Doug Allen is a 20-year combat veteran who now specializes in the nervous system as a trauma therapist. He has developed the Allodynamic Model of repair and is the creator of Nervous System Recalibration©, an in-the-moment action technique used to not ‘ground’ or regulate’ but recalibrate one’s nervous system to operate more appropriately for the current environment.
Doug has been contributing to mental health initiatives through a trauma and social engagement lens for the past 15 years. He is an international educator and consultant on the mechanics of trauma, group work dynamics, and cultural competency in working with military and first responder populations.
Doug presented his Trauma and Attachment focused Peer training, which he developed for the VTN, at the Canadian Institute of Military and Veterans Health Research (CIMVHR) in 2022 and was asked to be the spokesperson for the launch of the Atlas Institute’s peer research forum. He has also made several appearances in local and national media regarding cultural competencies in working with Military and First Responders.
Doug has a unique ability to blend his personal experience of recovering from service-related PTSD, his expertise in somatic and group work dynamics, and years as a professional instructor, to deliver relevant, innovative and inspiring content. His presentations and courses on these matters are attended by psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselling therapists, and life coaches the world over.
Doug’s philosophy is that everyone has the capacity to heal provided they have the right environment to do so. Healing starts with safety. As social creatures, the expansion of safety is directly related to the connections we make with others. Alone we can survive, but together we thrive.