The stress of a traumatic memory or trigger may cause them to be pushed out of their window of tolerance.
That means they generally have a very narrow window of tolerance. Someone constantly living in their past trauma is primed to detect threat- and enter into that state of defense. When a client is traumatized, it can be especially difficult for them to stay grounded in the present because the past is more vivid and intrusive. When a person is operating within this zone or window, they can effectively manage and cope with their emotions.įor clients who have experienced trauma, it is often difficult to regulate emotions and the zone of arousal where they can function effectively becomes quite narrow. Dan Siegel, MD to describe the optimal zone of “arousal” for a person to function in everyday life. The window of tolerance is a concept originally developed by Dr. In situations like this, psychoeducation can be one of our best tools – and one helpful concept is “the window of tolerance.” So how can we help clients who struggle to manage the anxiety, anger, and pain brought on by everyday stressors? Clients are best able to cope with stressors and triggers when they can manage the resulting emotions.
