Polyvagal theory survives the 2026 "untenable" critique: what the critics contested was mechanism and evolutionary framing, not the clinical proposition.

What this subject means

Polyvagal theory Stephen Porges’s account of the vagus nerve as the switch between defence and social connection. Widely used in trauma therapy and contested in physiology.

What Arielle Schwartz actually said

Arielle Schwartz 2 Mar 2026 Clinical psychologist, EMDR consultant and yoga teacher in Boulder, Colorado

The central clinical proposition of polyvagal theory-that autonomic state functions as an organizing platform shaping perception, emotion, and relational behavior-was not empirically disproven in the critique.

↗Clinical Reflections on the Critique on Polyvagal Theory proposed by Grossman et al., (2026)drarielleschwartz.com
2 Mar 2026

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