Study: Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga as effective as CPT for PTSD

Some people hear yoga and they think “ugh, that’s for fit people who are super flexible and can sit still to meditate. I can’t do any of those!” Some have maybe attended classes which were labeled trauma-sensitive yoga only to feel triggered and not safe. Or maybe you were one of the people who at some point thought, how can yoga help, it’s not therapy?! To all of that, let me say 3 things: 1) yoga is for everyone; 2) not all classes and practitioners are the same, so find the right one for you and 3) trauma-sensitive yoga is an evidence-based, adjunct treatment for PTSD, meaning it is an alternative or complementary treatment to therapy. 

Before I share a recent article which was published by Emory University regarding TCTSY (trauma center trauma-sensitive yoga), let me say this: Hi, I am Simona and I have suffered from PTSD. I have used (and have been using) TCTSY not only for my clients, but also with myself. How did it help me?

• I regained a sense of power and agency and I don’t feel helpless anymore.

• I know that when I am triggered that it is only temporary and that I have the tools to stay present. 

• I sleep better.

• I feel safer and am no longer afraid of the “other shoe dropping”.

• I am still aware of my surroundings but no longer hypervigilent.

• I can respond to situations instead of reacting. 

Now here’s something that just came out this week and I am happy to share with you. As a certified trauma-sensitive yoga facilitator (TCTSY-F) who works with veterans with PTSD, I am glad to see this method not only highlighted as an evidence-based, peer reviewed adjunct treatment, but also the subject of a recent study by Emory University, which shows how effective it is. I see it every day in my practice. Proud to do this work and be able to support our vets! See the highlights from the article below and the full article here, or click on the picture above.

“Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a sizeable issue in the United States military, affecting approximately 20 percent of all Veterans. Among women, the primary cause of PTSD is sexual abuse or harassment by colleagues while on active service—and it is common. Research suggests as many as one in four servicewomen experiences sexual assault, while more than half are victims of sexual harassment.

Until now, the standard treatment for female Veterans with PTSD has been cognitive processing therapy (CPT), a science-based approach that teaches patients practical tactics to help challenge or neutralize negative thoughts tied to their trauma. Seen as the “gold standard,” in PTSD treatment by the Department of Defense and the Veterans Heath Administration, CPT has its merits, but also flaws. Researchers find more than half of female Veterans enrolled in government-backed CPT programs drop out of treatment. Half of those who complete treatment report continued PTSD symptoms.

The early results tell a clear story. Working with colleagues from Emory University and the Atlanta Veteran Associate Health Care System, Kelly has found empirical evidence yoga can be just as effective as CPT in the treatment of PTSD.

Not only that, the study shows TCTSY delivers positive results considerably faster than cognitive therapy; and that more than 60 percent of patients are seeing the treatment through to completion compared to just 34 percent of those in cognitive therapy programs.”