Development of PNE
PsychoNeuroEnergetics was developed by Judith Johnson. Over many years, she explored and integrated a range of therapeutic approaches to develop a holistic way of working with human processes of change.
A central element of this approach is the autonomic nervous system — a system that connects bodily experience, emotions, and our responses to internal and external experiences.
Different therapeutic disciplines often focus on different aspects of the human experience. Psychotherapy primarily works with emotions, thoughts, and beliefs, while body-oriented approaches focus on physical processes. PNE brings these perspectives together, with a particular emphasis on the regulation of the autonomic nervous system.
In this way, bodily awareness, the nervous system, emotions, thoughts, and personal experiences can be brought into relationship with one another, forming a holistic therapeutic process.
Basics of pNE
Our autonomic nervous system helps us respond to stress and threats. Depending on the situation, it activates different protective and survival responses, such as fight, flight, or freeze.
These responses are initially adaptive, automatic reactions of our organism. They enable us to act quickly or protect ourselves in threatening situations. Which response develops, and how readily the nervous system subsequently returns to regulation, depends on many factors. These include personal resources, the experience of safety and trust, support from others, and the nature and duration of the stress. With prolonged or repeated stress, such as that which can occur in developmental trauma, the capacity for regulation may be affected in more lasting ways.
When the threat has passed and a sufficient sense of safety is restored, the nervous system can normally begin to regulate itself again. After distressing experiences, however, this regulation may become more difficult. Certain response patterns can become established as implicit responses and may later be activated automatically, without us being aware of why we are reacting in a particular way.
Implicit responses are patterns of reaction shaped by previous experiences that usually operate outside conscious awareness. They may manifest as inner tension, nervousness, heightened alertness, withdrawal, exhaustion, or a feeling of helplessness and being frozen. They can also appear as strong emotional reactions, such as anger, fear, or sadness. We may feel almost at the mercy of these responses: we react before we can consciously recognize what is happening within us, and may find ourselves repeatedly experiencing similar situations or patterns of reaction.
Situations that remind us of earlier experiences can also trigger these responses, even when the original danger has long since passed.
In body-oriented therapeutic work, the focus is therefore not only on what has happened to a person, but also on how these implicit responses show up in their present experience and nervous system.
A safe environment and a gradual, carefully paced approach can help people become aware of these responses and create opportunities for new experiences of regulation and safety.
The vagus nerve is an important part of the autonomic nervous system. As the longest cranial nerve, it connects the brain with numerous organs and is involved in regulating functions such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion.
It is part of a complex regulatory system that continuously processes information from the body and the environment, adapting our physiological state to different demands. The vagus nerve plays an important role in processes associated with calm, recovery, digestion, and social connection.
A well-regulated nervous system is not one that remains relaxed all the time. Rather, it is characterized by the ability to move flexibly between activation and rest, protection and connection, and to return to a more regulated state after periods of stress.
In PNE, the focus is therefore not on the isolated “activation” of the vagus nerve, but on the regulatory capacity of the autonomic nervous system as a whole. Body-oriented techniques and exercises can be used to increase awareness of one’s own state and support regulation and self-regulation.
A distinctive feature of PNE is its use of specific neurosomatic reflex points. These points are held throughout the PNE session and combined with mindful therapeutic facilitation.
The neurosomatic reflex points are considered to have a reflexive relationship with the vagus nerve and areas of the limbic brain involved in processing emotions, memories, and the evaluation of experiences. In PNE, this connection is used to facilitate access to deeper inner processes.
Nothing is predetermined, and there is no deliberate search for specific memories. The facilitation follows what emerges during the process. Bodily sensations, emotions, inner images, impulses, or memories may come into awareness and be explored mindfully.
In this way, connections and inner meanings can emerge from a person’s own experience, making previously unconscious patterns of reaction more accessible.
Within a safe and supportive space, mindful awareness of the body can open a pathway to emotions, inner images, and other experiences.
During a PNE session, attention is given to what arises in the body, such as tightness, pressure, warmth, cold, movement, or an impulse. These sensations may give rise to emotions, inner images, memories, or other perceptions.
There is no deliberate search for specific memories, and nothing is predetermined. The facilitation follows what emerges during the process, supporting the person in becoming aware of even intense or previously inaccessible feelings in small, carefully paced steps.
In this way, connections may become clearer and previously implicit patterns of reaction may come into awareness. Experiences and beliefs can shift, opening up new possibilities for experiencing and acting.
when can pne be helpful?
Dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system can manifest in many different ways. These may include:
Inner tension, restlessness, and nervousness
Anxiety and panic
Sleep disturbances and nightmares
Chronic fatigue and exhaustion
Chronic pain
Digestive problems
Burnout
Depressive moods
Persistent sadness, difficulties in relationships, or a feeling of being disconnected from oneself or others may also be linked to distressing experiences and individual patterns of reaction.
PNE offers a body-oriented approach to becoming aware of these patterns of reaction and exploring and integrating the underlying processes.
PNE Sessions
A PNE session usually lasts 90 minutes. Each session is a complete therapeutic process in itself, so a single session can be beneficial on its own. Depending on the individual’s concerns and personal circumstances, a series of sessions may also be helpful.
To schedule an appointment, please contact the PNE practitioners.