23
23Protocol
Nervous System Ops
Protocol Book Convoy About Resources Blog
Get the Book Launch App
The Book

The Protocol: An Operating System for the Human Nervous System

A field manual for people who live under chronic load. The Protocol translates CBT, ACT, and nervous system science into a daily operating system you can actually run.

By Thomas James · Veteran, trauma therapist, and AI researcher.
Buy the Book Pair it with the App

Read the doctrine once. Run the daily loop for the rest of your life.

What the Book Does

The Protocol is not another self-help pep talk. It’s a system: Three Pillars, a daily loop, and a convoy structure that keeps you from drifting back into isolation.

  • Explains the Anchor, Shield, and Beacon pillars in plain, mission-ready language.
  • Shows you how to run a daily loop: Morning SOP, in-field drills, Sleep Ops, and a two-minute AAR.
  • Helps you build a convoy of Battle Buddies and Fire Teams so you’re not doing this solo.
  • Gives clinicians a shared language for clients who think in ops, systems, and protocols.
Anchor · Regulation Shield · Discipline Beacon · Convoy

Who This Is For

This book is for people who are tired of hearing “just talk about it” as the only answer.

  • Veterans & first responders carrying invisible aftershocks into “normal” life.
  • High-achievers and founders whose nervous systems never really clock out.
  • Spouses and partners trying to support someone they love without losing themselves.
  • Clinicians who want a concrete framework for clients who think in missions, not moods.

Inside the Chapters

The Protocol walks you from theory to drill: from understanding your nervous system to running a daily operating loop without perfectionism.

  • Part I: The Problem – why your nervous system isn’t “broken,” it’s overloaded.
  • Part II: The Three Pillars – Anchor, Shield, and Beacon as a unified system.
  • Part III: The Daily Loop – Morning SOP, Flight Simulator, Sleep Ops, Daily AAR.
  • Part IV: The Convoy – Battle Buddies, Fire Teams, and shared language.
  • Epilogue: The Deployment Order – how to roll out the Protocol in real life.

Endorsements & Early Readers

Replace these placeholders with real endorsements once blurbs are in.

“This is the first book I’ve read that talks to veterans and first responders like adults, not patients. The Protocol is practical, sharp, and deeply humane.”
This Could be You
Veteran
“As a clinician, I finally have language I can use with clients who think in missions and systems. This belongs on the shelf next to our standard trauma texts.”
A Future Therapist
“My spouse has carried things they never talk about. The Protocol gave us a shared map and a way to support each other without walking on eggshells.”
Military Spouse