The Body's Safety Circuit: A Polyvagal Approach to Connection with Deb Dana

We come into the world wired to connect. When autonomic pathways of connection are obstructed by patterns of protection, the drive to survive operates in opposition to the need for connection. The regulating influence of the ventral vagus diminishes, and cues about danger overwhelm the autonomic nervous system's capacity for regulation.

This presentation views hierarchy, neuroception, and co-regulation through the lens of Polyvagal Theory, exploring the social engagement system and the vagal brake. Join the conversation as we learn to language an autonomic story of safety and connection.

DEB DANA, LCSW, treats complex traumatic stress, and lectures internationally on Polyvagal Theory as it impacts trauma survivors. She is Coordinator of the Kinsey Institute's Traumatic Stress Research Consortium at Indiana University, and developed the Rhythm of Regulation Clinical Training Series. She has written The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy (2018), Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection (coming soon), and co-edited Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory with Stephen Porges. Her credentials include training in Internal Family Systems, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Traumatic Stress Studies certification.