Yoga in therapy

When treating a client who is suffering from interpersonal trauma such as chronic childhood abuse or domestic violence, verbal therapy does not always have the best effect. For these clients, the trauma and its consequences are so embedded in the personality and so complex that limiting the client's experience to a set of symptoms or suggesting changes within a cognitive framework or within behavioral patterns ignores an important and key player: body.

Mental and behavioral health professionals generally agree that in cases of complex trauma, much suffering - self-hatred, shame, and fear - is found and manifested in the body. For example, a woman who has experienced childhood sexual abuse may, despite having a successful career, have periods when she cannot feel her limbs and feels a total disconnection from her physical self. Refocusing the client on the body and creating a "body feeling" can be the key to unlocking her pain and directing her toward healing.

This book presents a successful intervention called Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSJ), an evidence-based program for traumatized clients to help them connect with their own bodies in a safe and conscious way.

A clinical psychologist does not need to have knowledge and familiarity with yoga to understand and use these simple techniques, which are presented here in a comprehensive and readable format. Trauma-sensitive yoga helps clients achieve deeper and more lasting healing.

The book contains more than 30 photographs of various yoga forms, and the last chapter provides a step-by-step portfolio of yoga practices to use when working with clients.