IPNB vs Polyvagal-Informed Therapy
A side-by-side comparison: mechanism, evidence, the conditions each treats, philosophical roots, and where they actually disagree clinically.
At a glance
IPNB
- Tradition
- Integrative
- Founder
- Daniel Siegel (1999)
- Evidence
- Emerging evidence
- Focus
- Framework
- Format
- Individual
- Duration
- Framework
Polyvagal-Informed Therapy
- Tradition
- Somatic
- Founder
- Porges / Dana (2011)
- Evidence
- Emerging evidence
- Focus
- Somatic + Relational
- Format
- Individual
- Duration
- Framework
How they work
IPNB
Core mechanism: Integration across neural networks (bilateral, vertical, temporal) through attuned relationship; expanding window of tolerance
Ontology: Impaired neural integration from relational/developmental experience; integration = mental health
Polyvagal-Informed Therapy
Core mechanism: Identifying autonomic state (ventral/sympathetic/dorsal) + co-regulation with therapist + building ventral vagal capacity
Ontology: Trauma disrupts autonomic regulation; neuroception of danger keeps nervous system in defensive states
Conditions treated
2 shared · 0 IPNB-only · 2 Polyvagal-Informed Therapy-only
Both treat
Only Polyvagal-Informed Therapy
What each assumes — and misses
IPNB
Philosophical roots: Siegel (interpersonal neurobiology); complexity theory (emergence, integration); Hebb (neurons that fire together); Bowlby (attachment shapes brain); Buddhism (mindfulness integration)
Blind spots: Framework too broad to test empirically; integration language can become vague; not a clinical method itself
Therapeutic voice: When you can name the feeling, you can tame the feeling. Let's try: what would you call this state?
Polyvagal-Informed Therapy
Philosophical roots: Porges (polyvagal theory); Darwin (emotional expression); Merleau-Ponty (body-subject); Dana (clinical application); Levine (somatic trauma)
Blind spots: Underlying theory scientifically contested; clinical applications extrapolate beyond evidence; not a standalone protocol
Therapeutic voice: That shutdown feeling — that's your nervous system protecting you. It makes sense. Let's see if we can find a little more safety right now.
Choosing between them
IPNB (Integrative) and Polyvagal-Informed Therapy (Somatic) come from different traditions, which means they assume different things about what a person is, what causes suffering, and what the therapeutic relationship is for. The choice between them is often less about "which works better" and more about which set of assumptions fits the client and the therapist.
For deeper coverage: see the full IPNB and Polyvagal-Informed Therapy pages, or use the interactive comparison tool to add more modalities to this comparison.