Polyvagal Purrs: Rescue Cattitude
The framework that started out as a bit of a joke and became an integral part of my whole practice (and life)…
“You only need one drop of curiosity” ~ Deb Dana
Rescue Cattitude: A Polyvagal-informed approach to Self care and self-care for trauma recovery, AuDHD (autism and ADHD) and more
I’m working on a book using the rescue cats’ tails (sorry) and psycho-education to make the Polyvagal Purrs: Rescue Cattitude concepts more accessible to help as many people as possible.
To help you heal your trauma and befriend your AuDHD brain.
If you’re one of the 1000s of people, since 2014, who’ve worked with me one to one or attended my presentations, workshops or read or listened to me talking about what has evolved into the Polyvagal Purrs approach, please email eve@solestosoul.ie to let me know how it’s helping you and your clients (as well as any questions you may have) to help me continue to this work and potentially – with your full purrmission – be included in the book.
“I’ve been through so many other polyvagal things and come away baffled, but your session made it feel so straightforward. Thank you so much.”
Dr Emma Bede (at my 90 minute Online Events presentation, Rescue Cattitude: A Polyvagal-informed Approach to Self-care for Trauma and ADHD at the Living and Working with Neurodivergence Conference, October 2025)
Read on to find out how you can work with me (one to one either online across Ireland and the UK or in person in Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland with indoor and outdoor nature-based sessions) or to book me for events. Scroll down to access a rich array of resources to help you Feline Better Every Day (including the podcast episodes most inspired by the feral friends) by working with your vagus nerve and whole nervous system.
Free Polyvagal-informed training on IACP’s CPD Hub
Members of the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) can access the 3 modules of Polyvagal Purrs I recorded in the CPD Hub through the Membership Area.
“Thank you for your online CPD course [Polyvagal Purrs] which I just completed through the IACP. The information you shared was very helpful but more importantly the energy in which you shared it was helpful for my own trauma and ADHD. I have learned some stuff here today that will surely be of help. Sending you the best of wishes and thanks.”
~ Phil, Dublin
Do you ever wish you had the confidence of a beloved cat (or other creature)?
Cats embody grace, poise, confidence and ease. They offer and accept affection when they want to and have no qualms about setting healthy boundaries or simply batting it away when they don’t.
As you can probably imagine, the idea of Polyvagal Purrs: Rescue Cattitude (aka Be More Cat, Cat Coaching for Self Care, Feline Better Every Day and Purr! Hiss! Freeze!) even bringing in Polyvagal Theory, started as a bit of a joke. But it quickly became one of the most effective elements of my toolkit
If I say Polyvagal Theory or Ventral Vagal Wellness (an incredibly important, life changing concept that continues to revolutionise my life when I work with it on a daily basis) to most people, they’d look at me blankly. It might even trigger a mild stress response. In a nutshell, it’s the science around how feeling safe, welcome and loved helps us thrive.
When I say Polyvagal Purrs, Rescue Cattitude, Be More Cat, Purr! Hiss! Freeze! or Feline Better Every Day, many immediately GET it. I developed Cattitude to help myself Feline Better Every Day. Cats (and other beloved animals and/or toddlers) are brilliant at helping people better understand the theory as well as integrating practical applications for themselves and their families.
You can read more about my Feel. Love. Heal. framework and Polyvagal Purrs approach in this article about my late ADHD diagnosis in the Irish Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IJCP) Winter 2025 edition on ADHD and therapy (which I edited as my last issue as Editor-in-Chief).
Polyvagal Theory, developed by Stephen Porges and expanded on by Deb Dana, is known as “the science of safety and connection”
As Deb Dana says, while compassion, especially self-compassion, is key, even one drop of curiosity (again, be more cat) can help. Even if you only manage one moment of meditation or reflection, you’re building the capacity for more.
Don’t worry about the jargon – let the rescue cats help you understand how to work with your own nervous system, vagus nerve, whole body, energy and more.
Here’s an adaptation of the Befriending the Hierarchy exercise
Polyvagal Purrs helps clients, yoga students, workshop participants and audiences during talks and readers of some of my features and columns and blog posts
Rainbow MagnifiCat even features in the book, 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing (Pen & Sword, 2017).
She had her own blog, Purrfection Pawsonified, and sometimes guest blogs for me And, of course, I still use Rescue Cattitude: Polyvagal Purrs to support my own Polyvagal informed Self care and self-care.
I hope that even the idea of Rescue Cattitude: Polyvagal Purrs helps you begin to soften your own self talk. To honour your wild self (aka your animal self). Your body and nervous system has SO much wisdom for you.
Would you like my (and Rainbow MagnifiCat, Mighty Meadbh, Angel Houdini and Teri Crews Cat) support in helping YOU be more cat and Feline Better Every Day?
Follow Rainbow MagnifiCat and her formerly feral friends on Instagram @therainbowmagnificat @iammightymeadbh @angel.houdini @thetericrewscat and @polyvagalpurrs
Rainbow MagnifiCat has several entries in the Index for 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing You can buy or borrow it at your local bookshop, library or online.
These podcast episodes share of my rescue cat inspired approach to Polyvagal Theory to make it simpler and smilier to put into practise as you befriend, work with and heal your own nervous system (watch below and listen wherever you get your podcasts):
Read some selected articles and columns about cat coaching here
As well as the episodes highlighted above, the cats feature in many episodes. The nervous system in almost all episodes. It’s so helpful when working with Self care and self-care for trauma and ADHD.