Hello incredible professionals,
As we conclude our month exploring the Polyvagal Perspective, I find myself reflecting on how this framework doesn’t just change our understanding – it transforms our entire approach to the humans we serve and to ourselves as helping professionals.
Today, I want to focus on sustainable integration – how to weave these concepts into your existing practice and sustain this approach over time.
Beyond Technique: Creating a Polyvagal-Informed Practice
What I’ve observed in my consultation work is that the most profound shifts happen not when practitioners master specific techniques, but when they allow this perspective to reshape their fundamental orientation to their work.
A school counselor shared this reflection: “I used to see my role as fixing problem behaviors. Now I see myself as a nervous system supportive presence. Everything has changed – not just what I do, but how I think about what I’m doing and why.”
Integrating Polyvagal Understanding Into Existing Frameworks
Rather than replacing your current approaches, the polyvagal perspective can enhance and deepen them. Here are some integration points across different professional contexts:
For Educational Frameworks:
- View learning readiness through an autonomic lens
- Interpret classroom management as co-regulation
- Understand educational resistance as protective responses
- Design curriculum delivery with state shifts in mind
- Create assessment approaches that consider autonomic state
An early childhood educator described how she now begins each class with a brief “weather body check” and regulation activity. “The five minutes I invest in this pays back tenfold in engagement and connection!” she noted.
For Therapeutic Approaches:
- Incorporate autonomic awareness into assessment
- Address physiological safety before cognitive interventions
- Track subtle state shifts during therapeutic processes
- Adapt pacing based on autonomic capacity
- View resistance as protective rather than oppositional
A play therapist shared how she completely restructured her sessions to begin with regulatory activities before moving into traditional play therapy. “The depth of work we can do has increased dramatically because we’re starting from a regulated foundation,” she explained.
For Early Support and Home Visits:
- Include autonomic assessment in family functioning evaluations
- Design interventions that address family regulation patterns
- Create support plans that acknowledge autonomic capacity
- Measure progress in terms of regulatory flexibility, not just behavioral compliance
- Support self-regulation as essential to effective service
An early support home visitor described how she now brings simple regulation tools to every home visit. “I start by co-regulating with the parents before we tackle difficult topics. The conversations we can have after even five minutes of regulation work are completely different.”
Documentation and Language That Reflects Polyvagal Understanding
The language we use shapes how we and others understand the individuals we serve. Some documentation shifts that professionals have found helpful:
From behavior-focused to autonomic-informed language:
- Instead of “refused to participate,” try “entered protective shutdown when asked to join group”
- Instead of “was defiant and disruptive,” try “moved into sympathetic activation when faced with challenging task”
- Instead of “was compliant and cooperative,” try “maintained ventral vagal connection throughout session”
- Instead of “failed to complete homework again,” try “continues to experience autonomic barriers to engaging with homework”
Progress notes that track regulation capacity:
- Document shifts between states
- Note specific triggers for protective responses
- Record co-regulation strategies that proved effective
- Track emerging self-regulation capacities
- Highlight environmental factors that supported regulation
An elementary school teacher shared how changing her report language transformed how other teachers and admin staff viewed a struggling student: “When I described his behavior as ‘protective responses’ rather than ‘opposition,’ the whole team shifted from frustration to compassion and problem-solving.”
Creating Team Approaches to Nervous System Support
The polyvagal perspective is most powerful when it becomes a shared framework across teams. Some approaches that foster this integration:
- Develop common language for discussing autonomic states
- Create team check-ins that include regulation support
- Design environments that support staff regulation
- Include autonomic assessment in team case discussions
- Acknowledge the impact of working with dysregulation
Creating Team Approaches to Nervous System Support
The polyvagal perspective is most powerful when it becomes a shared framework across teams. Some approaches that foster this integration:
- Develop common language for discussing autonomic states
- Create team check-ins that include regulation support
- Design environments that support staff regulation
- Include autonomic assessment in team case discussions
- Acknowledge the impact of working with dysregulation
Sustaining Ourselves in This Work
Perhaps most importantly, the polyvagal perspective invites us to prioritize our own nervous system health as essential to effective practice.
I’ve observed that professionals who sustain this work overtime tend to:
- Recognize their own state shifts and regulation needs
- Create brief, accessible regulation practices throughout their day
- Establish boundaries that respect their autonomic capacity
- Build in transition time between intense interactions
- Develop a community of co-regulating colleagues
- Acknowledge that their regulation directly impacts those they serve
A preschool owner, teacher, and consultant shared, “I used to think self-care was selfish or something I should do after work. Now I understand that my regulation is actually my primary intervention tool. Taking two minutes between classes to reset my system isn’t self-indulgent—it’s essential professional practice.”
Questions for Your Continuing Journey:
As we conclude this month’s exploration, I invite you to reflect on:
- How has the polyvagal perspective shifted your understanding of the people you serve?
- What aspects of your professional approach have transformed through this lens?
- Where do you see opportunities for deeper integration in your setting?
- How has this understanding influenced your relationship with your own nervous system?
I’d love to hear what has emerged for you through this exploration. Your insights and experiences enrich our professional community.
I’m deeply grateful to be on this journey with such dedicated professionals. Your commitment to growing your understanding and practice creates ripples that extend far beyond what you might see in any given day.
I’ve learned that integrating the polyvagal perspective into professional practice doesn’t just benefit those we serve—it fundamentally changes our experience as helpers. When we understand behavior through this lens, compassion naturally grows, judgment diminishes, and our work becomes more sustainable and fulfilling. This transformation may be the most valuable outcome of all.
