Window of Tolerance Graphic

[Mary S]

I just came across this: http://www.nicabm.com/trauma-how-to-help-your-clients-understand-their-window-of-tolerance/#comments. It at first seemed good, but then started to seem obvious. But sometimes it can be good to state what seems obvious (but sometimes htat isn't a good thing to do.) Just curious what others think of it -- does this seem useful? Or potentially useful?

[Eve B]

Maybe the chart should also be modified for when the therapist becomes a source of dysregulation and hyperarousal for the already traumatized client? 

[Mary S]

I would say this slightly differently, namely: that one important use of the chart can be to help the client communicate to the therapist when the therapist is "pushing" the client out of the client's Window of Tolerance. This is included in the following comment I just submitted to the website:

"Here are my reactions (as a client who has had counterproductive therapy) to the Window of Tolerance graphic:

First reaction: This is a good idea!

Second reaction: But it’s just saying the obvious (from my client perspective), so it could be patronizing for the therapist to introduce it to the client as a way of “explaining” something.

Third reaction: But I can see how it could be very good for facilitating communication between client and therapist. For example, if a therapist does something that is outside my window of tolerance, the graphic could help me try to communicate that to the therapist (e.g., by saying, “What you just said is outside my window of tolerance and in my [specify which] zone.”

Fourth reaction: But I find it hard to imagine any of the therapists I’ve tried adopting this graphic. One problem I’ve found repeatedly with therapists is that I think in “shades of gray”, while they seem to think in “black and white” terms. And I’m very visually/spatially oriented in my thinking, whereas therapists so often seem to be not just “word-bound” but often “label-bound”. But the graphic requires both the “shades of gray” and “visual/spatial” types of thinking.

Final conclusions:
1. This graphic can be a good “tool” for communication in therapy– but the therapist needs to be willing and able to use (or at least respect) the “shades of gray” and visual/spatial thinking that the tool requires.
2. So for some (maybe even many?) therapists, teaching the therapist to respect and use these types of thinking needs to be an important part of their training."