Polyvagal-Informed Treatment is rooted in the work of Dr. Stephen Porges, whose research maps how the autonomic nervous system governs our capacity for safety, connection, and resilience. When trauma disrupts this system, people can become stuck in states of fight, flight, or freeze — states that feel involuntary and persistent, regardless of circumstances.
At Holina, polyvagal principles are not a standalone technique — they are woven into every clinical interaction. Every therapy session, every group process, and every somatic practice is designed to work with the nervous system rather than against it.
The Practice
How polyvagal-informed work is applied at Holina.
Mapping Your Nervous System
Your therapist helps you understand your own autonomic patterns — identifying the states that keep you stuck and the conditions that support regulation. Awareness is the first step toward change.
Co-Regulation & Safe Relationship
The therapeutic relationship itself is a healing tool. Through consistent, attuned interaction, practitioners help the nervous system learn — or relearn — that safety with another person is possible.
Vagal Tone Practices
Breath, voice, gentle movement, and sound are used to stimulate the vagus nerve and shift the body toward states of calm, connection, and openness. These practices are accessible, body-based, and tangible.
Integration Across Therapies
Polyvagal understanding informs how all other therapies are paced and sequenced — ensuring that deeper trauma work only happens when the nervous system is sufficiently resourced to hold it.
Who This Supports
Polyvagal work is particularly supportive for:
Trauma and PTSD — including complex and childhood trauma
Persistent anxiety, hypervigilance, or a constant sense of threat
