3 hours in length with a short break in between.
Cost: We offer a sliding scale to support accessibility and community care. Please choose the tier that best reflects your circumstances (all prices are in USD):
Scholarships are available for international participants and anyone for whom affordability is still a barrier. Click HERE to download the scholarship application form or email us at [email protected] for more information.
Where: Sessions will be facilitated through Zoom.
Recommended audience: Mental health practitioners, life and wellness coaches, educators, health care providers, and anyone interested in gaining a full understanding of both the science and the application of Polyvagal Theory within a cultural context.
Number of participants: To honor our collective circle, we have limited spaces available.
How to Register: Click the Register Today button on this page to complete and submit the registration form. You will then be re-directed to a secure checkout page to complete the payment.
CEs are not available for this series; however, you will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Testimonials
"Niloufer and Gina were amazing facilitators. I appreciated the well-balanced integration of both didactic and experiential learning in large and small groups, which made the material not only more understandable but deeply felt."
— Rose, USA
"As a therapist-in-training living in a queer, Asian body, taking the PVTEA course deepened my understanding of how systemic oppression impacts our nervous systems. Gina and Niloufer are excellent teachers who held space for our diverse group with care, warmth, and compassion."
— Thomas L, Canada
Let us introduce ourselves:
Gina Kiem is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the United States and Canada with over 25 years of experience in the education and helping professions. She is a Senior Trainer for the Rhythm of Regulation® and has presented Polyvagal Theory informed workshops across Western Canada. Gina has assisted Deb Dana as a Senior Trainer and Consultant in the Rhythm of Regulation Foundations Trainings, supporting both national and international trainings.
As a Chinese Canadian born in Indonesia, Gina integrates Eastern and Western holistic somatic, energy, and contemplative practices in her work. She is certified to teach Realization Process embodied meditation practices and is an experienced facilitator of Family Constellations, integrating ancestral healing practices and Reiki to support clients in cultivating greater safety, stillness, and wholeness. Gina works with individuals navigating complex trauma-related symptoms, cultural and racial identity, family relationships, and spirituality. She invites clients to explore how working with their nervous systems, and their intergenerational trauma histories can support both individual and collective healing.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Website: https://ginakiem-goldcounsel.com/
Dr. Niloufer Merchant is Professor Emerita and a Licensed Psychologist, currently in private practice in Minneapolis, MN. Her areas of specialization include complex trauma with a specific focus on trauma related to racial/cultural issues. She is certified in EMDR and trained in several embodied practices. She brings 35 plus years of experience as a therapist, trainer, teacher, board member and community activist. Recently, she presented a TEDx talk connecting principles of Polyvagal Theory to cultural practices and ancient wisdom, specifically in relation to her Asian Indian heritage. She has also presented in national and international settings on cultural and racial trauma from the lens of Polyvagal Theory. Presently, she is a Course Partner for the Polyvagal Institute (PVI) and also serves on the PVI Editorial Team.
Contact Information:[email protected]
Website: https://www.nmmerchant.com/
Tedx Talk: How My Nervous System Became My Cup of Tea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-NQT0C9iKM
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. We are offering both a sliding scale and scholarships, and invite you to let us know the level at which you can pay. It is our intention to make this affordable and accessible for all our participants. You can download the scholarship application form by clicking the link in the Details section above or emailing us directly at [email protected].
Yes. Recordings will be available for the teaching module portions. To maintain a level of safety for participants, the interactive sections will not be recorded.
Yes. There will be time for break-out rooms to interact with other participants, as well as a comfort break for approximately 10-15 minutes at the halfway point.
We understand the commitment of time involved. We designed this series to span over a few weeks to allow for time to interact and integrate information learned. We have condensed the material that is part of Deb Dana’s 6-month Foundational Training and adapted it to speak more directly to the experience of communities of color.
This series is intended for people from all walks of life. The understanding of our nervous systems in the context of communities of color will allow us to apply information and hands-on strategies learned to regulate and co-regulate in whatever settings we are in, both in our personal and professional lives.
CEs are not available for this series. However, some participants have successfully applied on their own to their regulatory or licensing boards for CE credit after submitting additional documentation. If you would like to pursue this option, we’re happy to provide the basic materials we can offer (such as a Certificate of Completion and a general program outline). Please note that approval is entirely at the discretion of your regulatory body, and we cannot guarantee that applications for CE credit will be accepted.
