I have been thinking about “safety” lately. I love the polyvagal theory because it places feelings solidly within the ranges of our physiological felt sense, aka interoception. Many people experience the range of their emotions as physiological sensations (or symptoms depending on perspective/severity). The polyvagal theory offers us a map to help our people interpret what the body is expressing. However, most articulations of the theory use the word “safety” in a way I find troubling.

“… people are motivated by feeling valued and/or appreciated for who they are. Appreciative Inquiry makes an explicit practice of being curious about strengths and possibilities and highlights things that are working well and then wonders how that can happen more in arenas where there are challenges…”