Polyvagal-informed chiropractic, communication, adjusting, and pelvic floor for conferences and associations.
Warm, practical teaching for chiropractors and their teams — rooted in nervous-system safety, clear communication, and hands-on skill.
Dr. Don MacDonald
Dr. Don MacDonald is a chiropractor with 29 years in practice and a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic (1997). He teaches a polyvagal-informed, nervous-system-centred approach to care, and he developed the MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol and a pelvic floor protocol for chiropractors. Brandi MacDonald helped turn his ideas into the structure and framework. He co-founded The Informed Chiropractor with Brandi, hosts The Informed Chiropractor Podcast (200+ episodes), served as president of the Edmonton Chiropractic Society for seven years, and is the author of The Underdog Curse. Their next book, The Polyvagal Shift, is planned for late January 2027.
Don has been speaking for about four years. He has spoken at Parker Seminars, Concordia (Australian Chiropractic College), the Canadian Lyceum, and the New Zealand Lyceum. Most of his teaching has been through The Informed Chiropractor’s own seminars and masterminds — boutique events with no sponsors and small rooms by design.
Brandi MacDonald
Brandi MacDonald helps chiropractors and their teams communicate in a way that creates safety, honesty, and better retention — without scripts or pressure. She co-founded The Informed Chiropractor with Dr. Don MacDonald and helped turn his clinical ideas into teachable frameworks, including the structure around the MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol and the pelvic floor protocol. She is a frequent co-host on The Informed Chiropractor Podcast and co-author (with Dr. Don) of the forthcoming book The Polyvagal Shift.
Brandi has been speaking for over 20 years. She has spoken for Parker Seminars, Chiro Europe, The WAVE (Life West), Concordia (Australian Chiropractic College), Lyceum (New Zealand College of Chiropractic), and the UCA in England.
Credit (please use as written): The MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol and the pelvic floor protocol were developed by Dr. Don MacDonald. Brandi MacDonald helped turn his ideas into the structure and framework.
Four speaking tracks
Each track can be offered as a keynote, breakout, hands-on lab (where noted), or team session. Lengths are typically 45–90 minutes for talks; longer for labs. Available as Dr. Don alone, Brandi alone, or both together.
1. Polyvagal-informed chiropractic
Sample titles: Adjusting Through a Polyvagal Lens · Nervous System Safety and the Chiropractic Encounter · Why Safety Comes Before the Adjustment
Polyvagal theory gives chiropractors a clear way to understand why some people respond under care and others stall. This talk translates the science into plain language: what neurological safety looks like in the adjusting room, how threat and connection show up in posture and behaviour, and how a polyvagal lens changes the way you adjust, explain care, and lead your team — without turning practice into therapy-speak.
Formats: Keynote · Breakout · Team session
2. Communication and patient retention
Sample titles: Why Patients Leave Care — and the Conversation That Keeps Them · Communication Without Scripts · Building Safety in Every Touchpoint
Not everyone stays in care, and that is okay. What you can control is how quickly you notice when someone starts to disengage, and how you respond. Dr. Don and Brandi teach communication that is honest and human — no pressure, no canned scripts — so teams create the conditions where people feel safe enough to continue.
Formats: Keynote · Breakout · Team session (especially strong as a DC + CA joint session). Brandi often leads; Don supports, or both together.
3. MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol
Sample titles: The MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol: Adjusting Through Neurological Safety · Five Locks and the Safety Corridor · From Force to Safety
An adjusting approach rooted in neurological safety, developed by Dr. Don MacDonald. Brandi MacDonald helped turn his ideas into the structure and framework taught today. The session covers the thinking behind the corridor — including the Five Locks — and how doctors can adjust with more awareness of the person’s nervous system state, not just the segment.
Formats: Keynote · Breakout · Hands-on lab (tables recommended)
More detail: theinformedchiropractor.com/the-macdonald-safety-corridor
4. Pelvic floor protocol for chiropractors
Sample titles: Unlocking the Pelvis and the Pelvic Floor · Pelvic Floor Care Through a Polyvagal and Safety-Corridor Lens · External Pelvic Floor Work for the Chiropractic Practice
A pelvic floor protocol for chiropractors developed by Dr. Don MacDonald, with Brandi MacDonald helping organize the ideas into a teachable framework. It connects pelvic floor care to neurological safety and the Safety Corridor approach, with practical external work doctors can integrate with clear clinical reasoning.
CE: Our pelvic floor seminar is approved for CE credits with the Saskatchewan College of Chiropractors. We can discuss hours and jurisdiction for your event.
Formats: Keynote overview · Breakout · Hands-on lab (preferred; portable tables)
How we show up
Our own seminars are boutique — no sponsors, small rooms, and a real connection with each attendee. On a conference stage we bring the same grounded style: practical, warm, and usable on Monday morning.
Invite us to your event
If you are planning a chiropractic conference, association meeting, or college event and want practical teaching on these topics, we would be glad to talk.
Email: info@theinformedchiropractor.com
Web: theinformedchiropractor.com · drdonmacdonald.com · brandimacdonald.com