Applied Polyvagal Theory for Resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth Paperback by Ruby Jo Walker

Product Details

• Publisher: WW Norton (2026-05-19)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 352 pages
• ISBN-13: 9781324082989
• Item Weight: 368.55 grams
• Dimensions: 22.76 x 15.24 x 1.35 cm

Unlock transformational healing with Polyvagal-informed intervention.

Post-traumatic growth is more than just recovery—it’s about thriving after trauma. By integrating Polyvagal Theory into therapeutic practice, clinicians can empower clients to not only heal but to transform, cultivating resilience and unlocking their true potential.

In this groundbreaking guide, trauma expert Ruby Jo Walker introduces cutting-edge, somatic interventions designed to reshape the neurobiology of trauma survivors. With a deep understanding of the nervous system, clinicians will learn to guide clients through practical techniques that go beyond symptom management to spark profound, lasting change.

Walker explores three essential maps of the nervous system—general functioning, co-regulation capacity, and limiting core beliefs—giving clinicians the tools to target the root causes of their clients’ struggles. By utilizing deactivation pathways to downregulate the nervous system, trauma symptoms are alleviated, and greater regulation is achieved. This book equips readers with the knowledge and strategies to help clients shift into a new mode of being—one that fosters authentic expansion into post-traumatic growth.

About the Author

Ruby Jo Walker, LCSW, CHT, SEP, of Southwest Trauma Training, is an expert in trauma and an early pioneer of applied Polyvagal Theory in therapy. With over 30 years in the field, she provides polyvagal-informed trainings nationally as well as consultation for practitioners. She resides in Durango, CO.

Stephen W. Porges, PhD, originator of Polyvagal Theory, is a Distinguished University Scientist and founding director of the Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium at Indiana University, and a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. He lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida.