Integrating polyvagal theory with Felt Sense

Jan Winhall is a psychotherapist, author, educator, and the developer of the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model (FSPM), a groundbreaking framework that integrates trauma therapy, polyvagal theory, and embodied focusing to understand and treat addiction and trauma. Over more than four decades of clinical work, Jan has specialized in supporting survivors of sexual violence, complex trauma, and addiction with a deeply de-pathologizing, feminist, and body-based lens.

She is the founder of the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model Institute, teaches internationally, and collaborates closely with leaders in the polyvagal community to bring more compassionate, somatically grounded approaches into trauma and addiction treatment.

In this powerful and deeply validating conversation, Clarissa and Molly sit down with trauma and addiction therapist Jan Winhall, creator of the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model (FSPM). Jan weaves together feminist therapy, trauma theory, polyvagal theory, and embodied practice to completely reframe how we understand addictive behaviors like binging, purging, and compulsive eating: not as "problems" or "defects," but as adaptive state-regulation strategies that the body uses to survive overwhelming experiences.

Jan shares how early work with incest survivors revealed the harms of pathologizing, top-down psychiatric approaches—and how safety, dignity, and deep listening became the foundation for her model. Together, we explore how nervous-system states, shame, trauma, ADHD, and body image intersect with ultra-processed food addiction, and how recovery becomes possible when we work with the body instead of against it.

This episode is for clinicians, helpers, and anyone living with food addiction who has ever wondered: "What if nothing about me is broken—and my body has been trying to keep me alive all along?"

In This Episode, We Explore: • Jan's Origins in Trauma Work o Running groups for young women who were incest survivors in a small Ontario hospital o Seeing firsthand the limitations and harm of traditional psychiatric models o How feminist therapy and the work of Judith Herman and Sandra Butler helped de-pathologize survivors • From "What's Wrong With You?" to "What Happened to You?" o Why behaviors often labeled "manipulative" or "attention-seeking" (e.g., binging, purging, self-harm) are actually survival strategies o Understanding these behaviors as ways to regulate overwhelming nervous-system states, not moral failures • The Felt Sense & Polyvagal Theory – Explained Accessibly o What "felt sense" really means (beyond just "sensation") o How neuroception constantly scans for safety and danger below conscious awareness o The three main autonomic states:  Ventral vagal – safety, connection, social engagement  Sympathetic – fight/flight, agitation, urgency  Dorsal vagal – shutdown, collapse, numbness, shame o How addictive behaviors help the body shift between these states to survive • Addiction as a Trauma Feedback Loop o Why the body cannot stay in high sympathetic arousal or deep shutdown forever o How food, substances, sex, and other behaviors become "jolts" that move us between states o The idea of a "trauma feedback loop" where trauma, dysregulation, and addiction constantly reinforce each other • Working with Trauma Without "Fishing" for It o Why Jan no longer goes "hunting" for trauma stories o The importance of Phase 1 work: establishing safety before uncovering trauma o How to help people gently reconnect with the body (starting at the edges: fingertips, earlobes, etc.) before approaching the more overwhelming inner experiences • Shame, Addiction, and Liberation o Why shame is so central to trauma and addiction—and why Jan actually loves working with it o Reframing shame: "This is what bodies do under threat; you are not uniquely broken." o How truly believing this (in our own bodies) changes how we show up for clients o Using groups, co-regulation, and shared stories to create "moments of liberation" • Food & Sex Addiction, Early Trauma, and Access o Why food and sex are often the earliest available forms of self-soothing for children in unsafe environments o How early masturbation and secret eating can evolve into entrenched patterns over decades o The stigma that keeps men with food addiction silent and unseen • ADHD, Neurodivergence & Addiction o How neurodivergent folks are especially vulnerable to regulation difficulties and shame o The clash between ADHD time perception and linear, "on-time" culture o The dopamine-driven ping-pong between shame (dorsal) and activation (sympathetic), and how this sets up classic addictive pathways o The "neuroplastic paradox" – getting stuck in ruts, and how intentional practice can build new pathways • Body Image, Misogyny & Reclaiming the Body o Why so many clients experience their body as "the enemy" o How misogyny, hyper-masculinity, and purity culture shape body hatred and silence around food addiction o The role of our own relationship with our bodies as therapists and helpers—how we co-regulate clients through our presence, not just our words • Receiving Love & Positive Feedback as a Trigger o Why compliments, affection, and warmth can feel more threatening than criticism for many addicted bodies o How to normalize this, slow it down, and help the nervous system "update" that it is safe enough now o Using group moments of discomfort as live material to work with neuroception and triggers • Self-Disclosure, Accessibility & Doing Our Own Work o Why Jan believes safe, boundaried self-disclosure can create powerful safety o Steve Porges' idea that "the greatest gift you can give is your accessibility" o Why clinicians must apply these models to their own lives first, so that their belief in the body's wisdom is genuine • Changing the Addiction Treatment Paradigm o The trauma of addiction treatment itself—shaming, punitive, expensive models o Jan's commitment to bringing compassionate, somatic, polyvagal-informed approaches into 12-step spaces and beyond o The importance of connecting communities (like Sweet Sobriety and FSPM) to shift the field together Follow Jan and the FSPM Institute: https://www.fspminstitute.com

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.