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Safe and Sound: A Polyvagal Approach for Connection, Change, and Healing
- GenresNonfiction
352 pages, Paperback
Published April 22, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 1, 2025
SAFE AND SOUND: A POLYVAGAL APPROACH FOR CONNECTION, CHANGE, AND HEALING
BY: STEPHEN PORGES PhD
KAREN ONDERKO
This was an interesting cutting edge recent modality in treating an endless amount of ailments that has its uses that focuses on healing. I'm not positive, but which if I recall was cited around 2017, and ongoing through today. A modality is generally defined as exactly what the root word modal implies. For example, since this new modal focuses on healing an endless amount of any symptoms, I am going to refer in terms of treating for trauma in the mental health world, the different specialties that a clinician uses is known as a modality. Such as talk therapy in the psychological field is one type of modal. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, are just two of many. Before I get off into the weeds, this author uses a physiological approach which is fascinating because it has more to do with the body which is his modality. This author deserves five stars for making this book accessible as possible for not only clinicians, but for the average person to understand.
The reason why I wanted to read this is because the author of the New York Times Best Seller of a book that I read, and loved called, "The Body Keeps the Score," by Bessel van der Kolk, MD, whose also a researcher and educator endorsed this. I think his book has been at least heard of by most people, if not read, I highly recommend it.
I must say that although there are many other Doctors that also have impressive titles published that have also given this book high praise. What I should address in this review is a way to give an easy to understand simplification of the definition of this book which I'm reviewing called, "SAFE AND SOUND:" A POLYVAGAL APPOACH for Connection, Change, and Healing in the subtitle, that this book called, by Psychologist, and author Stephen Porges, PhD, and Karen Onderko together have used what my interpretation have developed a groundbreaking new modality with success. The Safe and Sound Protocal, or SSP, in Polyvagal Theory is a new therapy that's effective in regulating health, and behavior having to do with the Autonomic Nervous System, and the Vagus Nerve theorizes that through listening to music that's filtered to prioritize the frequencies of human speech, providing auditory input enables to reset the Nervous system to its homeostatic state. The SSP in terms of helping countless people with each of them showing rapid improvement or healing from each individual having ailments taken from a long list of symptoms, in fact, there are too many to list in my review that have included case studies in this book. The author very eloquently explains the neuroscience making it easy to digest in the first section. He tells you that you can skip the neuroscience section, if you'd like and go directly to the case studies. He did such a thorough job of giving examples throughout the neuroscience part that made it too interesting that I wanted to continue. There are thorough in depth explanations of the ear which can play a factor in how an ear infection can disrupt the nervous system. I didn't know what Polyvagal meant which is a basic attempt on my part which in the context of the author's theory is by no means as thorough as how he presents it. The first part of the word POLY: Means Many and VAGAL refers to the Vagus Nerve, a key nerve in our body that plays a role regulating our stress responses. This author's theory is that our Nervous system operates in a given hierarchy of three central states: 1. VENTRAL VAGAL (Social Engagement), 2. SYMPATHETIC, (Mobilization), and, 3. DORSAL VAGAL, (Immobilization). That's a very overly simplification of the term, POLOLVAGAL in this context refers to this author, Stephen Porges, who is also a psychologist developed this theory of how our Nervous system responds to a perceived Safety or threat which is the POLYVAGAL THEORY, or PVT as he uses the abbreviated PVT throughout, this book is POLYVAGAL Theory, has been also used by some psychologists in combing it with their modality that they specialize in. It basically is how our key nerves respond in our body to any stimuli that it senses as some kind of a threat or safety. I loved how he included how at different stages of a fetus, which was surprisingly early on during the pregnancy processes sound from the mother. While I was always listening to the heartbeat for the first time how at very early as that I remember even though it's been over two decades, ago that my sons were listening and differentiating different sounds as early as eight weeks (I think). There's so much fascinating information that was truly amazing I loved it enough to read it all over again. The author also gives an overabundance of information regarding things you can do like breathing, from simple things with putting both hands over your heart. I'm so happy that I took a chance on this book. I can tell the author is a kind and compassionate person by his conversationalist tone in how he has made this digestible information made me think it's worthy of more than five stars.
Publication Date: April 22, 2025
Thank you to Net Galley, Stephen Porges Phd, and Karen Onderko, and finally Sounds True Publishing for generously providing me with my Fantastic ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own, as always.
#SafeandSound #StephenPorges #KarenOnderko #SoundsTruePublishing #NetGalley
BY: STEPHEN PORGES PhD
KAREN ONDERKO
This was an interesting cutting edge recent modality in treating an endless amount of ailments that has its uses that focuses on healing. I'm not positive, but which if I recall was cited around 2017, and ongoing through today. A modality is generally defined as exactly what the root word modal implies. For example, since this new modal focuses on healing an endless amount of any symptoms, I am going to refer in terms of treating for trauma in the mental health world, the different specialties that a clinician uses is known as a modality. Such as talk therapy in the psychological field is one type of modal. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, are just two of many. Before I get off into the weeds, this author uses a physiological approach which is fascinating because it has more to do with the body which is his modality. This author deserves five stars for making this book accessible as possible for not only clinicians, but for the average person to understand.
The reason why I wanted to read this is because the author of the New York Times Best Seller of a book that I read, and loved called, "The Body Keeps the Score," by Bessel van der Kolk, MD, whose also a researcher and educator endorsed this. I think his book has been at least heard of by most people, if not read, I highly recommend it.
I must say that although there are many other Doctors that also have impressive titles published that have also given this book high praise. What I should address in this review is a way to give an easy to understand simplification of the definition of this book which I'm reviewing called, "SAFE AND SOUND:" A POLYVAGAL APPOACH for Connection, Change, and Healing in the subtitle, that this book called, by Psychologist, and author Stephen Porges, PhD, and Karen Onderko together have used what my interpretation have developed a groundbreaking new modality with success. The Safe and Sound Protocal, or SSP, in Polyvagal Theory is a new therapy that's effective in regulating health, and behavior having to do with the Autonomic Nervous System, and the Vagus Nerve theorizes that through listening to music that's filtered to prioritize the frequencies of human speech, providing auditory input enables to reset the Nervous system to its homeostatic state. The SSP in terms of helping countless people with each of them showing rapid improvement or healing from each individual having ailments taken from a long list of symptoms, in fact, there are too many to list in my review that have included case studies in this book. The author very eloquently explains the neuroscience making it easy to digest in the first section. He tells you that you can skip the neuroscience section, if you'd like and go directly to the case studies. He did such a thorough job of giving examples throughout the neuroscience part that made it too interesting that I wanted to continue. There are thorough in depth explanations of the ear which can play a factor in how an ear infection can disrupt the nervous system. I didn't know what Polyvagal meant which is a basic attempt on my part which in the context of the author's theory is by no means as thorough as how he presents it. The first part of the word POLY: Means Many and VAGAL refers to the Vagus Nerve, a key nerve in our body that plays a role regulating our stress responses. This author's theory is that our Nervous system operates in a given hierarchy of three central states: 1. VENTRAL VAGAL (Social Engagement), 2. SYMPATHETIC, (Mobilization), and, 3. DORSAL VAGAL, (Immobilization). That's a very overly simplification of the term, POLOLVAGAL in this context refers to this author, Stephen Porges, who is also a psychologist developed this theory of how our Nervous system responds to a perceived Safety or threat which is the POLYVAGAL THEORY, or PVT as he uses the abbreviated PVT throughout, this book is POLYVAGAL Theory, has been also used by some psychologists in combing it with their modality that they specialize in. It basically is how our key nerves respond in our body to any stimuli that it senses as some kind of a threat or safety. I loved how he included how at different stages of a fetus, which was surprisingly early on during the pregnancy processes sound from the mother. While I was always listening to the heartbeat for the first time how at very early as that I remember even though it's been over two decades, ago that my sons were listening and differentiating different sounds as early as eight weeks (I think). There's so much fascinating information that was truly amazing I loved it enough to read it all over again. The author also gives an overabundance of information regarding things you can do like breathing, from simple things with putting both hands over your heart. I'm so happy that I took a chance on this book. I can tell the author is a kind and compassionate person by his conversationalist tone in how he has made this digestible information made me think it's worthy of more than five stars.
Publication Date: April 22, 2025
Thank you to Net Galley, Stephen Porges Phd, and Karen Onderko, and finally Sounds True Publishing for generously providing me with my Fantastic ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own, as always.
#SafeandSound #StephenPorges #KarenOnderko #SoundsTruePublishing #NetGalley
February 19, 2025
Porges and Undergo write a book about a different type of therapy know as the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP). This therapy is based on the Polyvagal Theory and how SSP can help reset the nervous system. The first part of the book goes into the science behind SSP. The second part of the book was more interesting to me as it discussed case studies. Not only did you get an idea of what therapy a client had previously had used, but also how SSP helped them heal over time. This is a great book for anyone who is interested in expanding their therapy knowledge and trying other therapies for clients.
Thank you NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2025
Really good and straightforward resource for how it all works.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews