The Whitewashing of Polyvagal Theory

Polyvagal Theory (PVT), or as we may know it, nervous system therapy, has recently come under scrutiny. This has spurred a conversation among therapists, healers, social workers and other mental health professionals about not only the validity of the theory, but of the critique itself. Polyvagal Theory is based in somatic practices that long predate its therapeutic title. These practices have been performed, practiced, and celebrated throughout many different cultures, traditions, communities, and peoples for centuries.

Before ever being codified and commodified to fit white Eurocentric understandings and lenses of healing, these types of practices were what brought communities together and allowed for a deeper understanding of our connections to self and others. Safety was achieved not in isolation of the world and systems around them, but rather in the understanding of the impacts of them. Regulation, resistance, care, and safety were born from rhythms, breathwork, movement, meditation and embodiment, and other traditional practices that connect one to the self, their communities, and their environments.

While the most recent critique of PVT demonstrates a need for deeper understanding of the neuroscience behind it, leaves out the heart of what PVT is all about. The critique takes on a positivist western approach which minimizes, and even degrades, the traditions in which the theory was born. It aligns with Western tradition of pathologizing, diagnosing, labeling, and “othering” as a way of separation and colonization. 

Before therapy was pathologized, healing was happening. Before Eurocentric White professionals (largely white men) required academic language, certifications and the monetization of care, communities across the world were already practicing healing.

The healing we see in Polyvagal Theory does not hinge on the scientific data that posits itself around whiteness, individualism, and the idea of a universal human biology. Systems designed to measure “safety” have often ignored or denied the experiences of Black, Brown, and Indigenous bodies, yet survival states are real, and regulation, resistance, and care live in our bodies. At its core, PVT comes from the understanding that healing is done in community. 

The deep-rooted and long-standing practices reflected in Polyvagal Theory are what we at Emerald Mental Health seek to honor in our work with clients. We believe healing comes in many forms. Before therapy had language, there were healers who understood that the body holds knowledge that the mind alone cannot access.

Interested in learning more about Polyvagal Theory, or how nervous system therapy could benefit you? Reach out today!