Polyvagal

One-
Pagers
The “Polyvagal One-Pagers” are based on the works
of Dr. Stephen Porges and Deb Dana, LCSW.

They are written by Justin Sunseri, a Polyvagal-

obsessed psychotherapist (LMFT99147). He also
lovingly and painstakingly designed the pages.

JustinLMFT.com
Table of contents

The Polyvagal Theory 1

The Autonomic Nervous System 2
Autonomic State 3
Neuroception 4
Vagus Nerve & the Vagal Brake 5
Story Follows State 6
The Polyvagal Ladder 7
Safety & Social Engagement 8
Flight & Fight 9
Shutdown 10
Play 11
Stillness & Intimacy 12
Freeze 13
Fawn & Appease 14
Trauma & the Polyvagal Theory 15
Behavioral Adaptations 16
Co-regulation 17
Self-regulation 18
Polyvagal Theory Fundamentals 19
Co-regulation Fundamentals 20
Next Steps on JustinLMFT.com 21
The Polyvagal Theory

What’s the basic idea? Dr Stephen Porges

first published the
The Polyvagal Theory is the science of connection. It Polyvagal Theory
in 1994.
explains how humans and other mammals connect
with each other in safety, mobilize in danger, and
immobilize when under life threat. PVT focuses on
how the autonomic nervous system acts as a
foundation for our emotions, thoughts, feelings, social
interactions, and more.
The Polyvagal Theory is not a therapeutic or
medical modality. It is not a prescription. It’s science
that is backed by verifying Polyvagal hypotheses in The Polyvagal
Theory focuses on
direct research, peer-reviewed interdisciplinary the vagus nerve
and brainstem and
research, evolutionary and autonomic study, and how they impact
who we are.
clinical observations in mental and physical health.

What do we do with the PVT?

The Polyvagal Theory is a cross-discipline science
that is helping professionals to explain and predict
their treatments better. But more specifically, it has
become a global scientific phenomenon for those
providing mental health and trauma recovery
services.
Learning the Theory often provides a judgment-
free understanding and shared language for providers
and their clients. Instead of a narrative with blame
and shame, PVT opens up compassion and The term ‘polyvagal’ combines
‘poly,’ meaning ‘many,’ and ‘vagal,’
understanding. Therapists and other wellness which refers to the important
nerve called the ‘vagus.’
providers use the Theory as a lens for understanding
Dr. Stephen Porges
their clients and also qualitatively measuring efficacy Reciprocal Influences on Affect
The Polyvagal Theory p263
of treatment.

Polyvagal One-Pagers 1 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
The Autonomic Nervous System

What’s your pancreas up to right now? How wide system, located in the gut. This pathway is
should your pupils be dilated? Are you getting the responsible for the shutdown, collapsed behaviors
right amount of oxygen into your blood? that we see in a mammal when its life is threatened.
The Autonomic Nervous System controls these and And the second and newer parasympathetic system
more. And it does so without any conscious direction is the social engagement system, located in the face
or effort - autonomously. Automatically. On auto-pilot. and neck and connected to the heart. This system is
It’s historically been known as two antagonistic active when safe and allows for social connection
systems: sympathetic and parasympathetic. As if with other safe mammals.
these two were competing against each other for When autonomic shifts happen, internal organs and
dominance. But Dr Porges hypothesizes there are bodily resources are repurposed and used for
actually the sympathetic system and two defensive or connective purposes. For example, when
parasympathetic systems that work in concert to in danger and more sympathetically charged, the
benefit the mammalian organism; an idea that mouth may go dry as the body no longer needs saliva
conflicts with the autonomic duality model. for chewing when it’s mobilized for running or
The sympathetic system regulates flight/fight fighting. When under life threat, all systems are
mobilization pathways. This system is located in the reduced to support basic life maintenance, such as
chest and controls the legs for evasion and the arms heart rate and breathing. The entire body slows
for aggression. The mobilization system is ideal for down, imitating a corpse. The body prioritizes its
pushing away a danger and then getting to safety. processes based on what it detects as safe,
The first parasympathetic system is the immobility dangerous or life threatening.

Autonomic shifts are encoded

into DNA and hardwired into
our biology.

As the nervous system gets

more complex… Oxygen needs
may have provided a major
environmental pressure leading
to the evolution of the adaptive
and sophisticated autonomic
nervous system found in
mammals.

Dr. Stephen Porges

Orienting in a Defensive World
The Polyvagal Theory p48

Polyvagal One-Pagers 2 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Autonomic State

Basically, our autonomic state is going to be either panic “out of nowhere” and not be able to identify the
Safe & Social, Flight/Fight or Shutdown. Our state is direct trigger. That may be due to an autonomic shift
going to be a reaction to the outside world, the that is connected to a trigger that is reminiscent of a
internal world, and our perceptions of either or both. past traumatic event.
These primary states can actually mix, there appear Autonomic shifts have consequences for daily life.
to be degrees of severity/intensity for each, and they Although the shifts evolved within us to support
present differently based on context. survival, they turn on and off throughout a normal
Our autonomic state is not just how we behave, but day: at work, school, home and in relationships.
also the filter that we experience the world through. Events that the body detects as dangerous shift the
Being in the social engagement autonomic state is body into a mobilized flight/fight energy even if the
more calm, soothing, connected, hopeful and loving. event is not actually dangerous. For example, a child
In the flight/fight state, the experience is more saying “no” to a parent or a barista getting an order
anxious or aggressive. And in the shutdown wrong.
autonomic state, there is an experience of emptiness, Being in a defensive autonomic state for a
numbness, disconnection and lack of motivation. prolonged period of time misdirects resources that
What can trigger shifts in autonomic state is often the body would otherwise use for “health, growth and
unpredictable with someone that has been restoration,” as Dr. Porges often puts it. This is why
traumatized: the wrong look, the wrong sound, the trauma survivors have higher rates of physical
wrong smell even. Any of these and more can trigger problems, such as: autoimmune disorders, severe
a state shift. One may seemingly have a meltdown or obesity, stroke, cancer, and more.

The polyvagal theory proposes

that the autonomic nervous
system reacts to real-world
challenges in a predictable
hierarchical manner…

Stephen Porges, PhD

Reciprocal Influences on Affect
The Polyvagal Theory p264

safety & social engagement Flight & fight mobility Shutdown immobility

Polyvagal One-Pagers 3 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Neuroception

“Neuroception” is the word that Dr Stephen Porges world shifts along with it. For example, if we
created for the concept of unconsciously detecting neurocept that we are in danger, our body becomes
cues of safety or danger from the internal world or more mobilized for running away: heart rate goes up,
the external world and then shifting into defensive or hearing is more attuned to danger sounds and
safety autonomic states. It’s one of the main pillars of breathing becomes more shallow. In this autonomic
the Polyvagal Theory. state, social engagement becomes much more of a
The body is constantly scanning for cues of safety challenge.
and danger. And it does so through the senses and Although unconscious, we can mindfully attune to
through internal monitoring. This information is sent the experiences of the state shifts that come from
to the brainstem, then detected as safe, dangerous, neuroceptions. For example, if you’ve ever been
or life-threatening. Neuroception shifts the body’s around someone that makes your stomach turn, you
processes to adapt to the needs of the current might be neurocepting a life-threat. Not that your life
context. Neuroception has nothing to do with choice. is actually in threat, but that system turns on around
It has everything to do with predetermined that specific person. Neuroceptive shifts are
neurobiological responses to safety or danger. noticeable as they are happening or even after the
Neuroception ties directly back into the autonomic event when thinking back.
nervous system and autonomic state. Neuroceptions
of safety, danger or life threat “hijack” the autonomic
nervous system, shifting autonomic state. If
autonomic state shifts, how we filter and react to the

Even though we may not be

aware of danger on a cognitive
level, on a neurophysiological
level, our body has already
started a sequence of neural
processes that would facilitate
adaptive defense behaviors…

Stephen Porges, PhD

Neuroception

Polyvagal One-Pagers 4 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Vagus Nerve & the Vagal Brake

The vagus nerve

The vagus nerve is at the center of the Polyvagal
Theory. But really, it’s not the most important aspect.
The nerve is an avenue the autonomic pathways
utilize to get to their destination, like muscles and
organs throughout the body.
“Stimulating” or “hacking” the vagus nerve should
not be your concern. Instead, it’s about changing the
communication that is sent up and down the highway.
The vagus nerve should primarily be considered a bi-
directional means of communication, from body to
brain and brain to body.

The vagal brake

The vagal brake is the influence of the safety
pathways - the social engagement system - on the
heart. When the safety pathways are active, they
calm the heart. The heart beats about 20 beats less
per minute - which keeps defensive state activation
minimized.
If the vagal brake comes off, then heart rate goes (Above) The vagus nerve; this
image pops up everywhere in the
up. If heart rate goes up, then the body becomes Polyvagal world.
(Left) Drawing of a heart.
mobilized for flight or fight behaviors. The mammal’s
ability to socially engage is gone and they exist in a
defensive state.
For survival emergencies, this is ideal - a temporary The vagus nerve is a conduit. It’s
a wire. That’s not really what
removal of the vagal brake. However, for daily life, this we’re concerned about… We’re
more concerned with the
is less than ideal. The vagal brake allows humans to feedback loop between organ
and brainstem that’s going
interact with each other without defensiveness. through the vagus than the nerve
itself.

Stephen Porges, PhD

Stuck Not Broken episode 15

Polyvagal One-Pagers 5 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Story Follows State

When these autonomic state shifts occur, we create a Deb Dana, LCSW. She is a
pioneer in applying the PVT to
story to explain why. It may sound something like this: the practice of psychotherapy.
“Story follows state” comes
—“The teacher hates me. There’s no point in trying.” from her mind.

—“I deserved it.”

—“I’m worthless and unlovable.”
—“I shouldn’t have been there.”
—“I must have wanted it because I didn’t say ‘no.’”
These stories are there to explain the world and
attempt to make sense of what caused the autonomic
state shift. However, these stories do not necessarily
reflect reality - they serve the function of creating an
explanation and possibly minimizing the
overwhelming nature of the state shift.
Unfortunately, these narratives can add to the
problem by keeping the survivor in their defensive
autonomic state. The narrative can unintentionally act
as a reinforcer. There’s the actual event that happens,
the autonomic shift in response to the event and our
perception of the event, then the narrative that the
survivor creates to explain the state shift.
These “stories” are not just in relation to traumatic
events. Our autonomic states also directly influence
our thoughts throughout a normal day. In our state of
safety, our thoughts will be more empathetic,
understanding, validating and normalizing. In a flight/
fight state, thoughts will be more anxious, [The] story changes depending
on [your] state, not depending on
catastrophizing, avoidant or aggressive. And in a what [you] choose to think.

shutdown state, thoughts will be pessimistic, lacking Deb Dana, LCSW

Stuck Not Broken podcast
hope or belief, and devoid of purpose. Episode 8/27/2019

Polyvagal One-Pagers 6 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
The Polyvagal Ladder

The “Polyvagal ladder” is another Polyvagal concept Other metaphors have been
proposed, but the ladder
from Deb Dana. It’s a metaphor for the mammalian is the most succinct and usable.

autonomic nervous system. The ladder illustrates the

hierarchical stacking of the three autonomic
pathways and also the sequence of shifts that occur
during the process of autonomic regulation.
A ladder is the perfect metaphor because mammals
shift up and down the autonomic systems in a
sequential order. From top to bottom and from bottom
to top, just like a ladder. Likewise, rungs on the ladder
cannot be skipped, they must be descended or From the top of the
ladder in safety…
ascended in order. At the top of the ladder is the
ventral vagal safety state. The sympathetic flight/
fight state is in the middle. And the dorsal vagal
shutdown state is at the bottom.
Mammals respond to danger or safety in a …to the middle
in mobilization…
predictable sequence of autonomic shifts. If a
potential prey cannot be safe in the herd, it drops
down the ladder into sympathetic flight. If it cannot
escape, it will shift further down into sympathetic
fight. If it cannot use evasion or aggression to …to the bottom
In shutdown.
mitigate the predator, then it will drop to the bottom
of its Polyvagal ladder and collapse in an immobile
shutdown.
The opposite is also true. When it has the
opportunity, that same prey will come out of its
shutdown collapse. A sympathetic surge of fight
energy will allow it to be aggressive and create space,
then it will use its legs to run to safety, back to the
herd and back to its connection of safety.
Your nervous system knows just
how to do this… It knows the way
back to ventral.

Deb Dana, LCSW

Stuck Not Broken podcast
Episode 8/27/2019

Polyvagal One-Pagers 7 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Safety & Social Engagement

The safety and social engagement system is the The world is:
ventral vagal parasympathetic branch of the safe, fun, peaceful, interesting, manageable
autonomic nervous system.
The safe & social state evolved within mammals and Thoughts become:

is important for optimizing the resources that the understanding, empathetic, balanced, hopeful,

body has for health, growth and restoration. curious

Examples include: homeostasis of bodily functions,

Feelings of:
hormone release, immune system and digestive
calm, happiness, connection, joy, motivation,
system functioning. When the ventral vagal pathways
excitement, relaxation, hope, awe
are activated, our heart rate slows, we take fuller
breaths into the belly, and we also have the ability to Able to:
use our face and neck muscles. focus, plan, weigh options when making a decision,
When in the safe & social state, we instantaneously self-regulate and provide co-regulation, use play, be
socially engage with others through: self-reflective
—closer proximity
—gentle eye contact
—wider range of facial expression
—wider range of physical gestures and posture
—hear human voice more accurately, while tuning
out other noises
—vocal prosody: stress, pitch, intonation, pauses, …connectedness with other
mammals, other humans, and
volume and pacing even our pet dogs and cats, is
really, in a very pragmatic way,
our purpose in life.

Stephen Porges, PhD

Love’s Brain: a Conversation with
Stephen Porges
Nalanda Institute

2019

Polyvagal One-Pagers 8 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Flight & Fight

The flight and fight system is the sympathetic branch The world is:
of the autonomic nervous system. dangerous, threatening, out of control
This system is important for optimizing the body for
evasion or aggression. It repurposes resources Thoughts become:

because some functions are not necessary during concrete, evaluative, focused on the past or the

moments of danger. For example, chewing is not future, ruminating, blaming

necessary when in danger, so saliva is not produced

Feelings of:
and the mouth goes dry. The body needs to stay at a
danger, tension, anxiety, anger, pressure
higher level of energy, so breathing becomes shallow
and heart rate increases. These changes are intended Able to:
to be temporary; for small bursts when in times of mobilize, escape, avoid, use aggression, push, lift, hit
danger.
When in the flight/fight state, we lose our social Unable to:
engagement with others: self-regulate, provide co-regulation opportunities,
—increase in distance when in flight think critically, weigh options, be empathetic
—invasion of space when in fight
—removal of eye contact or aggressive eye contact
—flat facial affect
—muscle tension
—ears attune to sounds of danger
—voice becomes more monotone and rushed The SNS is primarily a system of
mobilization. It prepares the
body for emergency by
increasing cardiac output…

Stephen Porges, PhD

The Polyvagal Theory p160

Polyvagal One-Pagers 9 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Shutdown

The shutdown system is the dorsal vagal The world is:

parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous overwhelming, uninteresting, pointless
system and the oldest of the autonomic states.
The shutdown system is important for conservation Thoughts become:

of bodily resources. If the body goes into shutdown, hopeless, apathetic

it’s anticipating that its life is in threat and shuts down

Feelings of:
all bodily processes. This serves to not only conserve
hopelessness, fogginess, tiredness, numbness,
resources, but also provides potential opportunities
disconnectedness, aloneness, worthlessness
for survival. Predators are less likely to eat a corpse,
which “playing possum” looks like. This conservative Loss of:
shutdown state is intended to be temporary and energy, motivation, connection, hope
something the body comes out of when able to
mobilize to safety. Become more:
Shutdown results in significant changes in social cold, disconnected, isolated, lethargic, unmotivated
functioning:
—disconnection from the self and others
—numbness and dissociation
—removal of eye contact
—flat facial affect
—inhibited movement
—voice becomes more flat and monotone In the beginning, for many
people, climbing out of
—limited range of emotional expression [shutdown] is really difficult…
They need a co-regulator. They
need somebody to accompany
them.

Deb Dana, LCSW

Stuck Not Broken podcast
Episode 8/27/2019

Polyvagal One-Pagers 10 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Play

safety + flight/fight = play

Play is a mixed state of the social engagement

system being utilized along with the sympathetic
flight/fight system. Play is being mobilized while safe.
Play is shared, synchronous, in the same state and
following the same rules. Face to face contact is an
important aspect of ensuring play remains safe. Using
the face signals that the autonomic nervous system is
still accessing the pathways for safety and social
engagement, an important cue for the other play
participant(s).
Play exercises the ability to self-regulate; to tap into
the defensive states while staying in the safety state.
The flight/fight mobilization system is accessed and
utilized, while under the influence of the social
engagement system. When playing tag, the flight
system is used. In wrestling, the fight system is being
used. And when playing hide & seek, the shutdown
system is being used. But all while actually safe.
Play can also be sharing attention on a task or
game. Doing a puzzle, playing soccer, baking a cake
or even working together can all be considered play.
For traumatized individuals, play may become
unsafe or be unappealing. The safety system needs
to be accessible, which can be a significant challenge What if play, rather than
displacing learning experiences,
for a nervous system stuck in a defensive state. Both actually provides a neural
exercise that would facilitate
(or all) of the nervous systems that are engaging in learning?

play need to be able to give and receive cues of Stephen Porges, PhD
Play as a neural exercise:
safety. Insights from the Polyvagal
Theory
Have you ever heard of kids that “don’t play well
with others”? These kids have lost access to their
safety state. What was once play becomes something
else. They may end up hurting others, breaking the
rules or quitting entirely.

Polyvagal One-Pagers 11 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Stillness & Intimacy

safety + shutdown = stillness

Stillness is the combination of safety and shutdown;

immobilization while in safety. Intimacy is stillness
with a co-regulative other.
The ability to be immobile while safe is imperative
for basic life functioning:
—Using the restroom
—sitting in class or working
—physical and emotional connection with another
—sleeping
—self-reflection
Individuals that are stuck in a flight/fight defensive
state may experience feelings of danger when still.
For them, being immobilized in stillness is simply
unsafe. The safety pathways are not active enough to
settle into a calm stillness.
If you’re already in a flight/fight state of danger,
then you need to be mobile. If you were in the wild,
your body would be ready to run or fight. You
wouldn’t sit in a chair in this state. The gazelle that is
running from a lion doesn’t lay down to go to sleep.
They use the energy within them.

…how do you come into quiet,

into stillness, without stimulating
shutdown? It’s a tricky thing to
do… Because stillness is a very
vulnerable place and I have to
really feel safe to come into
stillness.

Deb Dana, LCSW

Stuck Not Broken podcast
Episode 8/27/2019

Polyvagal One-Pagers 12 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Freeze

flight/fight + shutdown = freeze

Freeze is a mixed state combination of the

sympathetic mobilization system along with the
dorsal vagal shutdown system. Freeze is being
immobilized while highly charged. It’s like using a car’s
brake and the accelerator at the same time.
The freeze mixed state is possible when an
individual is highly charged in sympathetic flight/fight
energy and then forced into immobilization. This
could be through various potentially traumatic events
but could also be from more routine events like
surgeries - anesthesia forces the individual into
immobilization while they may be in a highly
sympathetic state.
More commonly, someone may experience freeze
as a panic attack. During a panic attack, the body has
a high level of sympathetic energy but immobilizes.
The muscles are tense, breathing is shallow and
thoughts of danger race, yet the body is paralyzed.
Freeze energy may become frozen into the body.
This is at the heart of PTSD, resulting in flashbacks,
nightmares, being easily triggered, intense and
prolonged distress, changes in thought and emotion,
and increased isolation. That frozen energy is either
chronically present or easily triggered into There is this whole ambiguity
because people use the word
overwhelm, panic or rage. ‘freeze’ when they really mean
‘shutting down’. The mouse in the
The frozen body has less access to the safety jaws of a cat is not frozen, it’s
just limp… The limp loss of
pathways. Building the strength of the safety system muscle tone is a dorsal vagal
response.
is important in thawing the freeze mixed state. This
Stephen Porges, PhD
builds the individual’s window of tolerance. Stuck Not Broken episode 15

2019

Polyvagal One-Pagers 13 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Fawn & Appease

safety + flight/fight + shutdown = appease

flight/fight + shutdown = fawn

The Polyvagal Theory officially conceptualizes fawn

as activation of flight/fight and shutdown.
Appeasement is conceptualized as all three primary
states active, with a significant safety state
presentation.
Fawn and appeasement are both mixed states
that may manifest in circumstances of extreme and
ongoing life-threatening danger. Escape and
aggression would not be possible remedies for the
context, and ongoing extreme shutdown would be
fatal.
Fawn results in behaviors of compliance, like in
ongoing abusive contexts. Fawn would serve as a
method of placating one’s captor or abuser. If the
fawnee could successfully anticipate the needs of
their perpetrator, the resulting life-threat may lessen.
The intent of fawning may be to appear invisible and
not as a threat to the perpetrator.
Appeasement results in behaviors of joining with
the perpetrator as well as co-regulative safety cues.
The appeaser is able to use their safety state to lower
the life-threat potential of the context. They also join
When we apply and refine the
with their perpetrator in values and goals, even concept of appeasement to the
Polyvagal Theory’s assertion of
identifying authority figures as enemies. the fundamental drive to
internalise a sense of safety, we
Both fawn and appeasement likely involve can more accurately describe the
powerful instinctual desire to
significant shutdown states and dissociation. The survive and thrive, regardless of
the circumstances. In this
dissociative element may help the victim to context, the concept of
appeasement eliminates most
psychologically cope with their behaviors as well as suggestions of mutual affection
and bonding when in survival
enable functioning without a complete shutdown mode.

collapse. Porges, at al
Appeasement: replacing
Stockholm Syndrome as a
Survival Strategy

Polyvagal One-Pagers 14 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Trauma & the Polyvagal Theory

Trauma is being stuck in a defensive state 1. An acute life threat reaction

This is something that someone survives, like a crash,
The Polyvagal Theory has a specific proposition for an assault or an explosion. This is most likely related
what “trauma” is. It’s a word that you probably hear to the freeze mixed state. The body is ready to
often. Very often. And the meaning of it has been mobilize, but forced into immobilization or unable to
watered down severely. complete the mobilization survival response.
PVT describes “trauma” as specifically being related
to the autonomic nervous system being stuck in a 2. A chronic disruption of connectedness

defensive state. Trauma is not the event. It’s not the When someone repeatedly gets cut off from safe

incident that someone went through even though others, that will leave them in a stuck defensive state.

that’s typically how the word is used. Trauma is the Children are particularly susceptible to this due to

impact of the event. It’s how the event affected you in their biological impulse and need to attach to safe

the moment and how it still affects you. caregivers. The safety state does not get developed,

There are many different events that one could go leaving that child in a chronically defensive state and

through that leave them in a traumatized state. But unable to climb their autonomic ladder.

the same event is going to affect people in different

ways based on many factors. We could survive the
same bus crash and walk away with much different
autonomic shifts. And one of us may get stuck in a
defensive state.
Even though many different events could lead to a The issue is - does the body shift
state into a chronic state of
traumatized state, there are only two types of trauma: threat? [That is] what trauma is,
the body has been retuned.

Stephen Porges, PhD

Trauma and the Nervous System:
Stephen Porges & Gabor Mate -
Wisdom of Trauma Series

2021

Polyvagal One-Pagers 15 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Behavioral Adaptations

A behavioral adaptation is a behavior that we engage Examples of behavioral adaptations:

in as an adaptation to a stuck defensive state. It's — addictions of all kinds
something we do to avoid feeling the discomfort of — physical abuse
shifting up the Polyvagal ladder or of existing in a — bullying
defensive state. — isolating
When we are in these defensive states, it's really — acting out in class
important that we actually feel the experience of that — self-harm
defensive state. Mindfully. When we do so, it allows — oversleeping
the defensive energy to run its course and discharge. — disordered eating
Then the autonomic nervous system can regulate to — workaholism
the top of the Polyvagal ladder, into the safe/social — social media binges
state.
Instead of feeling into - and not avoiding - the
defensive energy, we engage in some sort of
behavior. Substance use is an obvious one. It relieves
the pain and might give a pseudo ladder climb.
Through using a substance, one can “cope” with the
defensive energy. It doesn't ultimately help, but it
provides an immediate pseudo-relief. (Substance use
not recommended.)
I think what you would find is it
really doesn't matter what the
diagnosis is… [T]hey share some
common features. And the
common features have to do with
state regulation. And in fact the
manifestations... has to do with
the strategies that the higher
brain structures developed to
regulate their state.

Stephen Porges, PhD

Stuck Not Broken episode 15

Polyvagal One-Pagers 16 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Co-regulation

Mammals have the capacity for social interaction and simply are activated with the correct biobehavioral
receiving cues of safety from other mammals to help cues from the safe other, like using the upper part of
them into their ventral vagal state of safety and social the face, or expressing vocal prosody.
engagement. This is done through an unconscious The process of co-regulation is encoded into our
biological process called “co-regulation”. DNA. Co-regulation helps a mammalian organism to
Co-regulation is not self-driven, nor is it imposed by function at its peak, from its state of ventral vagal
an other either. It’s something received through safety. A baby receives co-regulation from a parent
unconscious cues of safety. This is mostly a passive that has a soothing voice and gentle touch. The baby
process done through neuroception. doesn’t choose to calm itself. The baby as an
Through neuroception, a dysregulated individual organism detects safety, which triggers the Polyvagal
can detect cues of safety from a regulated individual. shifts into its own safety state.
Someone stuck in an anxious flight state can see the
gentle smile of a safe other, which triggers some
activation of their safety pathways. They don’t
choose to have those pathways activated; they

[Words] only carry a small aspect

of the meaning of life. Our voice,
our intonation, our facial
expressivity are really the cues to
tell the other person that we’re
safe to come close to and we’re
there to help them co-regulate..”

Stephen Porges, PhD

Trauma & the Nervous System:
Co-regulation can involve gentle Stephen Porges & Gabor Mate
touch, eye contact and Wisdom of Trauma Interview
genuine smiles.

Polyvagal One-Pagers 17 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Self-regulation

Self-regulation is the ability for a mammal to exit out The experience of self-regulation may be
of a defensive state and into its safety state. In other uncomfortable for someone and cause them to
words, to climb their own Polyvagal ladder. Self- remain in a defensive state. Physical sensations,
regulation involves coming out of a shutdown emotions, cognitive and behavioral changes all occur.
collapse, into sympathetic flight/fight and then into If not prepared, the individual will experience
safety and social connection. discomfort (e.g., fear) and stop their natural self-
Self-regulation requires a high level of mindfulness - regulation process.
of listening to the needs of the body’s autonomic Traumatized individuals have a more difficult time
state and being able to act on those impulses. When with self-regulation. They are stuck down their
the body is in a shutdown state, self-regulation could Polyvagal ladder in a state of defense. If they were
look like immobilizing in a space that is non- able to self-regulate into their safety state, they
stimulating. When the body needs mobilization, self- wouldn’t be stuck; wouldn’t be traumatized. By
regulation could look like fidgeting or working out. definition, trauma is not only being stuck, but also
These actions - when done mindfully - may help that lacking the capacity for effective self-regulation.
individual climb their Polyvagal ladder.

With physical maturation, neural

pathways… exhibit a greater
efficiency in regulating the [ANS]
and enable the maintenance of
physiological homeostasis in
both safe and dangerous
situations... These maturational
changes provide greater abilities
to self-regulate and to reduce
dependence on others.
Safety cues are important in self-
regulation. Learn to self-regulate Stephen Porges, PhD
through the Polyvagal Trauma The Polyvagal Theory p160
Relief System on
JustinLMFT.com.

Polyvagal One-Pagers 18 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Polyvagal Theory Fundamentals

Primary states Safe & Social Connection, executive functioning, play, stillness,
ventral vagal parasympathetic health, growth and restoration

Flight & Fight Mobilization, survival, heart rate up, shallow

sympathetic breathing, tense muscles, scanning for danger

Shutdown Immobilization collapse, numbness, dissociation,

dorsal vagal parasympathetic blood pressure and heart rate drop, conservation

Mixed states Freeze Immobility while mobilized for flight/fight; panic

dorsal vagal + sympathetic attacks, rage, overwhelm

Play Social engagement while mobilized; shared,

ventral vagal + sympathetic synchronous, reciprocal interaction

Stillness & Intimacy Immobility while safe; calm, relaxation, meditative,

ventral vagal + dorsal vagal self-reflective, in solitude or with another (intimacy)

Fawn Compliance when under severe and ongoing life-

Flight/fight + shutdown threat

Appeasement Joining when under severe and ongoing life-threat

Safety + flight/fight + shutdown

Key terms Neuroception Unconscious method of detecting safety, danger or

life threat in the internal and external world

Vagal brake Influence of the social engagement system on the

heart; “distress tolerance,” “window of tolerance”

Polyvagal ladder Metaphor for how autonomic pathways hierarchically

evolved and shift in the body

Co-regulation Unconscious sending and receiving of safety cues

between mammals

Polyvagal One-Pagers 19 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Co-regulation Fundamentals

Co-regulation Gentle eye contact No need to force it. Just offer it and the other person
looks like (vs. the stare of your will come around and meet your gentle, loving gaze
favorite sociopath) when they’re in their ventral state enough. Be patient.

Vocal prosody Let your playfulness, curiosity, concern and love

(vs. a deeper monotone; think come through in your voice. Bring a sing-songy
“Bueller”) quality to it. Actual singing not necessary.

Head tilts Let your head tilt when you’re curious or in a

(because you’re not a statue) wonderful state of wonderment.

Eye crinkles You know, like when you have a genuine smile (see
(they aren’t wrinkles. They’re next) or when you’re listening so dang good that your
lines of connection) eyes crinkle. You know.

Genuine smiles Let your joy and excitement for the other person
(not wide-eyed creepy ones) come through! Or just the love and admiration that
shows with a slight smile and raised eyebrows.

Facial affect Your face shows your state. If you’re safe, you’re
(you have muscles in your face gonna smile, crinkle and squint.
for a reason)

Safe touch This is obvious, right? Please, please tell me this is

(appropriate, welcome, gentle) obvious.

Don’t fake it More than support

If you aren’t able to do these things, that means you Co-regulation is a biological process. It’s more than
aren’t in your social engagement system enough. simply listening to someone. More than being
Self-regulate up your Polyvagal ladder as much as empathetic. More than understanding. That might be
you can and you’ll be providing co-regulation in no what co-regulation looks like behaviorally and feel like
time. experientially, but there are psychophysiological cues
of safety and danger being exchanged.

Polyvagal One-Pagers 20 Written and designed by Polyvagal Theory from

Justin Sunseri, LMFT Stephen Porges, PhD
Next Steps on JustinLMFT.com

Learn more about JustinLMFT.com JustinLMFT.com has many more Polyvagal-informed

the Polyvagal resources for you to learn from:
Theory —blog
—podcast
—free members center with more

Free eBook Sign up for the email list and you will get immediate
access to “Trauma & the Polyvagal Paradigm.”
—JustinLMFT.com/books

Trauma recovery Stuck Not Broken: Total If you are ready to get unstuck, and take your self-
Access Membership development and trauma recovery to the next phase,
a private community and three trauma recovery
courses are waiting for you in the “Total Access
Membership.”

The Polyvagal Trauma Relief System teaches you

deeply and simply about the Polyvagal Theory and
self-regulation. You will build your vagal brake
strength and then relieve your stuck defensive state
through 3 self-paced courses.

The private community gives you exclusive access to

numerous perks to boost your learning and build
connection with others as you are ready to:
—twice-monthly meetups for open Q&A with Justin
—private discussion forum
—private podcast
—daily growth challenges and prompts

Written and designed by

Justin Sunseri, LMFT
Polyvagal
If you have a solid understanding
of these pieces, put a check! If
not, keep learning!

Checklist from Justin Sunseri,

Checklist
LMFT99147
Find more at JustinLMFT.com

Polyvagal Theory from Dr.

Stephen Porges

Autonomic nervous system

Autonomic state

Polyvagal ladder

Neuroception

The vagus nerve

The vagal brake

Story follows state

Safety & social engagement

Flight & fight

Shutdown

Play

Stillness & Intimacy

Freeze

Fawn & Appease

Behavioral adaptations

Co-regulation

Self-regulation

Connection to trauma
Polyvagal
Affiliate notice: The links will take
you to Amazon; a portion of your
purchase will go to Justin Sunseri
at no extra cost to you.

Primary Books
All books and more can be found
in Justin’s Amazon storefront.

Go to Justin’s store >

The Polyvagal Theory (2011) Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory (2018)
The first book from the Theory’s creator. It’s dense A collection of essays from various writers that apply
and highly academic. If you try it, make sure you the PVT to nursing, therapy, grief, and more. Very
have a dictionary handy. And a biology professor or interesting and easy to read. This is recommended for
two also. Hardcore PVT Nerds only. those that are broadening their understanding of the
Buy the book > theory and are interested in various professional
applications.
Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory (2017) Buy the book >
This was made for the layperson. There’s a very
handy glossary of terms to turn to; it’ll be your best The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy (2018)
friend. Highly recommended as your starting point. Deb Dana does an incredible job of translating the
More accessible than his first and in a literal PVT for anyone. This book is directed at therapists,
conversational tone. but anyone can read it and benefit from it. If you are
Buy the book > on a self-regulation journey, this is easily
approachable and applicable to your recovery
Polyvagal Safety (2021) process.
This is another collection of essays, most of which Buy the book >
are found online for free. They range from easy to
difficult in approachability for the layperson. An Polyvagal Exercises for Safety… (2020)
interesting read, though repetitive since each essay Deb Dana provides lots more practical activities to
explains the Theory again and again. The highlight engage with your nervous system and develop your
here is Porges’ rebuttals to critiques of his Theory. safety state. These are designed specifically for one
Buy the book > to use between therapy sessions, but is great for
anyone on a self-regulation journey.
Our Polyvagal World (2023) Buy the book >
This might be the most approachable book on this
list from Dr. Porges himself, but that’s because it’s Anchored (2021)
cowritten by his son, Seth. It applies the PVT to many Similar to her Polyvagal Exercises book, this one is for
aspects of life and society, including work, the covid the person that is looking to anchor more into their
pandemic, and prison. It briefly adds three new safety state. Lots more Polyvagal exercises.
mixed states that leaves the reader with questions. Buy the book >
Overall worth the read though.
Buy the book > Polyvagal Practices
Another one that is written for the lay person from
Deb Dana. This is super duper short and very
approachable, with another breakdown of the theory
and lots of practical things to implement.
Buy the book >

Written and designed by

Justin Sunseri, LMFT