The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy
Clinician Deb Dana collaborates with polyvagal-theory founder Stephen Porges to translate his academic neuroscience into therapy-floor protocols. The book teaches the three states Porges identified, ventral vagal social engagement, sympathetic mobilization, and dorsal vagal shutdown, and walks readers through Dana's signature mapping exercises, the Personal Profile Map and the Triggers and Glimmers Map. Each chapter pairs theory with hands-on interventions therapists can use with clients on a Monday morning. The book is written for clinicians but serves as a working primer for any reader who wants to understand what polyvagal theory actually claims and how to track their own nervous system in real time.
What you might want to know about The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
A working clinical handbook to polyvagal theory, with mapping exercises and therapist-facing protocols that translate Stephen Porges's academic neuroscience into daily practice.
The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy was written by Deb Dana and published in 2018. Dana is a clinician who works closely with Stephen Porges, the originator of polyvagal theory.
Yes. The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy is aimed at therapists and clinicians, with technical clinical material. General readers interested in nervous-system regulation typically start with Deb Dana's later books or Stephen Porges's Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory.
The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy is 320 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy is a standalone novel by Deb Dana, not part of a series.
The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.