Polyvagal story offers a lens that can help us understand why our bodies respond so strongly to stress, shutdown, or disconnect. Developed by Stephen Porges and expanded in clinical work by practitioners like Deb Dana and Peter Levine, this approach focuses on how the nervous system shapes our responses to stress and trauma.
It’s important to note that Polyvagal Theory is still a theory. While many clinicians and clients find it useful, some researchers have raised questions about how well its specific mechanisms are supported by current evidence. Even so, it remains a practical and widely used framework for understanding nervous system patterns in therapy.
The vagus nerve connects the brain to key parts of the body, including the heart, lungs, and digestive system. It plays a central role in how safe or threatened we feel. Polyvagal Theory describes three general states based on what is happening with the vagus nerve:
- Ventral vagal, safety and connection: feeling calm, grounded, and able to engage with others
- Sympathetic activation, mobilization: the body gearing up for fight or flight
- Dorsal vagal, shutdown: a state of collapse, numbness, or disconnection when things feel overwhelming
Polyvagal-Informed Therapy
Polyvagal-informed work brings attention to the body alongside thoughts and emotions. Instead of focusing only on what you think, it also explores what your nervous system is doing.
Common practices include noticing your current state, building awareness of triggers, and using tools like breathing, grounding, or gentle movement to support regulation. Co-regulation, or feeling safe with another person, is also a key part of the process.
Approaches like Somatic Experiencing, developed by Peter Levine, and the clinical work of Deb Dana often draw on these ideas to help people move out of survival states and into a greater sense of stability.
A Note on Language
I often use the “Window of Tolerance,” when working with clients which overlaps with these ideas. In that model, states are often described as hyperarousal, when you feel anxious or activated, being within the window, when you feel steady and present, and hypoarousal, when you feel numb or shut down. While there is different language, similar goal, helping you recognize your patterns and find your way back to balance.
Visual: The Polyvagal Theory Chart
Ruby Jo Walker created a chart based on Stephen Porges’ work that illustrates how the nervous system responds to trauma and stress. This visual can be a helpful tool for putting it all together (and it may be helpful to review this and/or the Window of Tolerance with your therapist!)
Final Thoughts
Trauma is not just something we think about, it is something we feel in the body. Polyvagal Theory offers a way to understand those patterns and respond with more awareness and compassion.
Even as the science continues to evolve, many people find this framework helpful. It gives language to their experience and practical tools for moving toward safety, connection, and resilience.
References
Dana, D. (2018). The polyvagal theory in therapy: Engaging the rhythm of regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
Levine, P. A. (2010). In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness. North Atlantic Books.
Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
Walker, R. J. (2020). Polyvagal theory chart of trauma response [Chart]. Retrieved from https://www.rubyjowalker.com