What is Polyvagal Theory in therapy, and how can it help me?

Integrative Polyvagal Theory (PVT) helps you understand how your nervous system responds to stress, safety, and connection. It’s based on the idea that your body and brain are constantly scanning for danger or safety—without you even realizing it—and those automatic responses can deeply affect how you feel, think, and relate to others.

If you've ever felt yourself suddenly becoming anxious, shutting down emotionally, or struggling to connect with others—even when you want to—PVT helps you understand why that happens and teaches you how to gently shift into a calmer, more connected state.

In therapy, you’ll learn to:

• Recognize what state your nervous system is in: Are you feeling calm and open (ventral vagal)? Anxious and on edge (sympathetic)? Or numb and checked out (dorsal vagal)?

• Track the signs in your body and emotions: You’ll start noticing how things like tension, shallow breathing, or withdrawal might be signs that your nervous system is trying to protect you—even if there's no real danger right now.

• Learn ways to return to calm and safety—through breathing, movement, connection with others, or small daily practices that help your body feel more regulated.

What happens in sessions?

Your therapist might:

• Offer “co-regulation”—a calming presence that helps your nervous system feel safe just by being with someone who’s grounded. This might include using a gentle tone of voice, calm body language, and warm eye contact. (Your body picks up on these cues more than you realize.)

• Help you map out how your nervous system responds to stress. For example, you might look at a recent moment when you felt anxious or shut down and explore what was happening in your body at the time. This helps you notice your patterns and begin shifting them.

• Support you in building awareness of what helps you feel safe, connected, and emotionally present—so you can access those states more easily in everyday life.

Polyvagal-informed therapy helps you tune in to your body’s stress and safety signals, so you can move through anxiety, shutdown, or disconnection with more ease. Over time, you’ll learn to regulate your nervous system, feel safer in your own body, and connect more deeply with others.