An Introduction to Polyvagal Theory & How EMDR Helps
What is Polyvagal Theory?
Consider that your body has an automatic system that operates entirely without conscious thought and helps you respond to different situations efficiently and effectively. This system has two main parts: one that revs you up for action, like when you're scared or excited, and another that helps you calm down and feel safe.
The Older, Simpler Part (Dorsal Vagus)
This is like your body's emergency brake. When you're in a really scary or overwhelming situation, it can make you freeze, like a deer in headlights. It's not a choice, but a way for your body to protect itself when fight or flight isn't an option. You may have heard this called “freeze” and can look like depression or adrenal fatigue in adults.
The Newer, Social Part (Ventral Vagus)
This part is all about feeling connected and safe. It helps you engage with others, express yourself through facial expressions and voice, and generally feel calm and social. It's the part of you that helps you make friends, enjoy company, make clear and logical decisions, and complete a project at work. You may know this as “rest and digest” and is the ideal nervous system response to spend the majority of your time in.
The Alert and Action Part (Sympathetic Nervous System)
This is the part that gets you ready for action. When you need to face a challenge or run away from danger, it kicks in. It's your body's way of saying, "Get ready, something important is happening!" You have likely heard this referred to as “fight or flight” and looks like anxiety, mania, and agitation or rage in adults.
Polyvagal theory, which is a neurobiological theory developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, says that your body switches between these modes based on what's going on around you. If you feel safe, the social part takes over. If things get scary, your body might freeze or prepare for action. Understanding this helps us see why people react differently in various situations and why some experiences can be hard to shake off. It's like having an autopilot that tries to keep you safe and connected in a world full of different challenges.
The challenge to all of this is that our brains, which developed some of these functions millions of years ago, still perceive the world as dangerous and scary at times, keeping us either revved up or in a collapsed state even when we don’t want to be. For instance, if you are in a chronic state of stress at work, you may notice that your anxiety has sky-rocketed and you have trouble sleeping at night due to constant rumination. This is your body’s sympathetic nervous system response, and it’s still trying to keep you safe from saber tooth tigers because it doesn’t really know better.
What Does EMDR Have to Do with It?
The answer to all of this isn’t sexy or quick, unfortunately. But there is good news. Since the ancient part of the brain developed, there has been an additional development of the more evolved and intelligent system, the ventral vagus (remember, this is the “rest and digest” response). So, as we begin to develop emotion regulation skills (some of us are taught this when we’re young by our emotionally attuned parents, others have to learn this as adults if they didn’t get that opportunity), we are better able to manage our sympathetic and dorsal vagus responses to stress.
There are many ways to support the ventral vagus’ functioning, including mindfulness practices, regular exercise, good nutrition, and other relaxation techniques. At Sona Collective, we offer a therapeutic modality called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is designed to help your nervous system shift out of fight, flight, or freeze mode and into rest and digest.
Research shows that EMDR may influence the autonomic nervous system, helping it feel safe again through the use of resourcing techniques and “bilateral stimulation,” such as eye movements or a buzz in each hand since it engages the brain's natural memory processing through the bilateral stimulation and reduces the emotional intensity of traumatic memories. EMDR incorporates dual attention, disrupting typical memory consolidation patterns, and encourages cognitive restructuring by challenging negative beliefs. Neurobiological changes observed during EMDR contribute to its effectiveness in helping individuals process and adaptively integrate traumatic experiences.
Since EMDR aims to help individuals process and integrate traumatic memories, it may be associated with a shift from the more primitive and defensive aspects of the autonomic nervous system (such as the freeze response) to a more socially engaged and regulated state (the ventral vagus).
Why We Love EMDR at Sona Collective
EMDR and polyvagal theory are two major orientations in our Denver-based therapy practice. Our team of therapists uses polyvagal to understand our clients’ nervous systems, offering education and skill-building wherever possible, and EMDR to treat dysregulated nervous systems.
EMDR is an excellent therapeutic approach that aligns with the principles of polyvagal theory in promoting nervous system regulation and resilience in the face of trauma. We’re fans of polyvagal theory at Sona Collective because it takes the blame off of you, the client, for having depression and anxiety and therefore destigmatizes a very natural response from the nervous system. It’s important to know that while your nervous system’s responses aren’t your fault, it is your responsibility to attend to it, and help is available. At Sona Collective, our team of skilled trauma therapists would love to help you achieve a more balanced and regulated nervous system through EMDR and other therapeutic modalities, such as ketamine therapy and somatic therapy.
Learn More
If you are interested in learning more about EMDR and how it can help treat symptoms such as anxiety, depression, or addiction, feel free to reach out to our team of therapists to schedule a consultation. All of our therapists are trained to provide trauma-informed, somatic, and compassionate care for those wishing to heal and balance their nervous system. Happy nervous system healing!