More about the practice
Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga
Developed at the Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts, Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) is a program of Center for Trauma and Embodiment at Justice Resource Institute. The practice is an empirically validated, clinical intervention for complex trauma or chronic, treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The TCTSY methodology is based on central components of the hatha style of yoga and has foundations in Trauma Theory, Attachment Theory, and Neuroscience. Elements of standard hatha yoga are modified to maximize experiences of empowerment and to cultivate a more positive relationship to one's body.
Unlike many public yoga classes, TCTSY does not use physical hands-on adjustments to influence a participant's physical form. Rather, TCTSY presents opportunities for participants to be in charge of themselves based on a felt sense of their own body. Although TCTSY employs physical forms and movements, the emphasis is not on the external expression or appearance (i.e. doing it"right"), or receiving the approval of an external authority. Rather, the focus is on the internal experience of the participant. This shift in orientation, from the external to the internal, is a key attribute of TCTSY as a complementary treatment for complex trauma. With our approach, the power resides within the individual, not the TCTSY-Facilitator (TCTSY-F). Further, by focusing on the felt sense of the body to inform choice-making, TCTSY allows participants to restore their connection of mind and body and cultivate a sense of agency that is often compromised as a result of trauma. All TCTSY facilitators, staff, trainers, and mentors are required to agree and adhere to our ethical guidelines, or as we call them, Ways of Being. Together, we honor the unique wisdom found within each individual we serve.
The TCTSY program qualified for inclusion in the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) database published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In 2021, Trauma Sensitive Yoga was further validated as an effective adjunct treatment for complex trauma and PTSD in a study involving women veterans and military sexual trauma-related PTSD. In a comparison with CPT (cognitive processing therapy), the gold standard in therapy treatments, TCTSY yielded quicker symptom improvement, higher participant retention, and an equally sustained effect. In the adjacent video, the researchers of the study present the findings of a 5-year randomized controlled trial.
