Polyvagal Theory

What is Polyvagal Theory?

Polyvagal theory is a theoretical framework proposed by Stephen Porges that explains how the body’s autonomic nervous system (ANS) influences our social behavior, emotions, and stress response. The theory is based on the idea that the ANS has two distinct branches, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, and a third branch called the vagus nerve.

Sympathetic

The sympathetic system prepares the body for action by activating the fight-or-flight response. It is responsible for heart rate increase, breathing rate increase, and increased blood flow to the muscles. The sympathetic system is activated in response to perceived threats or stress.

Parasympathetic

The parasympathetic system promotes rest, digestion, and restoration. It is responsible for heart rate decrease, breathing rate decrease, and constriction of blood vessels. The parasympathetic system is activated during relaxation or when the perceived threat has passed.

Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve is the longest in the body and connects the brain to various organs, including the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. According to Porges, the vagus nerve plays a crucial role in regulating the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

How Do We Work Using Polyvagal Theory?

Using Polyvagal Theory, we’ll discuss the physiological responses that show up in your body and get curious about how, when, where, and why they show up. We’ll talk in-depth about signals of safety versus “danger cues” and how mindfulness practices can reduce stress and improve your overall well-being. Together we’ll consider which interventions, including breathing techniques, grounding exercises, and re-storying your story, can strengthen your emotional resiliency.

How does Polyvagal Theory Recognize Cultural Differences?

Polyvagal-informed therapy helps explain why human beings respond the way we do to trauma and stress—using either fight, flee, freeze, or fawn (placate). These responses, developed through evolution over thousands of years, are hard-wired into different parts of the human brain. Understanding how the human body reacts to trauma and stress helps us treat individual symptoms at the level of the nervous system where it is stored. This non-pathologizing theory empowers clients to feel seen and understood so they feel safe to connect to themselves and others.

What is the Treatment and its Focus?

Polyvagel therapy provides a framework for mapping a person’s nervous system. Individuals learn to recognize their own unique “danger cues,” which could be anything they react to within their environment. For example, if someone has been in a car crash, getting into a car might set off an alarm bell in their mind signaling danger. Understanding what happens in their body is the first step in learning how to regulate their nervous system. The second step is learning how to work with a dysregulated nervous system, taking action to either calm down an anxious nervous system or upregulate a depressed and immobilized nervous system. Whatever is happening in the client’s body, when they have a map of their nervous system, they have more choice and capacity to respond in ways that help them to feel better. When clients are more connected to themselves they can also connect to others, engage more fully in life and experience well-being.

What Can Individuals Expect from Polyvagal Theory?

Individuals who befriend their autonomic nervous system activate a deeply healing practice that will lead to a more meaningful connection with themselves and the world around them. The challenge is to keep leaning into one’s own experience, listening with curiosity and compassion to the body’s natural language—feelings and sensations. When clients understand how to attune to their inner world, their biology tells them how to care for themselves—bringing in more energy or reinstating calm. Staying present to one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors helps the client make decisions with confidence because they know what they need to establish safety. And when people feel safe, they can create, be social, explore, and form lasting bonds. Life becomes more purpose driven and meaningful.