Course Timing
This course begins with a one hour Live Welcome Sesion on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 2:30pm ET.
You will then meet live for two more 75-minute long highly interactive, experiential classes or 'playshops' (with time for Q&A!) on Tuesday, May 6 and Tuesday, May 20.
Additional self-paced content includes access to a catalog of 30+ educational videos demonstrating breathing and vocal exercises, pre-recorded lectures, and supplementary reading and materials, including information on the exercises, anatomy, research, and articles.
Course Schedule of Live Sessions:
Tuesday, April 29, 2:30pm-3:30pm ET - Live Welcome Session
Tuesday, May 6, 2:30pm-3:45pm ET - Live Playshop One
Tuesday, May 20, 2:30pm-3:45pm ET - Live Playshop Two
Recordings of previous live sessions will be available for you on our learning platform.
Course Description
Watch a quick intro video from Mattie Shisko and Michael Allison here.
We literally speak from the heart!
This practical course offers an in-depth exploration of our voices and it’s relationship to our physiological state, and our intentions. Rooted in the principles of Polyvagal Theory, it reveals how our voice can be a powerful tool for creating meaningful connections, impactful communication, and building trust—the cornerstone of all relationships.
Our voice is a profound resource that shapes how others perceive and engage with us. Whether in leadership, parenting, performing, counseling, therapy or coaching, our voice can either invite closeness or create distance. Its tone, rhythm, pace, and pitch signal safety or risk, connection or disconnection, confidence or doubt. While these dynamics often occur unconsciously, this course empowers you to intentionally develop strategies to align your vocal and physiological presence with your core values, aspirations, and intentions.
The connection between our physiological state and our voice is deeply interwoven.
Our inner state shapes the quality of our voice, while our voice, in turn, influences our physiological state - and the responses of those around you. Ignoring this bidirectional link can result in missed opportunities to experience and express your authenticity and build trust.
This embodied approach integrates progressive neural exercises focused on breath, support, sound, voice, listening, and connection, all underpinned by Polyvagal Theory. Designed for daily practice and real-time application, you'll develop practical tools to enhance self-regulation, cultivate meaningful connections, and foster resilience in your personal and professional life.
We invite you to join us for a free info session about this course on April 15. Register to attend here. Watch the info session recording here: link coming soon
Payment Information
This course costs $599. Learners may opt to pay the full fee at registration, or to pay in three monthly installments. Learners will have access to the course for 365 days from the date of the first live session.
Course Requirements
There are no pre-requisites for this course.
Course Format
Course Framework
Module Outline:
Module 1: Land - Breathe
By the end of this module participants will be able to:
Identify breath-holding patterns and learn to access a full, natural breath.
Understand the connection between breath, voice quality, and autonomic state.
Explore the relationship between breath, Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and the autonomic nervous system (ANS)
Learn breathing practices that align with the principles of Polyvagal Theory to support regulation and resilience.
Module 2: Emerge - Sound and Resonance
By the end of this module participants will be able to:
Recognize the voice as a natural stimulator of the vagus nerve.
Explore vocal resonance, prosody, and sound to enhance self-awareness and attunement.
Practice vocal exercises to strengthen vagal tone, improve heart rate variability and intentionally shift physiological states.
Align vocal practices with the principles of Polyvagal Theory to support well-being and effective communication.
Module 3: Expand - Range and Vocal Play
By the end of this module participants will be able to:
Recognize and attune to your autonomic state through your voice.
Further expand vocal range to increase autonomic flexibility and resilience in the nervous system.
Practice vocal exercises to intentionally shift and navigate the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
Align vocal play with the principles of Polyvagal Theory to enhance resilience and well-being.
Module 4: Engage - Our Social Engagement System
By the end of this module participants will be able to:
Explore exercises in articulation that stimulate the vagus nerve.
Explore verbal and non verbal cues that inhibit or enhance communication.
Embody the heart, voice, face connection of Polyvagal Theory.
Cultivating a Practice - putting it all together:
Upon completion of the main 4 modules, students will be instructed on how to create a practice. Using their voice as a powerful broadcaster of safety, trust, and support in co-regulation, students may submit a final voice/movement practice for feedback.
Self paced content will add up to a total of 8.5 hours, complemented by one Live Welcome Session (1 hr) and two Live Meet Ups (1 hr 15 min each).
Recommended Audience
Course Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Recognize our autonomic state by attuning to our own voice.
Become aware of the vocal cues we broadcast within personal and professional settings.
Understand how to shift our physiology to align our voice with our intentions, and our voice to shift our physiology for effective communication.
Recognize personal vocal habits and patterns in different situations and contexts.
Recognize the correlation between voice and posture, muscle tension, breathing, and vagal efficiency.
Learn vocal exercises to self-regulate and as a clinical/coaching intervention.
Use the voice as a powerful broadcaster of safety, trust, and support in co-regulation.
Improve active listening skills and attunement to others’ vocal cues.
Learn how to intentionally navigate the ANS through exercises in vocal play to increase autonomic flexibility and resilience.
Collectively share our voices and our stories with one another.
You will receive a Certificate of Completion upon finishing this course.
INSTRUCTOR(S)
Mathilde Shisko
For more than 25 years Mathilde Shisko has been a leading voice, performance and speaking coach based in Vancouver, Canada. Mathilde combines science, art, mindfulness and play, to help her clients realize their full vocal potential. She believes "when our voices are truly connected to our intention, our voice is clear, impactful and potent." At her personal coaching studio, My Voice Coach, she coaches "anyone who needs to be heard." Her clients include prominent politicians, artists, philanthropists, TED Speakers, entrepreneurs, health care providers, leaders in business and coaches in many domains. She continues to work in Theatre, Film and Television as an actor and as an Adiunct Professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia, is the outgoing voice and senior instructor at the Vancouver Film School and continues to teach at Vancouver's premier acting studio, Mellroy and Associates.
Mattie is the lead voice coach/consultant for international companies, providing group and individual coaching for those stepping into leadership roles or those wishing to find more ease and joy in their day to day communication with their teams and clients.
Since 2023 she has worked alongside Michael Allison in his Play Zone Pro course at PVI, and is a pod leader for the Institute’s flagship course, The Polyvagal Certificate Course: Safety, Connection and the Human Experience. She is a regular contributor to the Institute through her educational video series Voice on Vagus and hosts regular online Community Conversations with Allison at PVI.
Most recently she has joined Sonderworx as an online training facilitator and contributor supporting their Cultures of Care in training first responders with PVI Board Chair Dr George Thompson, BC based consulting groups Dave Phillips and Major Tom, and Australia’s Keogh Consulting as their lead Voice Coach for employees and clients.
She believes that VOICE truly is our vital natural resource for finding safety, connection and belonging. This has become her life’s work.
Mathilde Shisko
Michael Allison
Michael Allison
Polyvagal expert Michael Allison has partnered with Polyvagal Institute in developing education and coaching around his unique application of Polyvagal Theory to performance. The Play Zone provides a paradigm shifting methodology to optimize control of our performance through skillful and conscious control of our physiology, and is endorsed by Polyvagal Institute and Dr. Porges.
Michael consults with professional, collegiate and high performing coaches, teams, organizations, athletes and performers in a variety of disciplines, as well as executive coaches, business leaders and corporate teams. He is a Health & Performance Coach, Personal Trainer, Medical Exercise Specialist, Post Rehab Specialist and Certified Oxygen Advantage Breathwork Instructor. He is the author of SMARTER Coaching, a certificated behavior change course accredited by the American Council on Exercise. In addition, Michael is a certificated ILS Safe & Sound Provider / Remote Provider and Focus System Training Provider.
With more than 25 years of experience in the fitness & wellness industry, he is the founder (1999) and co-owner of Physical Focus Inc. in Santa Barbara, California and leads a team of personal trainers, fitness instructors, health coaches, nutritionists and bodyworkers. Most importantly, Michael is a husband of 22+ years to his wife Jamie, a teacher-librarian, and father of two beautiful daughters, Kate (21) and Samantha (17).
