Tag Archive for: TCTSY

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

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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.”

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Half-Day Training: Intro to Trauma-Sensitive Yoga

Half-Day Training: Intro to Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, Saturday March 20th at 8am PST (Los Angeles) / 11am EST (New York) / 3pm GMT (London)

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Some of you have been asking about this training. This is a half-day training for yoga teachers, therapists, healthcare and other wellness practitioners, survivors, or anyone working with trauma survivors. You do not have to be a yoga teacher to attend this. At this time, the training is virtual.

The training covers:

  • Trauma theory to understand the impact of trauma on the body and mind.

  • Elements of trauma-sensitive care (including yoga) and how to incorporate them into your practice/work.

  • A full trauma-sensitive yoga practice to experience it for yourself and learn how movement and language may be included in your trauma-sensitive care work

  • Reflection time and discussion

Learn more here….

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You Don’t Like to Meditate. How about Sound Mapping?

Happy foggy Saturday! Let’s talk about meditation. Or, alternatives to it. A lot of times, that word comes with a lot of expectations. We have an idea probably coming from the stock images of someone sitting cross-legged in a beautiful, serene environment, with their eyes closed and a smile on their face which says “do this, and you too can smile like me. That’s all you need to do.” We look at that and think “jeez, I can’t do that.”

 

 

Well, that may be the standard of meditation for some. For me, it looks different. I’ve always had a hard time sitting. I blamed my implementer mind for a while. And I thought I couldn’t meditate. But I like movement, so yoga became my moving meditation. Then, when I went through my trauma-sensitive yoga training (TCTSY), there was a lot of emphasis on interoception, i.e. sensing the internal state of your body, a.k.a tuning in. That’s probably why I fell in love with the practice of TCTSY! After a session like that, I feel recharged. But I digress…

So coming back to moving meditation. If you’re like me and you can’t sit still, this might be an alternative for you. And there are more like that:🚶🏻‍♀️Walking 

🏃🏻‍♀️Running

✏️ Doodling/coloring/journaling 

💃 Dance (dance yoga, ecstatic dance) 

🐎 Riding horses 

🏊‍♀️ Swimming

Anything that gets you in touch with your Self. 

Time! Oh, time is interesting…it feels like we never have enough of it. But what if we reframe it to say that time is all we have. It’s our most import currency. We trade time for everything. So, could we trade time for our Self? 

We’ll put a pin in that for now and let’s just say you only have 5 min, you don’t like to sit with you eyes closed and hum, and you know what, you don’t even like to focus on your self, not today. But you’d like to try meditation. I hear you! Okay, then here’s something that you could try: a sound map. 

My favorite time of the day is before everyone wakes up. That’s because that’s when it’s the most quiet. I’m not a morning person, but thanks to jet lag, I woke up at 6am today and stepped outside with a piece of paper and a pencil. I sat on the front steps and drew an “X marks the spot” in the middle of the page. That’s where I was. Then for the next 5 min I paid attention to the sounds around me and marked them where I thought they came from. No fancy drawing, just stick figures. I heard (lots) of crows, a blue jay, cardinals, cars, my neighbor’s AC unit… It helped me get in touch with the nature around me, especially after being away for a while. 

 

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And then, guess what happened. My kiddo came and she wanted to participate. So she did the same thing for about 2 min. But then she upped the ante and on her own, she decided to add what she saw. And then, she decided to add to this map what she was thinking about. It started as an exercise of connection with nature and re-entry into our environment and it ended up being an opportunity for connection with my kid. 

For us, it turned into over an hour of being outside before we even had breakfast! So, I’m sharing this with you, if you want to give it a try. If you do, I’d love to hear from you. 

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