Book Review: Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory

Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory is another work in the Norton series on interpersonal neurobiology. I have come to believe that at least three theories are indispensable in learning and understanding how and why we behave the way we do — attribution theory, attachment theory, and our underlying physiology of safety, called the polyvagal theory. The polyvagal theory was developed by Stephen Porges and presented to the Society for Psychophysiological Research in 1994. The theory takes into account how our autonomic nervous system is constantly working to keep us safe. Very simply, the components are our parasympathetic system (“rest and digest”), the mammalian ventral vagal system (positive social engagement), sympathetic system (“fight or flight”), and the reptilian dorsal vagal (freeze, faint, shut down, dissociate). These all work together to give us an ongoing sense of our surroundings and how to react, what Porges calls our neuroception. The polyvagal theory is essential knowledge for everyone who works as a therapist, but familiarity with the theory can benefit us no matter what our profession because it deepens our understanding of what is going on with us in the moment. As the theory points out, our neuroception leads to how we perceive, and our perception gives rise to how we live our story. In his presentation in 1994, Porges emphasized how “mammals had evolved in a harsh environment in which survival was dependent on their ability to do...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Anxiety Book Reviews Disorders General Memory and Perception Mindfulness Neuroscience Panic Disorder Personal Stories Psychological Assessment Psychology Psychotherapy PTSD Relationships & Love Relaxation and Meditation Traum Source Type: news