Polyvagal Perspectives: Interventions, Practices, and Strategies (First Edition) (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)

Book excerpt: From the originator of Polyvagal Theory, new writings on applying a polyvagal perspective across disciplines. Polyvagal Theory has revolutionized our understanding of the autonomic nervous system’s profound impact on various aspects of life, including sociality, emotional regulation, cognitive functions, and overall mental and physical well-being. Through rigorous academic testing, the theory’s applications have expanded into diverse fields such as psychotherapy, medicine, education, and performance. Exploring these broad applications revealed that Polyvagal Theory transcends its initial scope, and that the principles embedded in the theory could be applied as a generalized lens across various disciplines. In this volume, Dr. Stephen W. Porges—the originator of Polyvagal Theory—presents a collection of recent writings that showcase the wide-ranging applications of the polyvagal perspective. The writings update the theory and delve into sociality, safety and threat, trauma, functional medicine, vagal nerve stimulation, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, addiction, compassion, management, and dance movement therapy. This newest volume of Dr. Porges’s work demonstrates how adopting a polyvagal perspective enriches our understanding of biobehavioral processes in diverse domains.