“Dysregulated”
Stephen W. Porges, PhD
creator of the Polyvagal Theory
creating a sanctuary within
A Guided Polyvagal Immersion to Calm, Regulate, and Strengthen Your Nervous System, with Deb Dana
An Invitation from Deb Dana
In my work as a therapist and teacher, I often hear people share experiences like:
My heart was racing, but I didn’t know why or what to do about it. Or, when I’m feeling stressed, I turn to my phone and just can’t stop scrolling.
If this sounds familiar, you’re certainly not alone. I still catch myself tuning out my nervous system’s messages when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
Yet, I also know that when we befriend our nervous systems, we can return to regulation and readiness, even if it seems impossible right now.
That’s why I’m delighted to offer you an immersive new way to experience science-backed Polyvagal tools for nurturing greater safety, resilience, and connection.
I created this program for two reasons:
First, you may have read about these practices and tried them on your own and end up struggling to feel their full benefits. Why? Because sometimes we need the support of a calm and well-regulated guide who can help us through our “trouble spots.”
Second, in a world filled with so much stress and overwhelm today, we all need to stay grounded and courageous—by tuning into the language of the nervous system, returning to a state of safety, and regaining the drive to fearlessly and joyfully fulfill our greater intentions and purposes.
Helping you to do so is my deepest intention and purpose, and I’m honored to take you on this journey home to a refuge within that will invite you to feel safe enough to fall in love with your life again.
If this sounds useful and inspiring to you, I hope you’ll join us.
With gratitude,
Deb Dana
Feeling 
“Dysregulated”? It's Time to Come Home to Safety and Calm.
Can you recall a moment when you felt a glimmer of safety or joy amid life’s challenges? Like an afternoon cup of tea… the warm hug of a friend or loved one… or cuddling with your dog or cat on the couch?
In these nourishing states, teaches Polyvagal expert Deb Dana, you’re experiencing a calm and regulated nervous system. It’s how we restore ourselves when we’re dysregulated: fearful or angry in stressful situations or “shut down” and numb when even more overwhelmed.
Each of these states reveal different parts of your nervous system—and all of them are essential to surviving and thriving in the world.
The problems start when we get stuck in states that lead to ongoing anxiety, mood swings, irritability, depression, loneliness, or confusion—and even physical issues like chronic pain, fatigue, migraines, digestive problems, and more.
But there’s good news.
With Creating a Sanctuary Within, groundbreaking Polyvagal clinician and author Deb Dana invites you to a transformative six-week experience where she leads you through her core insights and exercises for healing and regulating yourself with the Polyvagal approach.
Let Deb Dana's Heart-Centered Support and Healing Tools Lift You Up
One of the most useful findings of Polyvagal Theory is that simply connecting with a caring and regulated person has the power to calm your nervous system. Which is why Deb decided to create this immersive course. As she says:
“My commitment to you is that I am bringing my own regulated nervous system to support you on this adventure. So if you start to feel dysregulated, you can look at my face, listen to my voice, and trust that I am offering that safety to you as we practice and learn.”
During this six-week program—which includes two LIVE Q&A sessions with Deb—you’ll gather with her and fellow participants to…
Are you ready to begin creating a sanctuary of greater calm and joy within? If so, we hope you’ll join us!
When you learn to befriend the nervous system, you'll move through the world in a whole new way
DEB DANA
Program Overview
In this immersive journey, Deb Dana helps you create a sanctuary of calm and belonging within, using the principles of the Polyvagal Theory.
Each week you’ll learn practical, everyday tools to regulate your responses to stress, deepen your sense of safety, and foster emotional resilience. Step-by-step, you will develop a new relationship with your body’s signals and rhythms, helping you move through the world with greater ease, confidence, and inner peace.
In addition to six recorded video sessions, you’ll be meeting with Deb for three LIVE sessions— to learn, ask questions, and get additional support.
Here’s what you’ll experience:
Week 1
In Service of Safety and Survival
The foundation of our nervous system is built around keeping us safe. In this session, you’ll learn how your body responds to stress and how to recognize the signs of when you’re feeling safe versus when you’re in survival mode.
What You’ll Gain:
Week 2
Autonomic Listening
Learn to notice and decode the subtle messages of your nervous system. This session will teach you how to tune in to your body’s sensations and recognize when your nervous system is signaling for help.
What You’ll Gain:
Week 3
The Right Degree of Challenge + LIVE Q&A with Deb Dana on May 27
Life often asks us to grow, but it’s important to do so without tipping into dysregulation. In this session, you’ll explore how to create balance between stretching toward growth and avoiding emotional overload.
What You’ll Gain:
Week 4
Mark the Moment
By bringing mindful awareness to micro-moments of calm—what Deb calls glimmers—we can deepen their impact. This session teaches you how to pause and savor moments of regulation, so they become an integrated and automatic part of your daily life.
What You’ll Gain:
Week 5
Notice and Nourish
Your nervous system has its own unique needs for balance. In this session, you’ll explore simple daily practices and more in-depth ones to nourish your nervous system and bring it back into a state of calm.
What You’ll Gain:
Week 6
States Shape Stories + LIVE Q&A with Deb Dana on June 17
Our nervous system often stores its experiences in the form of unconscious stories—and those stored narratives shape the way we feel and act. In this final session, you’ll learn how to reshape those stories to respond in more regulated, courageous, and effective ways.
What You’ll Gain:
Meet Your Teacher
Deb Dana, LCSW
Deb Dana, LCSW, is a clinician and consultant specializing in using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impacts of trauma and chronic dysregulation, and create healing strategies that honor the role of the autonomic nervous system. She is a longtime colleague of the Polyvagal Theory’s creator Dr. Stephen Porges and a founding member of the Polyvagal Institute. Deb Dana lectures internationally and is the author of several books, including Anchored and Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection.
What People Are Saying About Deb Dana's Expert Guidance:
What You'll Experience:
Throughout this six-week immersion, you’ll explore tools and practices designed to help you build a deeper connection with your nervous system and cultivate more calm, safety, and resilience. Here’s what’s included:
Join Today—Let Your Journey to Regulation and Calm Begin
This is more than just an informational program: it’s an immersive growing experience with Deb Dana’s personal guidance—and a profound step in your personal unfolding toward greater joy, connection, and inner strength. We hope you’ll join us, starting on May 14, 2025!
*We unconditionally guarantee your satisfaction with all Sounds True products for one year when purchased via our website. If you complete at least 50% of the course and are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, simply call or email us for a full refund.
Praise from Deb Dana's Colleagues
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Deb Dana masterfully demystifies the complexities of the Polyvagal Theory, offering readers an empowering journey towards self-regulation. Each exercise serves as a road map towards greater resilience and emotional balance, paving the way for optimal well-being. The Nervous System Workbook is a must-read for anyone seeking to harness the power of their nervous system for a more fulfilling life.
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Deb Dana’s wonderful workbook guides you step-by-step through learning about your nervous system and how to bring it back into balance when life is challenging. The tools and practices in this workbook are gifts you can give yourself over and over again.
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Deb Dana’s Nervous System Workbook speaks in a beautifully compassionate, non-pathologizing voice directly to the individual using it. The steps toward befriending and tending the nervous system are spelled out in simple exercises that build on each other. The calming sense of ease in this approach can be felt on every page.
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Weaving together insights from contemporary neuroscience and years of clinical practice, this workbook offers clear, step-by-step, engaging exercises that can help anyone better understand their nervous system and move from stress and fear toward stability, equanimity, and harmony. With warmth, humor, and a wise understanding of our differences, Deb Dana gives us a banquet of approaches so that we all can find our way to live a calmer, richer, more deeply connected and rewarding life.
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The Nervous System Workbook by Deb Dana beautifully illustrates how to tend and befriend your nervous system! It translates the science of connection into easy, clear, and digestible tools and practices to help you find a sense of safety in your body and connection with others. It’s a must-read for everyone who knows or wants to know ‘home’ in themselves and in the world.
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Deb Dana’s work touches and transforms us at the deepest levels. With her thorough mastery of polyvagal neuroscience and exquisite attunement to our shared humanity, she guides both clinicians and individuals on journeys of profound personal and professional transformation. Dana doesn’t just explain nervous system functioning—she invites us into an experiential understanding that changes how we live in our bodies.
FAQS:
How is the program structured, and how many sessions will Deb Dana be present?
This program consists of six prerecorded video sessions, released weekly. Each is designed to guide you through two practices from the The Nervous System Workbook. For two of the six sessions, Deb Dana will also be joining us for live Q&A discussions and additional learning on these dates:
- May 27, 2025, 1 PM ET | 10 AM PT
- June 17, 2025, 1 PM ET | 10 AM PT
Are these principles and practices compatible with other psychotherapeutic and spiritual modalities?
Yes. During her decades of clinical experience, Deb Dana has found that the principles and practices of Polyvagal Theory and her work in general complement most other therapies, including Somatic Experiencing® and other trauma recovery modalities, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, attachment theory approaches, and more. She has also found that her work integrates well with mindfulness meditation, yoga, and other spiritual practices and traditions.
If you're still deciding, remember that all of our courses are covered by our one-year return guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.Is this program a form of therapy?
No, this program is not intended to replace therapy. While regulating your nervous system can be therapeutic, this course is designed as a self-guided learning experience, which many have found to be complementary with one-on-one therapy and other psychotherapy modalities.
What if I can’t attend all the live sessions?
No problem! All sessions will be recorded and available for replay.
How long will I have access to the program materials?
You will receive lifetime access to all course materials, including video replays and The Nervous System Workbook, which includes all of the written exercises, worksheets, and links to many guided audio sessions.
Will I receive a certificate for completing this program or continuing education credits?
While this program is a valuable way for psychotherapists and other mental health professionals to learn the essential principles and practices of Polyvagal Theory and Deb Dana's work, it is designed solely for personal growth and healing. For this reason, there is no certification or continuing education credits offered at the end of this program.
How do I get started?
Simply click the “Enroll Now” button to enroll. You’ll receive immediate access to The Nervous Systems Workbook and the first live session details.
I’m new to Polyvagal Theory—will this program still help me?
Yes! This program is designed for anyone interested in learning the tools and practices of the Polyvagal Theory, both beginners and those already familiar with the work. No previous experience is needed.
Are scholarships available for this course?
Yes, the Sounds True Foundation, our nonprofit sister organization, provides donor-supported scholarships for this program. You can apply for partial or full financial aid.
What is the refund policy?
We unconditionally guarantee your satisfaction with all Sounds True products for one year when purchased via our website. If you complete at least 50% of the course and are not 100% satisfied with your purchase of Creating a Sanctuary Within, simply call or email us for a full refund.
Ready to cultivate calm, resilience, and regulation?
cultivateYour journey to emotional balance and flexibility starts here. With Polyvagal Theory and guidance from Deb Dana, you’ll learn to regulate your nervous system and move from overwhelm to calm and connection.
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