Trauma & Nervous System Healing: 20 Steps to Lasting Self-Regulation - Understand Trauma Responses, Defuse Triggers, and Build Inner Safety in Daily L (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798199647342)

Your mind understands it already - but your body stays stuck in alarm.

This guide explains why trauma is stored in the nervous system and shows you step by step how to learn self-regulation, recognize triggers and initiate real healing processes - with science-backed methods you can apply immediately.

What you get:

A complete practical guide with 40 chapters - from Polyvagal Theory and trauma types through Somatic Experiencing, EMDR basics, breath regulation and body work to attachment patterns, sleep, nutrition and a 12-week plan for lasting regulation. Every chapter includes concrete techniques, step-by-step exercises and direct solutions to common obstacles.

Chapters at a glance:

Chapter 1: Understanding the nervous system - basic models of the autonomic nervous system
Chapter 2: Identifying and classifying Polyvagal status
Chapter 3: Types of trauma - developmental, attachment and shock
Chapter 4: Stress responses - fight, flight, freeze explained
Chapter 5: Training orientation and building a sense of safety
Chapter 6: Somatic Experiencing - using pendulation effectively
Chapter 7: Somatic Experiencing - learning titration
Chapter 8: EMDR basics - the process explained in simple terms
Chapter 9: EMDR - building resources before working with triggers
Chapter 10: EMDR - bilateral stimulation for everyday use
Chapter 11: Breath regulation - exhaling as a safety signal
Chapter 12: Breath regulation - building 4-6 breathing cycles
Chapter 13: Mindful humming to counter inner anxiety
Chapter 14: Vagus nerve exercises - gaze, jaw, voice
Chapter 15: Body scan - finding resources in the tissue
Chapter 16: Somatic release - oscillating muscle waves
Chapter 17: Grounding - grounding techniques for freeze states
Chapter 18: Orientation breathing - synchronizing gaze and breath
Chapter 19: Self-calming - the 5-4-3-2-1 reset
Chapter 20: Resource tapping - body anchors with tapping
Chapter 21: Understanding attachment patterns - clinging and avoidance
Chapter 22: Building secure attachment - practicing co-regulation
Chapter 23: Trigger management - reading early warning signs
Chapter 24: Overwhelm emergency plan - the 10-minute protocol
Chapter 25: Boundaries in the nervous system - saying no without guilt
Chapter 26: Sleep regulation after trauma - building a bedtime routine
Chapter 27: Sleep hygiene - making the bed a safe space
Chapter 28: Movement against stress - gentle strength training
Chapter 29: Yoga for the nervous system - yin instead of performance
Chapter 30: Mindful walking - rhythm as regulation
Chapter 31: Nutrition and stress - blood sugar stability
Chapter 32: Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine - nervous system impact
Chapter 33: Resilience through micro-achievements - 2-minute exercises
Chapter 34: Self-compassion - nervous system-friendly language
Chapter 35: Shame and the inner critic - reframing with body anchors
Chapter 36: Making EMDR self-help safe - knowing your limits
Chapter 37: Integrating trauma - finding meaning without overwhelm
Chapter 38: Tracking the healing process - progress log and body data
Chapter 39: Understanding relapses - regression as a learning signal
Chapter 40: Long-term self-regulation - your 12-week plan

How it works:

Follow the guide chapter by chapter or jump directly to the area you need most right now. Every chapter ends with a concrete exercise or action step - so you always know what to do next.

Who this guide is for:

People working through childhood trauma, relationship trauma or life-altering events. Anyone who notices: the mind gets it, but the body stays stuck in alarm. Anyone who wants to finally understand self-regulation as a clear, logical mechanism - not an abstract concept.

Start today - your nervous system can learn to feel safe again.

Author: David Kirste
ISBN-13: 9798199647342
Publisher: Independently Published
Language: English
Published: 06/02/2026
Pages: 278
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.83lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.58d