The Art & Science of Relaxation Therapy: Reduce Anxiety, Depression, Pain, Sleep Disorders, Trauma and Inflammation

We live in a world that makes it hard to truly unwind. Demands of daily life are intense and never-ending in these fast-pace, uncertain times. Research shows that stress, anxiety and depression reduce our natural ability to relax. Ironically, focusing on relaxation as yet another high-pressure goal (I must relax, I must relax, I must relax) can increase our distress levels. In a world that awards busyness and constant action, relaxation is rarely valued, taught or encouraged. Saying ‘just relax’ usually increases a person’s anxiety. Telling a client to ‘take a deep breath in’ is counterproductive as often they don’t know how to breathe deeply and correctly.

However, Relaxation Therapy is evidence-based, non-invasive, non-pharmacological, easy and portable. It reduces distress, offers a self-help coping strategy and improves mental and physical health.

The more we relax, the better we can cope with times of distress.  Relaxation is therapeutic, when it is enjoyed, performed correctly and practiced regularly.  The benefits of relaxation are evidence-based and slowly becoming integrated into our healthcare system.

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) studies interactions between nervous, endocrine and immune systems and identifies links between the mind and body. PNI demonstrates how Relaxation Therapy can decrease pain perception, increase lymphocyte function, reduce anxiety and depression, result in shorter post-surgical hospital stays, alleviate PTSD symptoms and much more! This online training briefly describes why mind and body are best treated together.

Join Dr Judy Lovas as she teaches evidence-based Relaxation Therapy and translates complex science. Judy makes it easy for you to understand evidence of neural, endocrine and immune responses to relaxation:

• Learn how to effectively implement diaphragmatic breathing and visualisation.
• Explain to your clients how coping strategies for chronic conditions such as anxiety, depression, pain, sleep disorders and trauma really work.
• Equip yourself with practical knowledge and research in relaxation techniques that you can practice and use after completing this course.
• Learn fundamentals of relaxation as coping skills that your clients can use daily.
• Learn how to short circuits our (dis)stress pathways to reduce production of stress hormones, encourage the release of calming neurotransmitters, enhance immune responses and oxygenate cells for better cellular functioning.

This unique and dynamic online training enables you to practice and teach simple Relaxation Techniques recognised by the Australian Department of Health as Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS). Relaxation techniques are approved psychoeducational approaches in aged care and other settings.

Participants will learn:

• Psychological and physiological pathways of Stress
• Psychological and physiological pathways of Relaxation
• How to practice Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing (DDB)
• How to practice Guided Imagery (GI)
• How to apply DDB and GI clinically to reduce chronic conditions
• Leading Psychoneuroimmunology research and evidence that support benefits of relaxation therapy