10/21/2025
Lisa Dion has amazing insight that helps us be there for our kids!
Why the Vagus Nerve Matters in Play Therapy ⚛️ If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally activated during a play therapy session —you’re not alone.
It happens because we feel with our clients.
And when a child’s nervous system is activated, ours naturally responds.
But here’s the key—how we regulate ourselves in those moments matters.
And that’s where the vagus nerve comes in.
In our nervous system, we have two main branches:
🔹 The Sympathetic System – The part that revs us up (fight/flight).
🔹 The Parasympathetic System – The part that slows us down (rest/digest).
The vagus nerve lives within the parasympathetic system—specifically, in the ventral vagus branch.
✨ Its job? To help regulate our arousal states—whether we are escalating (hyperarousal) or shutting down (hypoarousal).
Why Does the Vagus Nerve Matter in Play Therapy?
Because in play therapy, our nervous system is constantly interacting with the child’s nervous system.
We sit with their:
💥 Activation
💥 Emotional overwhelm
💥 Fear, sadness, rage, confusion
And in doing so, we feel it, too.
Without an ability to regulate through the vagus nerve, we risk:
❌ Staying stuck in activation alongside the child
❌ Feeling overwhelmed, drained, or anxious after sessions
❌ Losing access to the spaciousness needed for co-regulation
Here’s the essential piece—we cannot co-regulate a child unless we can regulate ourselves.
When we learn how to activate our vagus nerve, we:
✔️ Stay connected to ourselves in heightened moments
✔️ Create a sense of safety for the child to anchor into
✔️ Hold a steady presence, allowing the child to move through their activation
The more regulated we are, the more we become the child’s external regulator—offering them a way back to themselves.
An Invitation—Explore Your Own Vagal Regulation
If this is new to you—or if you want to deepen your understanding—I invite you to explore:
🌿 How do you activate your vagus nerve?
🌿 What practices help you regulate when you’re activated?
🌿 How does your ability to regulate impact your clients?
Because knowing how to engage your own vagus nerve isn’t just about self-care—it’s about becoming a more attuned, grounded, and effective therapist.
Much love on the journey 💜
Lisa
