how we treat
Polyvagal Therapy
Polyvagal theory provides a framework for understanding how the nervous system responds to various situations and stressors, enabling clients to utilize that insight to manage and enhance their responses.
Polyvagal therapy at Pasadena Villa
Polyvagal theory focuses on how the nervous system responds to stress, danger, or safety. It helps individuals better understand how their brain and body work together to navigate both everyday stress and more significant experiences like trauma.
According to polyvagal theory, the nervous system has three central response states:
- Fight or flight
- Collapse/immobilization
- Social engagement
By understanding these different states, individuals can learn to regulate their emotions and stress responses better, making polyvagal therapy a valuable approach for treating trauma, depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and other mental health conditions.
What is polyvagal therapy?
Created and developed by Stephen Porges, PhD, polyvagal theory emphasizes the role the autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays in regulating our health and behavior by understanding the physiological and psychological states that underlie our daily behavior, as well as challenges related to our wellness and mental health.
Connecting the brain and body, the vagus nerve plays a vital role in regulating heart rate, breathing, digestion, and even our emotional state.
How does polyvagal therapy work?
Our body’s three central response states are directly regulated by the vagus nerve — a large nerve that runs from the base of the brain to the gut. Polyvagal theory helps us understand how the autonomic nervous system, particularly the vagus nerve, influences our emotional and behavioral responses to stress.
Polyvagal therapy applies this understanding of the nervous system to daily life in practical ways.
Self-regulation
Learn to regulate your emotions by activating the vagus nerve through deep breathing, yoga, meditation, or other grounding techniques.
Social connection
Engaging with others and building safe, supportive relationships helps reducing stress and calming the nervous system.
Pinpoint triggers
Identifying situations that feel threatening helps individuals understand what activates their stress response and manage or avoid those triggers.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or other mental health challenges, a mental health treatment program like Pasadena Villa that incorporates polyvagal therapy can support you in understanding and regulating your nervous system responses.
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