Polyvagal Theory is under fire

Here’s what therapists need to know.

If you’ve been following the news in trauma and neuroscience circles, you may have seen that Polyvagal Theory is under attack. A group of 39 researchers published a paper in 2026 calling the theory “untenable.” Wikipedia has been updated to reflect the criticism. Therapists who have built their clinical practice around this framework are understandably …