“Glimmer” is a term from Polyvagal Theory
(by Stephen Porges and Deb Dana).
Glimmers are small moments that bring an inner sense of settling and ease. Like pausing to hear birdsong.
Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. Triggers activate our nervous system into survival mode. Stressful things happen, and many things can be triggering for trauma survivors. Glimmers help us to soften and return to a feeling of being okay. They bring a felt sense of safety. Noticing and leaning into glimmers make a really big difference to daily life.
In therapy, we work with both glimmers and triggers. ‘Glimmer Therapy’ reflects this.