Mapping Your Inner World – Using Polyvagal Theory to Understand and Heal Your Parts
Updated: Sep 22, 2025
Written by Anna Kuyumcuoglu, Licensed Psychotherapist
Anna Kuyumcuoglu is well-known for her somatic psychotherapies. She is the founder and CEO of Wall Street Therapy, a private practice in the heart of New York's financial district.
In the past decade, the Polyvagal Theory developed by neuroscientist Dr. Stephen Porges has reshaped how we understand stress, safety, and connection. It explains how our autonomic nervous system constantly scans for cues of danger or safety and shifts between different physiological states. This “neuroception” underlies how we feel, relate, and respond to life events.
At the same time, therapeutic approaches like Internal Family Systems (IFS) and other “parts work” models have shown us that each of us carries an internal system of parts protectors, managers, and exiles formed to help us survive and adapt. Some parts may hold pain, others work to keep that pain out of awareness.
How Polyvagal Theory and parts work intersect
Your nervous system state profoundly shapes which parts are active. For example:
In a ventral vagal state (safe, connected), compassionate, curious parts are more available.
In sympathetic activation (fight/flight), protective or angry parts may take over.
In dorsal vagal shutdown (freeze), withdrawn, numb, or dissociated parts may dominate.
Understanding this link can help you “map” your parts more accurately and meet them with compassion.
Mapping your parts through a polyvagal lens
Notice your state first: Pause and sense, are you calm and connected, mobilized and anxious, or shut down and numb? Labeling the state (ventral, sympathetic, dorsal) helps you orient.
Identify which part is present: Ask yourself gently, “Who or what in me feels this way?” A stressed manager part? A frightened child part? A protective critic?
Name the part’s function: Each part is trying to help you survive. Naming its job (“keeping me safe,” “keeping me from feeling shame”) helps reduce self-blame.
Co-regulate before you dialogue: If you’re highly activated, first use grounding or self-soothing practices to return to a more regulated (ventral vagal) state. Then you’ll be able to approach your part with curiosity rather than judgment.
Why this matters
When you bring nervous system awareness into parts work, you can approach even your most reactive parts from a state of greater safety. This is where transformation happens, not by pushing parts away, but by understanding the nervous system conditions that bring them online and helping them feel safe enough to soften.
Moving forward
Combining Polyvagal Theory with parts mapping gives you a practical roadmap to navigate your inner world. By learning to track your state, name your parts, and meet them with compassion, you create the conditions for deep healing and integration.
If you’re interested in going deeper, working with a therapist trained in IFS, EMDR, or somatic therapies can help you safely explore your parts and nervous system patterns in a supportive environment. See my info below. Thank you.
Read more from Anna Kuyumcuoglu
Anna Kuyumcuoglu, Licensed Psychotherapist
Anna Kuyumcuoglu is a trauma-informed licensed psychotherapist specializing in body-based somatic psychotherapy. With a deep understanding of attachment and nervous system regulation, she helps individuals move beyond adaptive survival strategies toward secure, embodied connection. Committed to creating a safe and attuned therapeutic space, Anna supports clients in strengthening their capacity for co-regulation, self-trust, and relational intimacy. Grounded in a compassionate, integrative approach, she empowers individuals to reclaim their resilience and experience more authentic, fulfilling relationships with both themselves and others.
