The Workshop

The workshop analyzed in this research project was a single-session, community-based, sensory-focused educational program lasting approximately 2.5 hours. It was designed to support attunement, modulation, and regulation of interoceptive processing, with the goal of improving symptoms of nervous system dysregulation and pelvic floor dysfunction while promoting overall well-being. 

The workshop was developed and facilitated by Dr. Heather Truog, a board-certified occupational therapist with nearly 20 years of experience and advanced expertise in women’s health, grounded in a mind-body-spirit approach. 

To learn more about Heather and her practice, please visit her website at https://www.modernalchemyiwh.com/ 

During the workshop, participants were introduced to key concepts outlined in the “Background & Evidence” tab. A detailed overview of the workshop content is provided below.

Building on this foundation, Heather connected these concepts to pelvic health by examining the relationship between the nervous system and patterns of bladder, bowel, and sexual function. She explained how the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous systems work together to regulate these processes.

The workshop emphasized the role of sensory processing—particularly interoception—in developing attuned awareness of internal bodily cues. This awareness is critical for recognizing and responding to signals related to bowel, bladder, and sexual health, ultimately supporting balance and homeostasis.

Finally, Heather introduced interoception in greater depth—what it is, how it functions, and its central role in nervous system regulation—and guided participants through actionable steps to enhance interoceptive awareness, promoting improved regulation and optimal pelvic floor function.

The actionable steps are outlined below!

1. Orientation – Situational Awareness: 

The first step is becoming aware of your external and contextual environment.

• This involves noticing where you are, what is happening around you, and whether you are safe

• Situational awareness engages sensory systems like vision, hearing, and proprioception to ground you in the present moment

• This helps the nervous system shift out of threat mode by identifying cues of safety

Why it matters for interoception: 

A sense of external safety is necessary before accurately tuning into internal body signals. Without orientation, internal cues may be misinterpreted as threats.

2. Attunement – Internal Awareness:

This step involves turning attention inward to notice and interpret bodily sensations.

• Attunement focuses on detecting internal signals such as heart rate, breath, muscle tension, temperature, or visceral sensations (such as information from heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract)

• This step requires curiosity and nonjudgment

  • “What am I feeling?” rather than “This is bad”

• Attunement builds the ability to differentiate between sensations 

  • Hunger vs. anxiety, tension vs. pain

Why it matters for interoception:

This is the core of interoceptive awareness—accurately perceiving internal states so they can guide appropriate responses.

Occupational therapist Dr. Winnie Dunn developed the Sensory Processing Framework, which is commonly assessed using the Sensory Profile. It explains how individuals experience and respond to sensory input based on two key factors:

1. Neurological Threshold (how much input your nervous system needs to respond)

2. Self-Regulation Strategy (how you behaviorally respond to that input)

Knowing your sensory processing profile is foundational for attunement because it gives you a clear, personalized map of how your body receives, interprets, and responds to sensory input—both from the outside world and from within.

Without that map, internal signals can feel confusing, overwhelming, or even invisible. With it, those same signals become meaningful and actionable.

See Winnie Dunn sensory processing profile below!

3. Modulation – Actionable Regulation Strategies 

Here, awareness is translated into intentional action.

• Modulation involves selecting and applying regulation strategies based on what the body is signaling

• Strategies may either up-regulate (increase alertness/energy) or down-regulate (promote calm)

• Modulation requires flexibility—choosing strategies that match the current need

Why it matters for interoception:

Interoceptive awareness becomes functional when it informs what to do next. Without modulation, awareness alone does not change outcomes.

4. Self-Regulation Capacity – Adaptive Functioning

This is the integration and long-term outcome of practicing the previous steps.

• Self-regulation capacity reflects the ability to consistently respond to internal and external demands in a flexible, effective way

• Includes resilience, emotional regulation, and the ability to return to baseline after stress

• This becomes more automatic over time with continual practice and patience

Why it matters for interoception:

Strong interoceptive awareness supports better decision-making, symptom management, and overall functioning—especially in areas like stress, emotional health, and pelvic floor regulation.