Recording of Webinar: Polyvagal Trauma

Where: Online

CPE: 1.5 CPE points

Webinar Recording: Registering for this live event will also give you access to the webinar recording. 

Webinar recordings can be watched at any time.

This webinar introduces the core principles of Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr Stephen Porges, and explores how to apply them effectively in therapeutic and bodywork settings. Participants will learn how the autonomic nervous system shapes behaviour, emotion and connection — and how understanding these patterns can enhance safety and healing in professional practice.

Through a blend of theory, reflection and guided practice, you’ll discover how to recognise Polyvagal states in yourself and your clients, respond with attuned presence, and use simple, body-based tools to support regulation. The session offers practical strategies for fostering co-regulation, cultivating trust and creating environments that promote resilience and recovery.

Key learning areas include:

• The structure and function of the autonomic nervous system, including the ventral vagal (social engagement), sympathetic (mobilisation) and dorsal vagal (shutdown) circuits.

• The concept of neuroception — the body’s unconscious detection of safety or threat.

• Recognising physiological and behavioural signs of different states and understanding their protective roles.

• Using tone, pacing, breath and rhythm to enhance safety and connection.

• Applying Polyvagal-informed principles to touch, communication and therapeutic presence.

By the end of this webinar, participants will understand how Polyvagal Theory informs therapeutic and bodywork practice, recognise the nervous system’s role in shaping client experience, and apply practical tools to support regulation, connection and healing through mindful presence and attunement.

Presenter: Michael Stanborough

Michael Stanborough, MA, Advanced Rolfer, has taught Myofascial Release at numerous schools, hospitals and clinics in the USA, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico, Australia and Africa. He was the first Australian to be certified as a teacher of Rolfing® by the Rolf Institute and has been practicing that method for over 35 years. Michael is director of SI Australia. His classes blend new information on the physiology of fasciae with lively presentations of techniques that are immediately relevant to practising therapists.