Polyvagal Theory and Nervous System Regulation

 Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges and translated into therapy by Deb Dana, gives us a framework to understand how your autonomic nervous system (the part that controls things like heart rate, breathing, and digestion) responds to feelings of safety or danger—often before you’re even aware of it.

Deb Dana’s work (2018) focuses on making this science practical—helping you recognize your body's signals and use simple tools to shift toward regulation, healing, and connection.

Deb Dana uses a helpful metaphor of a ladder to describe your nervous system's three main states. These states are not “good or bad,” but your body’s way of protecting you based on what it senses.

When you are in this state, you feel:

• Calm, curious, and connected
• Able to think clearly and communicate
• Open to others, creative, and hopeful
• Like yourself

In this state, your body senses safety. This is the ideal space for healing, therapy, learning, and relationships.

In this state, your nervous system senses danger, and it prepares you to act. You may feel:

• Anxious, irritable, or angry
• On edge, unable to rest
• Like you have to fix everything or escape

You might experience racing thoughts, tension in your body, or hypervigilance.

When your nervous system senses life threat or extreme overwhelm, it may move into shutdown. You might feel:

• Exhausted, numb, or “not really here”
• Disconnected from people or even your own emotions
• Hopeless or frozen
• Like you’re watching life from the outside

This state can feel scary or confusing, but it’s actually your body’s survival strategy when things feel too much to handle.

 Understanding these states helps you recognize that your reactions aren’t random—they’re your body’s way of trying to keep you safe. But if you’ve been through trauma, high stress, or lived in unsafe environments, your nervous system may get stuck in survival mode.

Therapy using Deb Dana’s polyvagal approach helps you:

• Identify where you are on your ladder
• Learn what moves you up or down
• Develop strategies to return to regulation (ventral vagal)
• Build a greater sense of safety and trust in your body
   

This work isn’t about talking yourself out of a feeling. It’s about listening to your body’s story with compassion and learning what it needs to feel safe again.

Working with this approach is gentle, empowering, and experiential. It includes:

You’ll create a personal “map” of how your body responds to stress and safety. We’ll explore:

• What cues make you feel safe?
• What signals threat (even if it’s subtle)?
• What are your body's patterns when overwhelmed?
   

We’ll experiment with different nervous system regulation tools, such as:

• Breath practices (like extending your exhale)
• Grounding exercises using your senses
• Noticing your states and recognizing state shifts
• Identifying sources of shifts and reclaim control of your present moment
• Safe imagery or "glimmers" (tiny moments of safety and joy)
• Co-regulation (connecting with others in safe ways)
   

There is no “one-size-fits-all”—you’ll discover what works best for your unique nervous system.

We’re wired to heal in relationship. Therapy becomes a safe place to practice:

• Feeling seen and understood
• Navigating conflict without collapse or aggression
• Rebuilding trust in yourself and others