The 3 Essential Ingredients for Nervous System Recalibration

At this point in my career, I’ve come to appreciate three key aspects of trauma recovery, which I have affectionately named "the essential ingredients of nervous system recalibration". And while “nervous system recalibration” can sound like a complex feat, the three essential ingredients are actually quite simple (to explain, anyway).

The primary ingredient, the base of the recipe (like flour) is a safe environment. Through the trials and tribulations of working with people over the past decade, I’ve learned that it’s incredibly difficult to process and heal from trauma in environments that are still dangerous (think: prison). While this may seem obvious, the second essential ingredient helps explain why.

The second ingredient is the activator (like baking powder). In EMDR, we refer to this as Adaptive Information Processing (AIP). The AIP activator engages when we think about traumatic experiences within a safe environment. This allows the nervous system to learn that just because threatening events happened in the past does not mean they are still happening now. There is real magic in watching a client’s shoulders soften or jaw unclench as they sit with a traumatic memory while their body registers present-day safety and support.

But one important question remains: how do we know if we’re actually safe?

This is where the third essential ingredient, the binding agent (like an egg) comes in: Captain Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a learned skill that involves connecting with the nervous system, both emotionally and physiologically, to assess what’s happening in the present moment. And that’s where it stops. Mindfulness isn’t about fixing or changing anything; it’s about tuning in and noticing. From there, we can gather information and decide what tools, if any, are needed to support nervous system recalibration.

I have had the privilege of witnessing clients experience profound changes in the way their nervous system interacts with daily life by just focusing on these three essential ingredients. Whether the process is person-centered therapy, narrative therapy, or EMDR, the real change happens when we find safety and connection, and our nervous system is able to recognize this.

Mindfulness supports the recognition and navigation of safe places and calm(er) nervous systems. When safety provides the foundation, AIP activates change, and mindfulness binds the process together, the nervous system can begin to update what it learned under threat.