Deb Dana
"Polyvagal Theory...the science of feeling safe enough to fall in love with life and take the risks of living..."
Biography
Deb Dana’s work as a clinician, consultant, lecturer, and Coordinator of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium in the Kinsey Institute is focused on using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma.
Polyvagal Theory is a neurophysiological framework for understanding the human autonomic nervous system and how it influences our sense of safety and ability for connection. It was developed by Dr Stephen Porges, a Distinguished University Scientist at the Kinsey Institute.
A licensed social worker, trainer and lecturer, Dana is the international leader in translating Polyvagal Theory into practice. She has a particular focus on helping those who have experienced complex trauma.
To help disseminate the application of Polyvagal Theory into clinical practice, Dana developed the Rhythm of Regulation training series, offering a module sequence from foundation to advanced level. She regularly travels internationally to offer this training.
Dana writes for a range of publications and has been interviewed many times for podcasts and radio. Her engaging summary of Polyvagal Theory is that it is the science of feeling safe enough to fall in love with life and take the risks of living.
Deb is the author of The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation, Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client-Centred Practices, and Befriending the Nervous System. She is the co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies, and creator of the Polyvagal Flip Chart.