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eutierriatherapy's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book takes through various Polyvagal exercises following the BASIC framework (befriend, attend, shape, integrate, connect). The exercises are simple and effective. I've used some with clients already and have seen the positive impact. I'd encourage reading the while book and doing exercises in order to build on previous concepts. Half the book is simply worksheets to provide clients, so it's actually shorter than it appears at first glance. I highly recommend this book for therapists.
katie_chandler's review
3.0
If I were to give polyvagal theory a rating it would be five stars ⭐️. Polyvagal theory is providing a paradigm shift for me in the way I view mental health, emotional resilience, and really all health in general. This particular book spends less time time talking about the theory itself and how it manifests in our bodies and minds, and spends more time describing mental exercises that engage the parasympathetic nervous system. Valuable for therapy, but I might need a bigger primer before this book is more valuable for me.
megbooks02's review
informative
medium-paced
2.5
I really like the polyvagal theory, but this book was a little disappointing. I was expecting somatic-based therapeutic interventions, but, instead, this book was full of mainly cognitive behavioral (CBT) exercises. CBT is fine, but research is continuing to show that CBT is a top-down approach to therapy, which means we are not addressing the underlying cause of the trigger by using only CBT. This book definitely felt a little counterintuitive when thinking about healing the nervous system from trauma.
jeo224's review
5.0
Very helpful in treating trauma - or just for navigating stress more effectively.
raychel's review
4.0
If you've read The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy and wanted some hands-on exercises to do with clients, this is the book for you. I started using Deb Dana's first book IMMEDIATELY in sessions and groups, before I was even finished reading it, because it was such useful information. This book is no different. I have started using the exercises with clients already and I and they are really enjoying it.
4 stars only because the last 90 pages are word-for-word identical to the exercises as they are previously presented in the book. Not sure why they included them twice, I guess just to cut out all the descriptions? It didn't change my liking of the book but it seems like a waste of paper.
4 stars only because the last 90 pages are word-for-word identical to the exercises as they are previously presented in the book. Not sure why they included them twice, I guess just to cut out all the descriptions? It didn't change my liking of the book but it seems like a waste of paper.