Polly's Vague Theories

Attachment theory sits at the beating heart of how we can best understand interpersonal trauma. The t word still puts people off, but when you understand how you developed the parts of your brain and nervous system that register safety and danger, and what that looks like pre-natally to newborn to later life, you have the keys to the car of your own responses. This gives you the chance to modify or retrain your brain to better interpret signs of safety and co-regulate with the other mammals in your life.

Book list

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk
Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine
In an Unspoken Voice by Peter Levine
Anchored by Deb Dana

The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate

No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz

The Developing Mind by Dan Siegal

Just Breathe by Dan Brule

Breath by James Nestor
Holotropic Breathwork by Stan Grof
Feel to Heal by Giten Tonkov

On this episode of the podcast i'm joined by Simon Gates. I recently was featured on the Law Society of Tasmania's podcast where we talked about trauma and wellbeing of lawyers, and it really peaked my interest in how do lawyers and the sector more broadly deal with the vicarious and frontline trauma that happens in their professions - especially when some of the systems of the law are set up in a way that can cause trauma to be profoundly entrenched in the people trying to work within that system - and the ones it is there to serve when it comes to workplace psychological injury. Simon, as it turns out, has a lot to say on this matter and it is a FASCINATING insight into the collision of a sector that has always had a reputation for being high pressure, and the reluctance of people entering the law to put their health and happiness before their careers. Let's get a little more info on our guest...

Simon Gates is a barrister with special interests in public law and personal injury law; particularly workers compensation and psychological injury. He is the current and inaugural chair of the Law Society of Tasmania’s Wellbeing Committee, a past President of the Law Society of Tasmania and a graduate of the Tasmanian Leaders Program. Before being called to the Bar, he was a partner of law firm McLean, McKenzie and Topfer Barristers and Solicitors.

Prior to entering private legal practice in 2013, Simon was Senior Legal Advisor to the Tasmanian State Attorney-General and was Crown Counsel in the Office of the Tasmanian Solicitor-General between 2007 and 2011, acting as Junior Counsel for the State in a number of High Court Constitutional Law cases.

As if that wasn't enough exposure to trauma, in his pre-bar life Simon lived and worked in Timor-Leste in 2005 and 2006, working initially as an Australian Volunteers International funded legal and policy advisor in the minerals, oil and gas sector for the Timor-Leste Government. Following civil unrest in Timor-Leste in 2006, and the compulsory evacuation of all members of the AVI program, Simon and his wife Shona chose to remain in Timor-Leste, where Simon worked for Plan International coordinating the provision of humanitarian aid to internally displaced people in refugee camps in and around the capital Dili.

Sometimes in all my IFS therapy work, I forget just how powerful a breathwork journey can be. That is until I hold space for a group and watch everyone go through their process. After a journey, there is always an integration to share stories and make sense of what happens, this is my favorite time, as you never know what is going on in the subterranean world of the human condition, sometimes you know its big, but you just don't know how big. At a recent brearthwork playshop I met Dave, and Dave met breathwork in a profound way. After the session, he had so many questions, but was still really processing what had happaned. I suggested he write them down so I could fully respond when he was ready. The questions were SO GOOD I sought his consent to respond to them in a podcast so not just he, but other breathwork curious folx, could also share his curious genius. This eps for you Dave :-)

Dean Yates was head of mental health and wellbeing strategy at Reuters, the world's largest news provider, for nearly three years until January 2020. Before that he was a journalist, bureau chief and senior editor at Reuters for more than 22 years. Dean was the ideal war zone correspondent: courageous, compassionate, dedicated. After years of facing the worst, though, including the Bali bombings and the Boxing Day tsunami, one final incident undid him. In July 2007, two of his staff members were brutally gunned down by an American helicopter in Iraq. What followed was an unravelling of everything Dean thought he knew of himself. His PTSD was compounded by his moral wound - the devastation of what he thought he knew of the world and his own character and beliefs. After years of treatment, including several stints inside a psychiatric facility, Dean has reshaped his view of the true meaning of life and shares his experiences with us on the podcast.

PSA - This episode contains references to suicide, depression, mental health admissions, war crimes and workplace injury. Go cautiously if any of these topics are in a tender spot for you.

Tucked up on the top right-hand side of my website is a little button that I always ask listeners to hit me up through with any questions they might want answered on the podcast. This episode is dedicated to responding to those anonymous correspondents with a mix of thoughts, feels, opinions and of course some IFS and parts thrown in!

Teachers are at the coalface of classroom co-regulation, but who is regulating them, and how are they staying in their grounded confidence and Self energy when managing a collective of nervous systems? This episiode is DEDICATED to teachers, and we explore some of the challenges and strategies for creating psychologically safe classrooms where everyone can learn and thrive.

Zoë Coyle's second novel, The Dangers of Female Provocation, is first and foremost a story that is compelling, shocking, saucy, wild and compelling as a study of people, relationships, female rage and how very good people can do some very questionable things in the name of love and revenge. On this episode, Zoë and I explore the idea of healthy anger as a gendered affect, as a place where trauma can find an outlet, and as a way of setting and reclaiming boundaries for ourselves and the ones we love.

A fabulous start to series two of Polly's Vague Theories, this series i'm interviewing lots of folks to find out how trauma, parts and the nervous system blend and unblend into all aspects of our culture.

Link to the novel above, also available on Audible this has bestseller written all over it.

The fabulous Bjarne Kragh from Southside Physio in Canberra and I made a podcast last year about all things pain, polyvagal theory, breathwork and more. He's kindly shared the audio with me so we can both hook our people into our superfun rap. Bjarne is such a cool man, enjoy my classic ramblings and his Viking responses. Gorg!

Is intuition some special sauce of psychics and charletons or is it our very own ANS GPS? I think we all know what my answer is going to be - lets explore!

In this episode we have a look at Internal Family Systems, how does it work, what is parts work, and have a little exercise at the end to meet a part. Hello there!