Polyvagal Theory in Practice: Integrating Clinical, Medical, and Wellbeing Approaches

Stephen W. Porges, PhD is Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University, where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium. He is professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland. He has published more than 350 peer‐reviewed scientific papers. He is the creator of the Polyvagal Theory and a music-based intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol TM, currently used by more than 200 therapists to reduce hearing sensitivities, improve language processing, and increase spontaneous social engagement. He is the author of The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation, The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, and Polyvagal Safety, as well as co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies, and Polyvagal Safety.

Mel Pohl, MD, DFASAM is a Family Practitioner and the Senior Medical Consultant to the Pain Recovery Program at The Pointe Malibu Recovery Center in Malibu, California. He is certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM), and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).   Dr. Pohl is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the U of Nevada School of Medicine. Dr. Pohl is the author of several books including A Day Without Pain and The Pain Antidote – Stop Suffering from Chronic Pain, Avoid Addiction to Painkillers, and Reclaim Your Life from DaCapo Press.  Dr. Pohl is a sought-after public speaker and filmed a special for PBS called “The Pain Antidote” which aired in local markets at the end of August 2015.

Jan Winhall, M.S.W.  P.I.F.O.T. is an author, teacher and seasoned trauma and addiction psychotherapist. She is an Educational Partner and Course Developer with the Polyvagal Institute where she offers a training program based on her book Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model, Routledge 2021.  She is an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto and a Certifying Co-Ordinator with the International Focusing Institute. Jan is Co-Director of the Borden Street Clinic where she supervises graduate students. She enjoys teaching all over the world. Her website is janwinhall.com.

Michael Allison is a Performance Consultant for organizations, teams, business executives, coaches, athletes, sports psychologists & professional creatives. He has certified hundreds of professional consultants and coaches in various disciplines internationally as Play Zone Pros© through his unique methodology that applies Polyvagal Theory to optimize health, resilience & performance, endorsed by Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. He is a contributing author for Psychology Today with his own platform, The Pressure Paradox, where he explores the physiological, psychological, and social paradoxes that underlie the challenges of performing in a culture of competition, evaluation, and rapid, unpredictable change. 

Michael serves as a professional consultant for coaches, managers, sports psychologists, teams and athletes within Major League Baseball MLB, The National Basketball Association NBA, the Association of Tennis Professionals ATP, the Women’s Tennis Association WTA, Federation Internationale de Football Association FIFA, International Tennis Federation ITF, American Volleyball Coaches Association AVCA, USA Track & Field USATF, Association of Volleyball Professionals AVP, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA in a wide variety of sports. 

Michael is an educational partner with Polyvagal Institute and provides a variety of educational offerings, learning platforms, and certification programs accredited by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaches and supported by Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D., developer of Polyvagal Theory. Allison is a leading expert teaching Polyvagal Institute’s flagship course and is the author of a chapter titled “Turning Competition Into Co-regulation” in the forthcoming Norton Professional Series book Somatic-Oriented Therapies – Embodiment, Trauma, Polyvagal Perspectives, co-author with Dr. Porges of a chapter titled “Empathy to Compassion: A Two Step Process” in the forthcoming Norton Professional Series book Polyvagal Perspectives, and contributor of a case study examining performance enhancement through physiological state regulation in a Sounds True publication.

Michael is a public speaker on topics related to Polyvagal Theory, play, team building, resilience, and performance and has been a presenter at various conferences, including sports performance, collegiate athletics, human resources, education, and trauma recovery. He was a featured speaker at Lithuania’s National HR Convention in May 2024, the Polyvagal Institute’s Annual Summits in 2022 & 2023, and The Master Series at Oxford University, UK in August 2023. 

In 1999, Michael co-founded Physical Focus Inc., a wellness center in Santa Barbara, California, and served as CEO for twenty-five years, where he managed a comprehensive team of wellness professionals. During this time, he was a certified Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Senior Personal Trainer, Medical Exercise Specialist, Post-Rehab Specialist, and Oxygen Advantage Breathwork Instructor. He also authored SMARTER Coaching, a certificated behavior change course accredited by the American Council on Exercise to provide continuing education credits for internationally certified fitness professionals.