Trauma Center - Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY)

TCTSY is about creating opportunities for choice, curiosity, and connection with yourself.

It is rooted in elements of the hatha style of yoga, where participants engage in a variety of physical forms and movements. The emphasis is not on the external appearance (i.e. doing it “right”) or approval of an external authority (the facilitator). Rather, the focus is on noticing your own experience, and making choices based off of what feels best for you.

Research suggests that this practice may restore functioning in parts of the brain that have been damaged from trauma. This blog post explains this process in more detail. This is what sets this practice apart, as the restored functioning of these areas in the brain is different from what talk therapy or medication can do.

As functioning becomes restored, the participant begins to learn to listen to their own body as a source of wisdom. By practicing noticing physical sensations and responding to them with choice and curiosity, participants can strengthen their ability to recognize what feels supportive, what doesn't, and what they need in a given moment. While this is something we practice on the mat, this skill can be extended off the mat into daily life as well.

TCTSY offers a different approach to healing, one that is grounded in choice, self-discovery, and connection with your own experience. For many people, the most meaningful benefit is not simply feeling better during practice, but developing a greater sense of trust in themselves that remains available long after they leave the mat.

Pricing & Booking:

When you book a session, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a few intake forms. Your responses will help me understand your preferences, temperament, energy patterns, and physiology so I can create a personalized, evidence-based practice tailored entirely around you.

Private Session Options:

Single 60-Minute Private Session - $100.00: A customized, 1-on-1 session adapted for your specific needs.
5 60-Minute Private Session Package (with recordings) - $450.00: Highly recommended. We're supporting lasting change at every level of the body. As with any new skill, progress comes through steady, consistent practice.
Small Private Group Session - $120.00 - If your small group is interested in this offering, please register through this offering page.

To view the schedule and get started, click "Book Now" at the top of the page!

Sessions are held at

Serenity Roots Yoga & Wellness Center

Serenity Roots Yoga & Wellness Center, 8950 Lavelle Rd. Athens, OH, 45701

If an online session is needed, or you'd like me to come to another facility, please call/text 740-586-4181 or email traumasensitiveyogaproject@gmail.com.

The wellness studio has all the mats, blocks, and blankets that we need, but you're welcome to bring your own if you prefer.

Parking (Free) & Map

Benefits & Research:

TCTSY trauma sensitive yoga model developed at the Center for Trauma and Embodiment is as effective as Cognitive Processing Therapy, the current gold standard of care, in providing symptom relief for U.S. women military veterans suffering from PTSD (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2023).
The TCTSY model has been utilized and researched since 2002 and has consistently demonstrated positive outcomes for trauma survivors. More broadly, TCTSY is part of a recent movement within the mental health field to engage the body in healing from psychological trauma and PTSD, especially for the most severe trauma where talk-based therapies may be less effective.
Reduction in symptoms were sustained over a long period of time and participants were less likely to drop out of the practice, compared to the control (CBT) group. (Campbell et. al, 2024)
Not only did the participants report a greater reduction in symptoms with TCTSY, but the symptoms stayed diminished or relieved entirely long after the study. Some participants no longer qualified for the diagnosis of PTSD after the TCTSY intervention.
For more information about TCTSY (including the research behind it), please visit: https://www.traumasensitiveyoga.com/.
Disclaimer: Trauma Sensitive Yoga is not intended to replace one-on-one treatment with a licensed mental health professional.