…your therapist also would be well served by reading Deb Dana’s books on Polyvagal Theory. Some good quotes that I think you’ll appreciate:
“When I teach Polyvagal Theory to colleagues and clients, I tell them they are learning about the science of safety—the science of feeling safe enough to fall in love with life and take the risks of living.”
“Trauma compromises our ability to engage with others by replacing patterns of connection with patterns of protection.”
“The autonomic nervous system doesn’t make a judgment about good and bad; it simply acts to manage risk and seek safety. Helping clients appreciate the protective intent of their autonomic responses begins to reduce the shame and self-blame that trauma survivors so often feel. When offered the lens of Polyvagal Theory, clients become curious about the cues of safety and danger their nervous systems are sensing and begin to understand their responses as courageous survival responses that can be held with compassion.”
Written on October 19, 2024