Lantern Path Counselling
Cory Stevens, RCC
Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory
Deb Dana, LCSW
This book is an approachable overview of polyvagal theory. It introduces the idea that our nervous system is constantly scanning for cues of safety and danger, and that many of the ways that we feel stuck, shut down, or reactive and flooded with emotional intensity, aren’t character flaws or signs of weakness; they’re predictable biological responses that represent our nervous system trying to respond to threats and protect us. Dana maps out the important states – sympathetic fight/flight, dorsal vagal collapse/shutdown, and ventral vagal safety and connection – and offers tools to recognize and validate where you are while gently shaping the system towards safety and regulation.
What it offers
It’s not possible to eliminate stress responses, but it is possible to develop a friendly relationship with our nervous system, respond effectively when we become activated, and learn how to make our way back to safety and regulation. Dana offers a practical framework for understanding your nervous system, as well as exercises that help you explore your nervous system responses, understand how past experiences have shaped (or sometimes sensitized) the system, and develop the capacity to move fluidly between states rather than getting stuck in any of them.
You Might Want to Read This If You:
- Are experiencing confusion, guilt, or shame over how/why you react so strongly to certain cues or triggers
- Feel chronically activated or shut down
- Are interested in somatic or body-based therapy
- Have experienced trauma
A Note From Cory
Polyvagal theory is one of the strongest influences on my counselling practice. It’s foundational to how I think about trauma, stress, and regulation. I support myself with polyvagal principles in my daily life, and I’ve heard clients express that learning about the theory has profoundly impacted how they view their emotional experience and automatic reactions to the stressors that show up in life. I would recommend Deb Dana’s work to basically anyone who is willing to set aside the time to learn about it.
How Accessible It Is
Polyvagal theory is based in neuroscience, so it can take time to get used to some of the terms (like autonomic nervous system, ventral vagal vs. dorsal vagal). Dana seems to be aware of this, since she includes exercises to help people understand and connect to these concepts more easily. There is a learning curve, but it’s valuable because it helps you learn a new language for understanding your inner experience.