“If you're looking to enhance your game both on and off the court, Michael Allison's Play Zone is your ticket. The Play Zone is a scientifically-based approach to optimize performance by examining how stressors impact our nervous system. When we understand our body's unique reactions, we view our weaknesses through a lens of curiosity instead of criticism stimulating our strengths and development. Michael offers tangible tools to tune into your body's signals and bring yourself into a state of attuned focus and fierceness. After watching The Play Zone, you will have a new appreciation for your body and an understanding of how to harness your nervous system for optimal performance in whatever arena you choose to excel. “

Dr. Heather Abernethy
Dr. Heather Abernethy is an Anesthesiologist, a speaker and a writer who is passionate about helping people feel at home in their bodies and empowered to live their best life. She provides Craniosacral Therapy, Somatic Techniques, and Trauma Release Exercises®️

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“The Play Zone combines a rigorous understanding of Polyvagal Theory explained in simple terms with Michael’s wealth of experience helping clients perform on and off the court of tennis. When most organisations and consultants focus on pulling teams and people out of the threat zone, it is refreshing to learn how to access and stay in the Play Zone, where high performance naturally happens. In addition, I appreciated the glossary of terms that aids the understanding of the content, which is crafted carefully in an attractive series of PowerPoint presentations.”

Dr. Marcos Cajina
Founder and CEO Renewal
Nine-time recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award at IE B-School
Visiting Professor Physiology and Resilience, the EXMBA Brown University-IE programme, Play Zone PRO PV-Informed Certificated Coach

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Michael Allison’s unbridled curiosity into Dr Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, has led him to a revelatory investigation of how we optimize performance in “The Play Zone.”  Michael has an ability to make things “make sense” in a way that resounds with the listener. He is passionate about making a difference and titrates the work so it is never overwhelming, but welcoming. His thoughtful and detailed exploration in “The Play Zone” invites us to be the best we can be. It is illuminating, informative and intuitive and in my opinion, if you have to get up in front of people in any arena you need to do this course!

Mathilde Shisko, Voice Coach
Mattie works with individuals and clients from the following select organizations:

Federal Members of Parliament, Members of The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, North Vancouver Mayor's Office, The NOW Group, Earnscliffe Strategies, CUPE, ICBC, Ministry of Health British Columbia, Vancouver Film School, Andrew McIlroy and Associates, Play Zone PRO PV-Informed Certificated Coach

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“I completed Michael Allison’s course, The Play Zone. It is a truly remarkable and game changing course. Not only does Michael distill and teach the complexities and nuances of Polyvagal Theory in a readily understandable fashion, he also applies the concepts in a novel domain. His application of the theory in the realm of human performance is a groundbreaking paradigm that sets the foundation for all of us to perform at our best in any and all domains of life. Through the use of well considered and explained examples from top tennis players in the world, Michael clearly demonstrates how instrumental the understanding and application of Polyvagal Theory is to human performance and the critical importance of living a Polyvagal-informed life! I give Michael’s course my highest and most sincere recommendation!”

Darin Davidson, MD
Orthopaedic surgeon
Founder of Darin Davidson, MD Consulting
Integrating high performance skills for healthcare professionals, Play Zone PRO PV-Informed Certificated Coach

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I have thoroughly enjoyed the PlayZone Course for Coaches with Michael Allison and the entire team and other participants. I have learned so much about my own nervous system's regulation which has helped me interact with my own patients and be much more compassionate with any reactivity I see. I have always intuitively created a safe container for others, but have not always been able to do so as deeply when my own buttons have been pushed. I look forward to continuing to learn in the program, and maybe the insights will help my tennis game as well ...!

Dr. Cynthia Paciulli, MD, FACS, FASMBS, FPD Metabolic Bariatric Surgery

Dr. P uses a Polyvagal Informed approach to support and manage her GI and Bariatric Surgery patients. Her mission is to combine diverse fields of Psychology/Neuroscience, Energy, and Biology to help her patients create complete health of body/mind/spirit. She speaks publicly about Weight Bias and the myths behind prevalent cultural misperceptions.

I've been a mental performance coach for over 30 years. Polyvagal Theory and the exercises learned in the course are a game changer. It is the future of high performance in sports, business and life.

Sean Brawley

Sean is passionate about helping people unlock their potential and perform at their best in sports and business. He was mentored by Timothy Gallwey, author of seminal classic The Inner Game of Tennis, and is the first certified Inner Game coach in the world.

Sean was the primary mental performance coach for Pete Carroll and the USC football team helping the Trojans win 2 National Championships. He has also worked successfully with the New York Yankees Player Development program, Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres. He has coached hundreds of athletes in a wide variety of sports.

“What a wonderful experience studying Polyvagal Theory in Performance. The instructor and cohort exhibited such welcome enthusiasm and intelligence in a supportive online learning environment. I am honored to be the first musician certified to bring this groundbreaking science into the world of drumming.”

Adam Gust
Adam is a professional drummer based in Los Angeles connecting rhythm, body, and mind, Play Zone PRO PV-Informed Certificated Coach

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“I found this course very informative and useful to how to use the Polyvagal Theory to athletes. It will combine perfectly with my experience of Attachment-based Therapy and Trauma. I found the PowerPoint presentation very useful as a visual of the difference between stares. I will certainly be enrolling in another of Michael's courses.”

Nicola Vanlint
Body-oriented Psychotherapist - Specialising in Injury Rehabilitation & Prevention | Championing Mental Health & Wellbeing in Sport

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“The Play Zone is s dynamic application of Dr. Porges Polyvaagl Theory to the world of Sports, and by extension, movement. While the course focuses on Tennis, this unique adaptation of Polyvagal Theory is relevant for anyone with a body who moves through the world. Michael Allison clearly and creatively explains the fundamentals of Polyvagal Theory with competitive tennis as a metaphor and as literal example. The Play Zone's examples of some of Tennis’ most memorable players and moments are clearly deconstructed as the physiological states that “precede” our emerging and pattered behaviors. Whether or not we play sports, this course will illuminate new possibilities for how we engage with challenges and celebrate our ability to embody and express our playfulness.”

Dr. Amber Elizabeth Gray
Licensed human rights psychotherapist, innovative movement artist, board certified dance/movement therapist, master trainer and educator, Continuum teacher, and public health professional.

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“This was an OUTSTANDING certificate course jam packed with video lessons, written material, and abundant resources organized in such a way as to optimize learning! This was truly an online course at its finest, with wonderful opportunities for live interactive sessions as well. I came in with a relatively strong background in polyvagal theory and yet found that I learned a ton, and learned it in such a way that I can now apply it more confidently in both my personal life and in my professional life as a therapist and wellness coach. Michael Allison's warmth and caring, and his ability to connect through this material is a testament to him embodying what he teaches. The teaching style was excellent, clear and engaging and there were just the right amount of repetition, reinforcement and interactive exercises to have this material sink in on a deep level. I couldn't wait to engage in new materials each week. This class has been transformative to me and the way I practice, and I hope to the patients/clients with whom I work.”

Beth Kurland, Ph.D.
Beth Kurland, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, mind-body wellness coach, Tedx speaker, and author of three award winning books: Dancing on The Tightrope: Transcending the Habits of Your Mind and Awakening to Your Fullest Life; The Transformative Power of Ten Minutes: An Eight Week Guide to Reducing Stress and Cultivating Well-Being; and Gifts of the Rain Puddle: Poems, Meditations and Reflections for the Mindful Soul.

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“As a French mental coach for high level athletes, I was looking for a course relating to high performance and Polyvagal Theory in order to improve the quality of my work! Michael's course was definitely above my expectations! He's done an awesome job with his Play Zone - it's very easy to understand, full of examples in sports, and a perfect balance between theory and practice. I really enjoyed the different tools, videos, pdf’s, exercise sheets and I found his course very useful and helpful in my work! Plus, Michael has been easy to reach, open to discuss and exchange ideas about our practices! To sum up, I highly recommend the Play Zone course if you desire to create not only a big difference in those you coach, but also in your own life!”

Bruno Izaac
Mental Health Coach, Play Zone PRO PV-Informed Certificated Coach

The Play Zone Pro Coach Certificate Course has been a great experience for me! It helped to deepen my knowledge of Polyvagal Theory, & it has led to a real change in my habits and provided many hints, strategies and resources for my professional activity! Michael Allison is a generous and passionate coach.

Giulia Sabbadini, Certified Visual Coach

Entrepreneur and certified trainer, specialized in visual language and storytelling, scribing and graphic recording, video & motion design editing. As a Certified Visual Coach, I love to be a facilitator for entrepreneurs, helping them to combine performance and well-being. I keep learning, drawing and drawing myself.

This was a resource-rich and deeply thorough learning experience! The supportive atmosphere and kind approach combined with the rigorous learning was exactly what I was looking for!

Michael Forlenza

Michael Forlenza is an experienced leader, international leadership consultant, and leadership development coach having worked for over a decade with both executive and emerging leaders across a wide variety of corporate and economic sectors including academic medicine and healthcare, public health, higher education, mental health care, financial services, insurance services, legal services, law enforcement, sales, government, biotechnology, engineering, management consulting, hospitality, and food service.

Michael's Play Zone Certificate Course for Coaches has been a true container of safety, trust, community, and growth - pushing my edge to learn and apply new tools and theories in my personal and professional life. I feel confident that I now have the knowledge and skills to help myself and my clients find their Play Zone and achieve their goals on and off the court.

Jessica Conway

Jessica Conway, RN, MSN, RYTT is a Somatic Practitioner, Registered Nurse, Safe and Sound Protocol Provider, Yoga Instructor, Meditation Guide, ocean dip lover, who unceasingly seeks to find truth and wisdom on every path of this wild and full human life. She is on a mission to help you slow down, sense inward, and connect to a true knowing held within your own body. An internal compass that houses your inner wisdom, truth, strength, and love to help guide you through times of uncertainty and the unknown. Her offerings have one main intention in mind…to help you BE in your body - alive, awake, aware.

www.jessicaconway.co/

Never in my life have I felt more in control of my physiological state than after taking this course. Since physiological state is deeply linked to our performance, I also feel that I'm operating at the heights of my potential. After frequently living in sub-optimal states of both mobilization or immobilization for years, this course taught me the strategies, techniques, and tools for understanding and shifting my physiology to support my craft. Since my craft is coaching, this, in turn, has helped my clients in profound ways, guiding them toward to well-being, ease, and performance.

Zack Bodenweber

Zack is a Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Licensed Social Worker, and serial entrepreneur with over a decade of experience working with clients, consulting organizations, and training thousands of professionals around the world. Today, his life and work focus on personal transformation, human flourishing, and spiritual expansion. Zack’s mission is to spread multidimensional health through transformational interventions that sustainably improve well-being in the individual and collective.

www.zackbodenweber.com

This course has been tremendous! it has helped me understand and better communicate to my healing + coaching client’s WHY they are having certain physiological responses when dealing with major issues in relationships, work, business and health. This framework has helped me with giving them not only the logical understanding (which reduces shame) but also the practical tools that immediately help them while we continue to do the deeper work together.

Jenn Morse

Jenn is a Holistic Business Coach + 3rd Generation Healer

www.Silverandcitrine.com

Polyvagal Theory has interested me for a long time. I searched for a deep dive into the theory that would make me able to apply it in my private coaching business. Because I have no therapeutic approach, I was super happy when I found "The Play Zone". It provides you with everything I wished for: The important theory (in a very differentiated and creative way), practical exercises, ideas how to apply the knowledge into your own coaching practice and a safe container where one es feeling always safe, seen and understood. I really enjoyed that Michael is living what he preaches as he sees himself as a learning individual on his path to understanding and applying the principles of the PVT even better. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this wonderful experience and opportunity. With warm greetings from Switzerland.

Ramona Behling, MA

Ramona, MA is a Social Worker & Polyvagal informed Systemic Councilor and Coach with Training in Motivational Interviewing, Training in CRAFT- Community Reinforcement and Family Training.

www.ramonabehling.com

Michael’s Polyvagal - Informed Certificate is a course that can suit the needs and interests of many. It appealed to me because I was keen to understand Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory better while being able to apply the theory to coaching. And, Michael Allison's application of the theory to coaching is superb! The manner in which Michael adeptly structures the course ensures you can understand and apply Polyvagal Theory, not only to coaching, but, to your life as a whole. This course has allowed me to further enhance and gave me means to work on showing up for my life the way I truly want to. Though a continual work in progress, for that, I am so grateful. Utilizing what I learned from Stephen Porges and Michael Allison with my clients and in my family life is also more natural because both of these instructors showed themselves to be genuinely human individuals and authentic in their being able to convey Polyvagal Theory to people for all aspects of our lives.

Michelle Farkas

My positive psychology and presence based coaching is individualized and strength-based to your unique way of being and learning. Living with and working with diverse individuals, I know it is important that your individuality will drive the plan, as opposed to having a preset plan!

The knowledge gained from the Polyvagal theory and the Play Zone Pro Coach course has given me a fresh outlook in my personal life; in my performance coaching role they have inspired me to place more emphasis on bodily state awareness/presence as a foundation for my psychological skills training programme.

Ross Eathorne

Over 30 years of holistic performance coaching (well-being and recovery using HRV monitoring, corrective and sport specific exercise), author, international speaker, athlete. Specialising in sport & performance psychology especially dealing with the trauma of winning, losing and retiring.

This course was jampacked with powerful information! Michael has a masterful way of creating safety in this container. He always met us with approval and unconditional positive regard. This course has ignited a deep passion to share PVT with my clients. Through this work, I have been able to expand my resiliency and deepen my capacity for others.

Stephanie Gugel

Empowerment and Radiance Coach

I really enjoyed the language accessibility of this course, Michael has a great gift in presenting complex information in a way that makes it easy to understand. I already had an understanding of the Polyvagal Theory and the course deepend my learning and enabled me to apply it in everyday life. 

Manal Aldabbagh

I support clients reconnect with their body, find a deeper connection with how they move and feel, become aware of their embodiment and how they show up to the world.

www.manalaldabbagh.com

The Play Zone Pro Coaching Course has been fantastic for enabling me to deepen my knowledge of Polyvagal Theory and how we can use the techniques to optimise performance in sport, education and life, for both my colleagues and myself. Michael creates a brilliantly supportive atmosphere to learn and collaborate in, the content is superb and I always gain additional perspectives from the live sessions. I wholeheartedly recommend the course if you want to take your understanding of Polyvagal Theory to the next level. Thank you Michael and all the team.

Neil Moggan

I provide busy teachers with the skills they need to help transform the life chances of their young people and themselves. I pride myself on making colleagues feel psychologically safe, supported and able to contribute.

www.futureaction.co.uk

Michael’s Play Zone Pro - A Polyvagal Informed Certificate Course made a huge difference in the way I coach and has given me many tools that make my program unique and powerful!

Ximena Beltrán G.

Performance Coach & Functional & High Altitude Breath Coach from Oxygen Advantage

The Play Zone is a natural fit into my storytelling and story writing activities. The nervous system states and shifts, blends and mobilisations are seen in both word stories and soma stories. A bright light for our relationships, culture, and connections.

The Play Zone was brought alive by Michael and other students, and together we shared our adventures into all things polyvagal and sensory. Lots of room for creativity, fun and relaxation.

A big thank you!

Louise Moyan

Louise has her own business writing stories and memoirs for people from remote and regional parts of Australia. A good part of that involves storytelling in different settings, often outdoors in the storyteller's special places. This is particularly true for Aboriginal storytellers. A storytelling circle helps develop connection, find rhythm, open creativity and feel into each other's compassion.

www.regionalwritingservices.com.au

Play Zone Pro offered actionable ideas that I was able to implement right away into my life as a professional and a parent. Its emphasis on cues of safety during performance has changed how I view motivation. The program has shifted how I motivate myself, my clients, and even family members. Michael's framework brought a new dimension to my previous understanding of Polyvagal Theory, somatic mindfulness, and human achievement. I have much gratitude for his work!

Mariya Hoffman, MA, ET/P

Mariya is a certified trainer in a somatic mindfulness approach called Focusing. She applies her background in psychology, polyvagal theory, and somatic practices to help people act on their intentions during times of uncertainty and stress.

This is the most amazing course I have ever taken (and I have taken a lot.) I am genuinely in awe that this is not taught in schools. Thank you for making this so digestible and detailed at the same time.

Edna Estrada

Edna is a trauma life coach. RTT Hypnotherapist and Breathwork facilitator.

After I completed the certified integrative somatic trauma therapy program with The Embody Lab, I intended to dive deeper into PVT & IFS. I am very grateful I chose both body-centered approaches. The clarity of Michael’s video- & reading material, the ease of presentation, the high-quality and professional approach - including the video material of Dr. Stephen Porges - have motivated me to give it my all. I had an intense working period in my life, when I signed up for this course. It was not easy at all to complete the material, while being fully present to the learnings, instead of just rushing through the videos & articles. I really wanted to own it. It was so worth it. I made PVT and building a zone of safety a central topic for conscious leaders. And it became a big success. What a valuable stepping stone in my studies. Michael presents his work and mastery effortlessly and with great generosity & passion, while he is always patient, kind, and fully present. I highly recommend to take this course for everyone who is a leader, therapist, body worker, yoga therapist, coach, and athlete. THANK YOU MICHAEL!

https://www.themodernschooloflife.com

The Play Zone Professional course taught me how to utilize the life changing skills I learned on my own journey to wellness, to help teach others to mold their lives in their own journey to wellness.

Rana Guzman, RN

Life Coach, chronic pain management, Safe & Sound Practitioner

BalancedU’s mission is to teach as many people the skills needed to balance their life and create the life you want with intention. The skills you will learn with BalancedU, will enable you to mold the life you desire intentionally. The skills learned during my own journey to wellness are very powerful and can improve every aspect of your life. Your stressors are our opportunity to improve and create your BalancedU life.

I find this introduction into polyvagal informed performance coaching very valuable. I think the relation between a performer on stage or a speaker to his or her audience can - in times - absolutely be compared with two tennis players, both enjoying their match and showing their skills, communicating, or fighting with each other. Sometimes a performer fights with standing in front of an audience, or the audience, or with himself, with his mental, but basically, as we learn in this introduction, bodily states. This course gives a very good impression, how the framework of polyvagal theory can be applied to performance coaching. How we as coaches can help our clients become aware of the state they are in and what possibilities they have to shift to the more creative and productive and communicative PLAY ZONE. I am not only a coach but also a performer, have started to become fascinated by the polyvagal framework, when I realized, that in preparing for performance, I do nothing else than preparing for the Play Zone. Being mobilized by differnet levels of stage fright - for some "stage-flight", by warming up my body, increasing my awareness, waking up my senses, practising breath work, warming up my voice - actually I do nothing less than combining my mobilized state, my heightened state of awareness, with a responsive social engagement system. Thank you Michael for your ideas!

The Play Zone Polyvagal Informed certificate course is a game changer. It provides a groundbreaking framework for understanding and optimizing our nervous system, so that we can live life fully, connected, and ready to thrive. Through a compelling blend of theoretical knowledge and practical exercises grounded in Polyvagal Theory, Michael Allison teaches tools to navigate internal physiological states with greater awareness and control. I’ve been studying the complexities of the Polyvagal Theory for over ten years and found that Michael Allison possesses a remarkable talent for unraveling intricate concepts with clarity and composure so that the material is easily understood and readily applicable to clients. With Allison’s guidance, even seasoned veterans can rediscover the practical elements of the Polyvagal Theory and learn how to maximize potential in the Play Zone.

The PLAY Zone PRO was the missing link in my polyvagal journey! As a singing teacher, performance coaching is a big part of what I do. Working with Michael and Mattie has been an absolute joy! The course has helped me a lot in understanding and translating polyvagal language from a place of trauma into the performance domain. It has also made me realize that a lot of things I already did intuitively are actually backed up by hard science. The course itself is a helpful mixture of video content and written articles. The questions and assignments at the end of every chapter help you stay on track. I would recommend every coach to take this course. We need more compassionate guides in this world. Free of shame and blame and working from a place of shared humanity. That is what the PLAY Zone is about!

The Play Zone course has been a game changer in how I now work with coaches, athletes and teams.

The course played a fundamental role on my own recovery journey and now in my work as a coach!

Polyvagal Theory seems to be what every self-mastery practice is getting at. It has helped so many of my clients understand how what they're feeling and experiencing makes sense. Shame is no longer a factor. They better understand how their bodies "have their back" and how as we learn to translate what they're cluing us into, we can partner with our bodies in ways that allow us more efficacy, efficiency, and control. This course offers a space for coaches across disciplines to learn and share ways of working with PVT to educate and truly empower clients.

The course Play Zone for me was a beautiful way to deepen my knowledge about Polyvagal Theory and to integrate it even more into my system. There was so much information, knowledge and practical material in this course. And I liked the possibility to join the PlayZone community, to share and learn together. The course gave me true insight that performance has less to do with your mental state but more to reach your optimum in order to put yourself in the „right“ neurophysiological state. And through this course my perspective shifted. It’s less about working hard every day. But more about how to find joy and intention in whatever I do in my life.

I love adding tools and new knowledge to my toolbox of body-centered coaching! Practicing the art and science of Polyvagal theory and using the material presented in the PLAY ZONE PRO course has enhanced my coaching practice and human practice. They have provided me another gateway to being with people as they are. With the information and understandings facilitated with PZP, I am even better at presencing with clients in their right now experiences, assisting them in navigating their way through challenges, and clarifying new possibilities, potentials and actions in order to enjoy a fulfilling and thriving life.

Michael is a true embodiment of Polyvagal Theory. He is intentional in creating a shared sense of safety between anyone in his presence! Michael shares: clear frameworks, actionable implementation strategies, and most importantly, a curiosity for moment to moment physiological reflections. I felt very aligned with Michael's casual, yet thorough nature and would recommend any coach to take this course!

I absolutely LOVED this course. It gave me a deeper understanding of Polyvagal Theory and how it applies not only to every day life but to sport and even business interactions. Michael does an amazing job at connecting with the coaches in the cohort. It is a hands on, Q&A experience where you get to talk to him directly and ask questions about what you are learning in the curriculum on a weekly basis. I got way more out of this course than I anticipated and am excited to incorporate the PlayZone methodology into my coaching on entrepreneurs and athletes.

Coach Holly Read

Mental Performance Coach for High Level Entrepreneurs and Athletes

The course has deepened my understanding of polyvagal theory and highlighted the importance of breathwork in shifting physiological states. It's also helped me introduce the Play Zone to high-performing clients who can channel their mobilising energy into a way that is helpful rather than detrimental.

Esther Raphael

Executive Coach PCC, PGCert, Polyvagal-Informed

Having worked for a long time with Polyvagal theory beforehand on a personal level, I was looking to get a deeper understanding to identify possible connections with performance, i.e. how to access potentials so they can come into play, in respect of the person on all levels. Performance being the result, not the aim. And the importance of play and connection for real performance. Being HIP, I was searching for ways to let my intensity unrestrained yet controlled and working with it, not against or despite it. Michael Allison’s The Play Zone Pro course proved to be on all levels exactly what I was searching for.

It gave me much more though. A new understanding and feeling of what it means to be really human. Through the safe, kind and human setting, this touched me most on a personal level and has in the end the most impact on my coaching. 

A deep thank you for that !

Astrid Weis, Performance Coach

The Play Zone Pro training experience with Michael Allison and Mathilde Shisko profoundly impacted my coaching practice. The course's experiential format was invaluable, particularly the self-paced videos that built foundational knowledge of the Play Zone and the Polyvagal Theory. Michael's guided breathwork exercises were fundamental, teaching me how to create a container of safety through specific breathwork applicable to various autonomic states. The game-changer for my practice was the sentence, "Meet the body where it is," which shifted my approach by 360 degrees. Through Michael's excellent teaching, I learned to listen to my bodily state and meet my client's body where it is, guiding them to regulate their autonomic system effectively. I highly recommend this transformative life experience.

Gianantonio Corna, Mindfulness Life Coach - Reiki Master

Growing up in mobilized state of fight or flight and eventually shut down has created many imbalances in my life. It wasnt until I joined the PVT course that it really began to make sense as to why. After taking this course, my thoughts have changed and how I show up for myself and the world is different. I am a lot more aware of my bodily responses and am much gentler with myself. When I teach my clients about PVT, they always question why we were not taught this in grade school. PVT is the art of being human, it really is a beautiful thing.

Amber Workman, NBW-HWC, FMCHC