Traci Howland, LMFT

05/25/2026

05/20/2026

Be present for it all--That is the human experience. It is all transient.

05/11/2026

Starfish Metaphor--Where can you grow? I feel short on Physical energy lately, and my mental energy is stretched way beyond the rest of the points. Finishing up two graduate classes for Counseling/Marriage & Family Therapy means I have a fat stack of finals to grade. I'm working on the balance with walks in the woods, and I have a paint-by-number in my "Procrastination Station."

04/24/2026

No mudd... No lotus.

03/17/2026

Important topic for me as I have integrated this in all of my personal and professional work. Re-examining how I teach Polyvagal Theory.

I’ll admit, when I first saw the recent critique of Polyvagal Theory, my initial reaction was a bit of a “wait… what?” moment. Like many therapists and educators, I’ve used the framework in my clinical work and graduate teaching because it helped make sense of patterns we see in trauma and...

01/22/2026

Be Brave. ❤️

11/16/2025

❤️

11/06/2025

Teaching Through the Nervous System

Bringing body-based wisdom into the training of future MFTs and Professional Counselors

In my work teaching the next generation of master’s-level clinicians—future MFTs and Professional Counselors—I keep coming back to the body. Our nervous systems carry the imprint of safety and threat, and healing begins when we learn to move again between those states. State flexibility is at the heart of resilience, and co-regulation is the bridge that brings us back to connection.

The work of Dr. Stephen Porges, Dr. Bruce Perry, Dr. Aimee Apigian, and Dr. Daniel J. Wiener has deeply shaped how I understand trauma and the living dialogue between brain and body. Their ideas remind me that therapy is not only about story but about physiology—about helping both therapist and client return to presence, one regulated breath at a time.

I’m curious how others notice and work with state shifts—in yourselves, your clients, or your students—when the body starts to speak before words do.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/traci-howland-lmft-999a111b_polyvagaltheory-traumainformedtherapy-rehearsalsforgrowth-activity-7391995574394236928-GjQW?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAQ-RUUBbohsxmmTA2dIs0ZUZnuox6RCDU4

Teaching Through the Nervous System Bringing body-based wisdom into the training of future MFTs and Professional Counselors In my work teaching the next generation of master’s-level clinicians—future MFTs and Professional Counselors—I keep coming back to the body. Our nervous systems carry the...

10/16/2025

Wow — I’m feeling so grateful today!

Last week, for the first time ever, I shared that I had a few openings for therapy clients. I’ve always been referral-only and never posted publicly before… and the response completely blew me away.

I’m now full again after welcoming three new clients — and, ironically, two returning clients reached out, and another decided to increase to weekly sessions. (That’s usually how these things go!)
Knowing that people who know me trust me enough to make a referral means more than I can say.

It’s such a privilege to do this work and to be part of people’s healing journeys. Thank you for the trust, confidence, and connection. 💛