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.
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.
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.”
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.
Innovative clinicians share their experiences integrating Polyvagal Theory into their treatment models. 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 histories explain the restorative consequences of movement, rhythm, and dance in promoting social connectedness and resilience in trauma survivors explains how Polyvagal Theory can be used to understand the neurophysiological processes in various therapies discuss dissociative processes and treatments designed to experience bodily feelings of safety and trust examine fear of flying and how using positive memories as an active "bottom up" neuroceptive process may effectively down-regulate defense shed light on the poorly understood experience of grief Through 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.
Banish burnout with this deck of 60 easy-to-do-anywhere prompts that encourage sanity, serenity, and wellness in your place of work, wherever that may be. Burnout is common in today's work culture. Whether due to long hours, excessive workloads, or lack of work-life balance, we all know someone who has felt overwhelmed at work. Enter The Work Wellness Deck: 60 actionable suggestions that will restore a sense of well-being in the workplace and banish burnout once and for all. Packaged in a portable format, the deck is organized into three categories: REFRESH (mental health), FLOW (physical health), and CONNECT (work relationships). Prompts include office stretches that help your posture, breathing exercises to manage stress, a gratitude practice to focus on the positive, and networking ideas to build meaningful relationships. Individuals can keep the deck on their desk or in their bag, pulling a card to start the day or as a midday mindfulness break, teams can use the cards to set a group intention, and company leaders can distribute this deck to employees as a wellness perk. No matter how it's used, The Work Wellness Deck will help people in all industries build resiliency, improve productivity, communicate effectively, and forge connection—no matter where they work. BURNOUT IS COMMON: Whether you work from home and struggle to delineate work and personal time, or you work long hours at an office, it is common to feel overworked and overwhelmed at one point or another. The Work Wellness Deck is an effective tool in preventing and/or diminishing feelings of burnout. PERFECT FOR COMPANIES: Small businesses, company leaders, and HR reps in every industry—tech, finance, healthcare, law, media, nonprofits, retail, and more—can distribute this deck to their employees as a way to encourage them to prioritize their health and wellness. LITTLE-PUBLISHED SLICE OF WELLNESS: Wellness is a huge trend, but beyond self-help books on the topic, there isn't much accessible publishing on wellness in the workplace. This one-of-a-kind format is practical but still giftable, and fills that gap. Perfect for: • People who work and want to prioritize their own wellbeing • Anyone who feels burned-out • Job-changers • New graduates • HR reps and company leaders (for themselves or their employees); especially as a welcome gift for new hires, or a gift for a workplace anniversary or promotion
The polyvagal theory presented in client-friendly language. This book offers therapists an integrated approach to adding a polyvagal foundation to their work with clients. With clear explanations of the organizing principles of Polyvagal Theory, this complex theory is translated into clinician and client-friendly language. Using a unique autonomic mapping process along with worksheets designed to effectively track autonomic response patterns, this book presents practical ways to work with clients' experiences of connection. Through exercises that have been specifically created to engage the regulating capacities of the ventral vagal system, therapists are given tools to help clients reshape their autonomic nervous systems. Adding a polyvagal perspective to clinical practice draws the autonomic nervous system directly into the work of therapy, helping clients re-pattern their nervous systems, build capacities for regulation, and create autonomic pathways of safety and connection. With chapters that build confidence in understanding Polyvagal Theory, chapters that introduce worksheets for mapping, tracking, and practices for re-patterning, as well as a series of autonomic meditations, this book offers therapists a guide to practicing polyvagal-informed therapy. The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy is essential reading for therapists who work with trauma and those who seek an easy and accessible way of understanding the significance that Polyvagal Theory has to clinical work.
Stay attuned and empathic towards even the most challenging clients. The Anti-Burnout Card Deck will help you let go of emotional residue and countertransference between sessions, and finish each day with a sense of satisfaction.54 brief, accessible and empowering practices to:* Regain balance* Enjoy the work* Cultivate empathic attunement* Build compassion* Manage countertransference triggers* Practice self-carePublished in collaboration with The Institute For Meditation and Psychotherapy.
This illustrated book uses engaging and brightly colored robot characters to introduce a greater understanding of how our bodies react to our environment. The color of the robots teaches the young reader about feelings of safety and connection, fear and anger, and a shut down response. The preface introduces the adult reader to the Polyvagal Theory and explains the science behind the different colors of the robots. Readers of all ages will learn tools to support one another when they are "out of that safe feeling." BODY WISDOM AND THE POLYVAGAL THEORY takes a complex and rigorous scientific text and renders it into a fun, easy and quick read for all audiences. Forward by Dr. Stephen Porges, author of THE POLYVAGAL THEORY.
