DRCC resource: Window of Tolerance (2021)

Every person has an optimum ‘zone’ in which they can function normally and effectively – where they can thrive in their lives. Within this ‘zone’, a person can cope with and respond to the demands of life without a lot of difficulty. How a person manages – whether well or less well – depends on how much stress they are under and how well resourced they are with supports and coping skills.

The Window of Tolerance^[1] is a way of describing this ‘zone of arousal’ that also explains the impact of trauma.  It is a useful ‘map’ to apply in situations of crisis and stress.

 

_{[1] Information based on work done by Dan Siegal (1999) & Pat Ogden of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (2002).}