Polyvagal Theory in the Therapy Room with Dr. Stephen Porges

How trauma therapists can apply polyvagal theory to recognize physiological cues, understand survival responses, and use co-regulation to support safety, connection, and re-embodiment. If psychotherapy is about reconnecting to a genuine expression of self, how do we support connection and embodiment in clients who've experienced complex trauma?

One noted clinician believes that polyvagal theory offers vital tools for this journey, provided therapists can hold space for vulnerability during the process of co-regulation.

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes back Stephen Porges, Ph.D., the renowned behavioral neuroscientist, professor, and author who, in 1994, originated the polyvagal theory framework: a systems-level, pathway-specific model of autonomic regulation.

This conversation explores:

Compassion in the context of the nervous system

How physiological state drives behavior

How to reinterpret trauma responses as supportive, evolutionary nervous system reactions, not maladaptive strategies

The concept of neuroception (the body's automatic threat-detection process)

How co-regulation, emotional availability, and prosodic voice help clients feel safe

Transforming Trauma is grateful to Stephen Porges for once again sharing his life's work with our community and supporting trauma patients on their journey back to somatic understanding of self.

To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/transformingtrauma

SPACE: