The window of tolerance is the optimal zone of nervous system activation in which a person can function, process information, and relate effectively. Outside it, there are two extremes: hyperactivation (panic, flashback, agitation) and hypoactivation (numbness, dissociation, freezing). The therapeutic work consists of expanding that window.
Concept origin
Daniel Siegel (1999) developed the concept in "The Developing Mind." Pat Ogden integrated it into sensorimotor psychotherapy for trauma, making it a central clinical guide. The model explains why certain people with trauma "cannot talk about what happened" in therapy: they are outside the window and processing is impossible.
Therapeutic approach
The therapeutic goal is to bring the person within their window before any processing work. For hyperactivation: downregulation techniques (breathing, slow movement, sensory grounding). For hypoactivation: gentle activation (movement, temperature, active environmental orientation). Titration (working in small doses) is key.
Related concepts
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