Our clients are best able to cope with stressors and triggers when they’re operating within their window of tolerance.
But a traumatic experience can narrow our clients’ window of tolerance, leading to states of either hyper- or hypo-arousal.
So we created this infographic as a tool you can share with your clients. It can help you explain what’s going on when they’re feeling dysregulated. Plus, this will help to support the exercises and work you do together as an important part of healing.
Click the image to enlarge
If you’d like to print a copy for yourself, just click here: Color or Print-friendly
(Please be sure to include the copyright information. We put a lot of work into creating these resources for you. Thanks!)
For more strategies you can use to help clients who’ve experienced trauma, be sure to check out the Treating Trauma Master Series.
You’ll get insights from Bessel van der Kolk, MD; Dan Siegel, MD; Pat Ogden, PhD; Stephen Porges, PhD; Peter Levine, PhD; Allan Schore, PhD; and Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD.
Now we’d like to hear from you. How could this help you in your work? Please leave a comment below.
Understanding this infographic tool – window of tolerance help me to self reflect and now I am aware of how to get out of the hyperarousal or hyperarousal state and stay in the safe window of tolerance. Also how to support my colleague at work to do so. This was documented so clear and straightforward. Keep on doing the good work. Thank you.
Olah Brown (Registered Nurse).
London
Would it be okay to use this diagram on a blog for my counselling website? It’s just such a clear diagram. I will of course include the copyright information.
Hi Trevor, You are welcome to do so – just be sure to give credit to our company and be sure you let those you share it where they can find it on our website!
Hi my name is Nancy Lizotte. I was referred to you by my worker at CMHA . Her name is Linda. She told me that this would be very helpful to me to get help in dealing with a lot of Trama in my life. I’m not quite sure how this works or how to go about it. Can u please get back to me and explain everything to me. My email address is nancylizotte123@gmail.com or my cell number 289-828-8276. Hope to hear back from you. Thanku
If I include the copyright information, can I use your infographic in a chapter on trauma-informed practice in a manual about Violence Against Women? The manual is created for and by not-for-profit organizations. It will not be printed and will not be sold. Thank you.
Hi Jo-Anne, yes. Just please be sure to include the copyright information. We put a lot of work into creating these resources for you. Thanks!
This Window of Tolerance infographic is going to be a very useful tool to share with clients. Thank you so much for making it freely available!
Regards,
John Foran,
Psychologist, CBT & EMDR therapist (Netherlands)
Thank you for these resources, they (along with Dr Van Der Kolk’s book The Body Keeps The Score) are helping me to make sense of myself and the world around me after many failed attempts at therapy and multiple misdiagnosis, over many decades before being diagnosed with c-ptsd. Finally I feel understood and understand. Thank you for not giving up and for your dedication to survivors of trauma. We now have a voice.
Hi
I am psychotherapist at hospital in Taiwan.
Could i translate the picture to traditional chinese?
Best regards,
Li
Hi Kuei, yes you may translate the infographic for your own use. Just please be sure to include the copyright information. We put a lot of work into creating these resources for you. Thank you!
I love the work of Bessel , Siegel, and Levine so I’m looking forward to exploring options for the Treating Trauma master course
Thank you so much to share this resource with us for free.
Thank you for sharing this information.
Thank you for the free resource! But like what others have said, why was dysregulation removed? I very much prefer that version too. Is is possible for that version to be reuploaded?
Thank you again!
Thank you for sharing this information
Thanks for sharing.
Can you provide the window of tolerance graphic in a Spanish translation, please?
Thank you for providing these wonderful resources. They are extremely helpful in explaining the concepts of stress and trauma to students and clients, also in the context of Mindfulness training.
This is a wonderful resource that I use with clients! Is it possible to access this and the rest of the PDF’s on window of tolerance and other resources in Spanish?
Thank you so much for your support.
Thank you! Was just wondering why I felt line checking myself into a mental institution after a hyperarousal moment. I looked up online to remember my « window of tolerance « and found your helpful too… illustrations helped. Funny how after repeated childhood sexual abuse (CPTSD) can bring your moods on a roller coaster ride even 40 years later. ?
Though not a licensed mental health practitioner, I learn so much from your and your colleagues’ resources, knowledge, skills, and experiences. Wonderful. Thank you. Also, your offerings are helpful for me and, thus, help me help my clients…conflict resolution and communication practice + a spiritual companion practice. Thank you, again! Best wishes to you always in all ways.
Thank you for sharing this information. At present I’m doing the “how to deal with fear” program. I find that Psycho-education helps the client have a new informed perspective of their thoughts and feelings. challenging clients risk assessments and the reality of their thoughts.
I like that this is just very simple and clear.
Very helpful thank you!
Very useful!
But I prefer your 2017 version of it
I do too! I’m wondering why the dysregulation sections were removed…
Do tou havw a copy of the 2017 with those parts I could possibly use?
thank you this will help many many of my clients
Much gratitude to the NICABM team for this infographic. These summaries are a great visual support for all of us.
Thank you!
Thank you NICABM team for your generosity! This is good, simple and useful!
Thank you and all the experts again. This infographics is so simple and clear. It helps me to show my clients clearly the emotions (hyper or hypo) they were in to understand why they were behaving as such. It definitely helps in my client work. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Thank you so much for the Info-graphics. They are so helpful!
Hi Ruth 🙂 love this diagrams -my clients’ really can identify with them, especially male clients…….maybe it helps them process the information better?…..thanks again to al your colleagues for this trauma series!
Kind regards
Caroline
Thank you! It really useful infographic. I will propose it to my director. I work in a company which produces content, so right cooperation with client one of the most important parts of success.
Thank you for the detailed and informative Window of Tolerance.
It helps me to know I can be in the window zone no matter how small or large it is at any given time. It doesn’t have to be, ‘I’m all in’ or ‘I’m all out’. I like that.
Please notify me of new posts
Hi! Do you have this infographic in Spanish or Somali?
I love this infographic and use it regularly with clients. Do you have it in other languages, I am particularly interested in Spanish and Somali. Thank you.
This is very helpful to share with clients and helping with psycho-education.
It helps them to make sense out of the frightening feelings they have when their body takes over. I have found using it alongside a trauma informed perspective rapidly reduces the shame they feel at getting lost in these states.
Thank you
Thank you, this visual will be of great help!