Window of Tolerance: Interactive Check-In Diagram

Drag the marker to where you are, try a matching skill for a minute, then check again and see what changed.

Adults Teens Calm & regulate Trauma-informed

3–5 minutesIn person and on video

Free interactive tool

Link copied – paste it to your client

In crisis? Call or text 988 (US and Canada). In an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number. Elsewhere, find a helpline in your country.

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Use with care

If a client is far outside the window, ground first and slow the pace; have crisis contacts ready.

About the technique

The window of tolerance describes the range of arousal within which a person can think, feel and stay present at the same time. Daniel Siegel introduced the term in The Developing Mind, first published in 1999 (Siegel, 2020). Above the window, people tip into hyperarousal, such as panic, anger or racing thoughts; below it, into hypoarousal, such as numbness, shutdown or disconnection. Pat Ogden and colleagues developed the model for trauma treatment in sensorimotor psychotherapy, where it guides pacing so that work stays within a range the client can process (Ogden et al., 2006).

Its main value is as shared language. Clients can notice where they are, describe it without judgment, and choose a skill that matches the state: something activating for shutdown, something settling for overwhelm. Therapists use it to decide when to slow down, ground or continue. Complex trauma is thought to narrow the window and leave people prone to swinging between the two extremes, which is part of why phase-oriented trauma therapy builds stabilization skills first (Corrigan et al., 2011).

The evidence is practice-based. The window of tolerance is a widely used psychoeducation and pacing model, not a tested intervention, and explanations that tie it to polyvagal theory rest on contested physiology (Grossman, 2023). It suits adults and teens at any stage of treatment, especially before and during trauma work, and can be used as a quick check-in in session or between sessions. If a client is far outside the window, ground first and slow the pace rather than continuing to explore, and have crisis contacts ready.

For therapists: how to run it

Goal

Notice when you are above or below your window, and find one skill that brings you back.

In session

Explain the three zones in the client's own words. Video: share this tab and drag the marker as they tell you where they are, or send the client link so they drag it themselves.
Ask: "What tells you you're there?" Pick one skill together and press "Try it for 1 minute". Do it together while the timer runs.
When the timer ends, ask the client to move the marker again, then press "See my check-in" to read the before and after together.

As homework

Do a check-in when you notice a strong feeling, or morning and evening for a week.
Place the marker, pick a skill and press "Try it for 1 minute". When the minute is up, move the marker again.
Press "See my check-in", then tap Copy and paste it into your therapist's secure messaging (client portal) or bring it to your next session. Nothing you type is saved, so copy before closing.

Good to know

The window of tolerance is a model from Dan Siegel's work, used in trauma therapy to pace sessions. Zones are a rough guide, not a diagnosis. If a client is often far outside their window, slow the pace of trauma work and focus on stabilization first. Hypoarousal can look calm from the outside, so ask.

Worksheets that pair with this tool

Sources & credibility

Method: Window of tolerance
Developed by: Daniel Siegel; elaborated by Pat Ogden (sensorimotor psychotherapy)
First described: 1999
Approach: Interpersonal neurobiology / phase-oriented trauma therapy
Evidence: Practice-based (limited trials)A widely used psychoeducation model for pacing trauma work. It is a clinical model, not a tested intervention, and claims tied to polyvagal theory are contested.

References

Siegel D. J. (2020). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are (3rd ed.; 1st ed. 1999). Guilford Press.
Corrigan F. M., Fisher J. J. & Nutt D. J. (2011). Autonomic dysregulation and the Window of Tolerance model of the effects of complex emotional trauma. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25(1), 17–25. Source
Ogden P., Minton K. & Pain C. (2006). Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy. Norton.
Grossman P. (2023). Fundamental challenges and likely refutations of the five basic premises of the polyvagal theory. Biological Psychology, 180, 108589. Source

How it was made

Built by the Mentalyc team from the original method and the published sources listed here. Nothing you enter is stored.

Questions people ask

What is the window of tolerance in simple terms?

The window of tolerance is the zone where you can handle stress and still think clearly. Above it you feel overwhelmed, anxious or angry (hyperarousal); below it you feel numb, shut down or foggy (hypoarousal).

What are the three states in the window of tolerance?

Hyperarousal (too activated), the window itself (calm enough to cope) and hypoarousal (too shut down). This tool lets you mark which state you are in and suggests a skill to match.

How do you widen your window of tolerance?

Trauma therapists usually work on this by building regulation skills first, such as grounding, paced breathing and movement, and then pacing therapy so it stays inside the window. It is a clinical model rather than a measured trait, so think of it as small, safe practice over time, not a quick fix.

How do you use the window of tolerance with clients?

Teach the three zones, then help the client notice their own signs of hyperarousal (racing, panicky, angry) and hypoarousal (numb, foggy, shut down). Match a skill to the zone, such as slow breathing for hyperarousal or active grounding for hypoarousal, and check again afterward.

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Your game designer

Michael Thompson, MSc

Michael's background combines doctoral training in clinical psychology with research on motivation, learning, and emotional regulation.

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