“…they [police officers] want to do good in their community, but you’re taking a person that wants to do good and putting them into a system that has been developed in some ways to do bad. And so to keep those doors open, we have to make it definitely an intentional part of the culture for police officers to acknowledge their bodies, to acknowledge the wisdom of the nervous system. And that’s what we saw was an acknowledgement of their bodies, of their nervous systems, trying to take care of them.”
-Victor Jones, NSI Practitioner and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Addiction Specialist and Resilience Educator
We spend a lot of time talking and dreaming about creating a world where understanding people’s nervous systems and being trauma-informed are fundamental aspects of life. It’s a burning passion for us. Recently, Neuro Somatic Intelligence was given an opportunity to take action on it in a new and beautiful way.
In this first-of-its-kind episode of Trauma Rewired, we’re sharing about the recent experience of collaborating with the Columbus Care Coalition to introduce Neuro Somatic Intelligence (NSI) to the Columbus Police Department and First Care Responders. NSI Practitioners Janine Harris and Victor Jones join us to talk about this workshop.
Janine, who has a background in embodiment spaces and restorative justice, shares her journey to NSI and the pivotal shift in her own nervous system regulation. She outlines the three-phase approach taken with the CARE Coalition, focusing on trauma training, embodied practices, and facilitated dialogue to address the impact of trauma within law enforcement.
Victor shares a poignant childhood memory involving a police encounter, illustrating the conflicting emotions and expectations tied to law enforcement. His journey from a fearful childhood encounter to actively assisting police officers with their nervous systems reflects the full circle moment that this training represents.
Our discussion explores the complex dynamics of fear, safety, and vulnerability within the police force. And we talk about the daily stressors faced by law enforcement officers and the transformative potential of integrating NSI tools into their lives.
We were so inspired by the Officers’ desires to open up about the stresses they face, both from past traumas and the counterintuitive, biologically stressful nature of their duties as we moved through the workshop. Listen for Janine’s powerful reflection about feedback she received from an Officer of 25 years that touched all of us. We truly commend the vulnerability and willingness of the Officers and First Responders during the NSI training.
We are so honored and excited for this opportunity to bring NSI to this traditionally unexplored area. There is so much potential for transformative change within law enforcement and first responder communities and it can have a big ripple effect on communities. It gives us so much hope for the future.
Conversation Highlights:
- Societal pressures on police officers
- Impact of normalized threat levels, how a constantly elevated stress baseline affects Officers’ perception and decision-making
- How Officers’ conditioned dissociation from their bodies, necessary for survival in their line of work can be transformed using NSI tools
- Political tensions around police funding and how NSI can be a bridge
- NSI’s impact on emotional expression in law enforcement
- Transformative potential of NSI in breaking down barriers and fostering a shared understanding among individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences
Neuro Somatic Intelligence training brings together evidence based psychology and neuroscience to objectively measure and transform the integration and interpretation of sensory input that influences mood, mindset, emotions, reactivity, biases and performance. Registration for the Spring cohort is now open and there’s a free workshop December 15th. Register here
Listen to more episodes of Trauma Rewired HERE
