It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Polyvagal Theory has revolutionised the way that we see the body in relation to therapy, particularly in trauma. At its basis, it explains how the nervous system responds to detecting safety or threat in the environment, including the internal environment of the body. Knowing this gives us a more complete way of understanding our reactions, behaviours, emotional responses, and how we relate to each other as social animals.
The theory has been applied in many different areas of therapy and medicine: ranging from how we understand grief and loss to looking at therapeutic presence and effective therapeutic relationships. From applying it in new-born intensive care units to explaining some of the ancient contemplative practices like yoga and chanting.
In this interview, Maggi McAllister-MacGregor discussed some of these applications in relation to therapeutic work and how working in this way can produce more effective results with clients. She also talked about some of the workshops that she is developing with Online Events to bring some of these exciting new developments to your practice.
Course Content
Presenter
Maggi McAllister-MacGregor has been a practicing Counsellor/Psychotherapist for 20 years and works from a body-based perspective mainly with trauma, anxiety and stress.
Her work is grounded in the Polyvagal Theory which has allowed her to develop her work to encompass both the body and the psyche, and this allows her to integrate her previous work as a body therapist into her current work with clients.
Maggi is also a professional dog trainer where she has applied her understanding of the Polyvagal Theory in dog training to understand dog’s behaviour and help owners understand what is happening in the relationship with their dogs.
