Emotional Regulation is a lifelong practice; one that involves developing awareness of your inner emotional world and applying strategies to stay balanced, especially in moments of stress or emotional overwhelm. It’s not about suppressing your emotions, but about creating space between what you feel and how you respond.

What Is Emotional Regulation?

At its core, emotional regulation is about learning to understand, accept, and manage your emotional overwhelm.  Particularly during high-stress or emotionally charged situations. By cultivating self-awareness and safe coping tools, you can gradually shift how your nervous system reacts to everyday experiences.

How Polyvagal Therapy Supports Emotional Regulation

This is where Polyvagal Therapy comes in.  A body-based, science-informed approach rooted in Polyvagal Theory. Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, this framework helps you make sense of emotional responses in relation to your autonomic nervous system.

At the heart of Polyvagal Theory is the concept of neuroception; the unconscious process by which your nervous system constantly scans your environment for cues of safety or threat. Your responses; whether you shut down, become anxious, or feel calm, are not random. They’re biological patterns meant to protect you.

Recognising that your emotional reactions are physiological can help you shift from self-judgment to curiosity. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?” you begin asking, “What does my body need to feel safe right now?”

Understanding Your Nervous System States

Through Polyvagal-informed therapy, you learn to track key nervous system states:

• Sympathetic Activation (fight or flight)

• Dorsal Vagal Shutdown (freeze or collapse)

• Ventral Vagal Connection (safety and social engagement)

By learning to recognise subtle cues; like a racing heartbeat, shallow breath, or shoulder tension.  You can spot when you’re leaving your window of tolerance and intervene before spiralling into emotional overwhelm.

Ways to Regulate your Nervous System

You’ll explore a variety of nervous system-friendly regulation supports, such as:

• Grounding exercises

• Deep, vagus-nerve-stimulating breaths

• Humming or gentle vocalisations

• Therapeutic movement

• Reaching out to safe, supportive people

These tools work with your nervous system, not against it, and help you return to a state of safety and connection.

The Power of Co-Regulation and Connection

Polyvagal Therapy also emphasises co-regulation; the healing power of safe, attuned relationships. You’re not meant to do it all alone. In therapy, you’ll learn that reaching out for support is not a weakness, but a biological need.

Over time, therapy helps you build an internal ladder of support.  A way to climb from shutdown or hyper-arousal back into calm, grounded awareness. You’ll learn to respect your body’s signals for rest or space without labeling them as flaws.

From Symptom Management to Deep Nervous System Healing

This journey goes beyond symptom management. Emotional regulation through Polyvagal Therapy is about:

• Reconnecting with your body’s story

• Finding safety within

• Cultivating long-term resilience

• Building deeper emotional connections—with yourself and others

Start Your Emotional Regulation Journey Today

There is no quick fix for emotional regulation.  It’s an ongoing process. But with Polyvagal Therapy, you can ground yourself in a supportive, science-backed framework that promotes healing, self-understanding, and true connecti