Deb Dana

Discover your body’s neural pathways to calmness, safety, and connection. An intense conversation, a spat with a partner, or even an obnoxious tweet—these situations aren’t life-or-death, yet we often react as if they are. That’s because our bodies treat most perceived threats the same way. Yet one approach has proven to be incredibly effective in training our nervous system to stop overreacting and start responding to the world with greater safety and ease: Polyvagal Theory. In Anchored, expert teacher Deb Dana shares a down-to-earth presentation of Polyvagal Theory, then brings the science to life with practical, everyday ways to transform your relationship with your body. Using field-tested techniques, Dana helps you master the skills to become more aware of your nervous system moment to moment—and change the way you respond to the great and small challenges of life. Here, you’ll explore: • Polyvagal Theory—get to know the biology and function of your vagus nerve, the highway of the nervous system • Befriending Your Nervous System—attune to what’s going on in your body by developing your “neuroception” • Using Your Vagal Brake—discover key techniques to consciously regulate the intensity of your emotions • Connection and Protection—learn to recognize and influence your internal cues for safety and danger • Your Social Engagement System—find ways to create nourishing relationships with others and the world around you • Practices and guidance to gently shape your nervous system for greater resilience, intuition, safety, and wonder Through guided imagery, meditation, self-inquiry, and more, Anchored offers a practical user’s manual for moving from a place of fear and panic into a grounded space of balance and confidence. “Once we know how our nervous system works, we can work with it,” teaches Deb Dana. “We can learn to access an embodied, biological resource that is always present, available, and there to guide us toward well-being.”

How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory

Anchored

When clients are stuck in the cognitive experience of their story, an explanation of polyvagal theory helps to bring their attention to the autonomic experience-- to bring the importance of the biology of their experience back into awareness. Yet polyvagal theory can be challenging and intimidating to explain.This flip chart offers therapists an easy, standardized way to support clients in understanding the role of the autonomic nervous system in their lives. Using a flip chart makes psycho- education an interactive experience. Therapists can feel confident in teaching their clients polyvagal theory by following the chart.With a flip chart visible during sessions, the therapist can:remind clients of the ways the autonomic nervous system has been shaped and is active in their daily living experience,display a page corresponding to the present moment, thus anchoring that experience in the theory,keep a page of the hierarchy visible when working with a client's habitual response pattern.

Understanding the Science of Safety

Polyvagal Flip Chart

Anchoring the Self in Safety

Polyvagal Practices

Aprender sobre la teoría polivagal es aprender acerca de la ciencia de la seguridad, la ciencia de sentirse lo suficientemente seguros como para enamorarse de la vida y correr el riesgo de vivir. La teoría polivagal proporciona una comprensión fisiológica y psicológica de cómo y por qué los pacientes se mueven a través de un ciclo continuo de movilización, desconexión y compromiso. A través de la lente de la teoría polivagal, vemos el papel del sistema nervioso autónomo a medida que moldea las experiencias de seguridad de los pacientes e influye en su capacidad de conexión. El sistema nervioso autónomo no responde a los desafíos de la vida cotidiana diciéndonos lo que somos o quiénes somos, sino diciéndonos cómo somos. Este sistema gestiona el riesgo y crea patrones de conexión cambiando nuestro estado fisiológico. Estos cambios pueden resultar leves para muchas personas y, en los momentos en que se dan grandes cambios de estado, su sistema es lo suficientemente resiliente como para ayudarlos a regresar a un estado regulado. El trauma interrumpe el proceso de construcción del circuito autónomo de conexión segura y desvía el desarrollo de la regulación y la resiliencia. Los pacientes con un historial traumático suelen experimentar respuestas autónomas más intensas y extremas, lo que afecta a su capacidad para regular y sentirse seguros en las relaciones. La teoría polivagal ayuda a los terapeutas a comprender que los comportamientos de sus pacientes son acciones autónomas al servicio de la supervivencia, respuestas adaptativas arraigadas en una historia de supervivencia a la que se accede automáticamente. El trauma amenaza nuestra capacidad de relacionarnos con los demás al reemplazar los patrones de conexión con los patrones de protección. Si no se resuelven, estas respuestas tempranas de supervivencia adaptativa se convierten en patrones autónomos habituales. La terapia a través de una lente polivagal ayuda a los pacientes a reformular las formas en que funcionan sus sistemas nerviosos autónomos cuando el impulso de sobrevivir compite con el anhelo de conectar con los demás. Este libro está diseñado para ayudar a los terapeutas a incorporar la teoría polivagal a la práctica terapéutica. Proporciona un enfoque integral de la intervención al presentar formas de mapear la respuesta autónoma y configurar el sistema nervioso autónomo para la seguridad. Con este libro, se aprende la teoría polivagal y se utilizan fichas y ejercicios empíricos para aplicar ese conocimiento a los aspectos básicos de la práctica.

Cómo unirse al ritmo de la regulación

La teoría polivagal en terapia

Deb Dana is the leading clinical translator of Stephen Porges's influential polyvagal theory. Here she further extends the reach of this groundbreaking perspective on mental wellness in the form of a card deck. These cards have been thoughtfully created to provide polyvagal concepts and prompts grouped into four areas representing three sections of the autonomic hierarchy: ventral; sympathetic; dorsal (a section about regulating the system); and a bonus section exploring play, stillness, and change. The cards will enable clients to enhance a broad understanding of their nervous system as well as guide them through a process of tuning in. Clinicians can use the cards at the beginning of a session to frame the work or at the end to create a plan for ongoing work. Clients can reach for the cards any time they want some nervous system support.

58 Practices for Calm and Change

Polyvagal Card Deck

Offers therapists a low tech–high impact, interactive way to explain polyvagal theory to clients. When clients are stuck in the cognitive experience of their story, an explanation of polyvagal theory helps to bring their attention to the autonomic experience— to bring the importance of the biology of their experience back into awareness. Yet polyvagal theory can be challenging and intimidating to explain. This flip chart offers therapists an easy, standardized way to support clients in understanding the role of the autonomic nervous system in their lives. Using a flip chart makes psycho- education an interactive experience. Therapists can feel confident in teaching their clients polyvagal theory by following the chart. With a flip chart visible during sessions, the therapist can: remind clients of the ways the autonomic nervous system has been shaped and is active in their daily living experience, display a page corresponding to the present moment, thus anchoring that experience in the theory, keep a page of the hierarchy visible when working with a client's habitual response pattern.

Polyvagal Flip Chart: Understanding the Science of Safety (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)

Deb A. Dana

A practical guide to working with the principles of polyvagal theory beyond the therapy session. Deb Dana is the foremost translator of polyvagal theory into clinical practice. Here, in her third book on this groundbreaking theory, she provides therapists with a grab bag of polyvagal-informed exercises for their clients, to use both within and between sessions. These exercises offer readily understandable explanations of the ways the autonomic nervous system directs daily living. They use the principles of polyvagal theory to guide clients to safely connect to their autonomic responses and navigate daily experiences in new ways. The exercises are designed to be introduced over time in a variety of clinical sessions with accompanying exercises appropriate for use by clients between sessions to enhance the therapeutic change process. Essential reading for any therapist who wants to take their polyvagal knowledge to the next level and is looking for easy ways to deliver polyvagal solutions with their clients.

Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client-Centered Practices (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)

Stephen W. Porges

Clinicians who have dedicated their work to bringing the benefits of the Polyvagal Theory to a range of clients have come together to present Polyvagal Theory in a creative and personal way.Chapters on a range of topics from compassionate medical care to optimized therapeutic relationships to clinician's experiences as parents extract from the theory the powerful influence and importance of cases and feelings of safety in the clinical setting.Additionally, there are chapters which:elaborate on the principle of safety in clinical practice with children with abuse historiesexplain the restorative consequences of movement, rhythm, and dance in promoting social connectedness and resilience in trauma survivorsexplains how Polyvagal Theory can be used to understand the neurophysiological processes in various therapiesdiscuss dissociative processes and treatments designed to experience bodily feelings of safety and trustexamine fear of flying and how using positive memories as an active "bottom up" neuroceptive process may effectively down-regulate defenseshed light on the poorly understood experience of griefThrough the insights of innovative and benevolent clinicians, whose treatment models are Polyvagal informed, this book provides an accessible way for clinicians to embrace this groundbreaking theory in their own work.

Deb Dana

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