Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga
Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) has undergone more than 20 years of research and is considered the first and only empirically validated yoga-based clinical intervention for complex trauma and chronic, treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Experiences of trauma can profoundly alter our relationship with our body. TCTSY takes an embodied, collaborative approach to healing that helps us restore a felt sense of safety using yoga forms and the power of authentic presence.
TCTSY draws from elements of trauma theory, attachment theory, and hatha yoga, with participants engaging in a series of physical forms and movements. The practice is shaped by principles of invitation, choice, and empowerment and does not include physical hands-on adjustments to influence a participant’s physical form. Instead, TCTSY presents opportunities for participants to make choices based on a felt sense of their own body (interoception). This internal focus offers a space to (re)connect with one’s body and cultivate a renewed sense of agency. No previous yoga experience is necessary, and the practice can be adapted to all abilities.
Since 2009, TCTSY has been featured in over 40 peer-reviewed publications, doctoral dissertations, and academic journals. In 2023, a fully randomized clinical trial led by Ursula A. Kelly, PhD was published in JAMA Network Open that validated TCTSY’s effectiveness with women veterans and survivors of military sexual trauma. Critically, this research demonstrated that TCTSY led to faster symptom improvement, higher retention rates, and similarly sustained results when compared to Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)—a leading evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
TCTSY Offerings
Individual TCTSY
Sessions are tailored to you and incorporate yoga therapeutics designed to support your mental and physical healing and well-being. 50-minute sessions are held over Zoom.
TCTSY Groups
A virtual eight-week series offered in a closed group setting with the same participants each week. Please sign up for my newsletter to learn about upcoming group opportunities.
Drop-In Classes
Virtual slow flow, mat-based group sessions that offer an interoceptive and choice-based practice. Please sign up for my newsletter to receive information about offerings.
TCTSY FAQs
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Trauma sensitive yoga supports participants to:
connect with body sensations and breath
practice choice-making
remain in the present moment
cultivate self-efficacy and a sense of empowerment, which are both often compromised by trauma
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TCTSY is a SAMHSA-approved, evidenced-based adjunctive treatment for trauma that has been shown to enhance progress in traditional psychotherapy. There is no talking or verbal processing of trauma in TCTSY.
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TCTSY can be integrated into therapy sessions or offered as a standalone modality. You do not need to be in therapy to participate. However, you should have access to other support systems or services that offer space to verbally process anything that comes up during TCTSY. Possible supports might include a community leader, coach, somatic practitioner, support group, or faith-based leader.
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Trauma-sensitive yoga is accessible for everyone. No yoga experience is necessary.
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TCTSY was developed for people with a history of complex trauma and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, you do not need to have a diagnosis to participate; this practice is meant for anyone who self-identifies as having experienced trauma. Whether you have experienced physical, verbal, or sexual abuse or neglect, intergenerational trauma, social and historical trauma, an extreme event, or accumulated stress, TCTSY may provide opportunities to help you feel more connected to your body and the present moment.
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Nothing is required for class. You might choose to have any of the following available:
A yoga mat – if you don’t have a mat, you might use a towel or carpeted space
A blanket
A non-rolling chair without armrests – you might use a chair to support your balance in standing forms
Two yoga blocks / big books / two filled, sturdy water bottles
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You are welcome to wear anything comfortable, but may wish to select clothing that allows for gentle movement.
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No physical assists are offered. Instruction is verbal.
You have choices about how you interact with your body and the yoga forms during class. For example, you might choose your own version of a form or pause in stillness.
Dawn will practice with you and remain on her mat during class.
You will not be asked to talk about your trauma history as part of TCTSY. Instead, the focus is on noticing what you feel in your body (interoception) and practicing making choices about what to do with your body based on what you feel.
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Practicing yoga can bring up feelings and emotions, sometimes called implicit or somatic memories. Dawn will offer grounding or orienting techniques if you become dysregulated, and you will be invited to participate in a way that feels useful to you moment to moment.
“Your body does not give a damn whether a practice is ancient or modern, secular or religious, proven or unproven. It just wants to experience safety and security. ”