Yoga in the Therapy Room: Tips for integrating trauma informed yoga

Soul: Build a Gratitude Habit USE CODE CHRISYOGA 30 for 30 DAYS FREE FOR LISTENERS

In this episode, we look at practical vagal toning exercises to help regulate the nervous system. Listeners are guided through techniques such as breathwork, sound and vibration, self-touch, and mindful movement. This episode offers trauma-informed, accessible practices for both therapists and their clients. Key exercises include the 4-2-4 and 6-3-6 breathing techniques, as well as stimulating the ear's vagus nerve connections. I also share a trauma-informed approach to introducing these practices to clients, emphasizing the importance of gradual integration and client autonomy.

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

Soul: Build a Gratitude Habit USE CODE CHRISYOGA 30 for 30 DAYS FREE FOR LISTENERS

In this episode, we discuss how to help clients who overthink by bringing them back into their bodies through yoga and holistic practices. Kimberleigh shares her yoga journey, her weekly routines, and how she integrates yoga, Reiki, and other holistic tools into her therapy sessions. Listeners are guided through practical exercises to help reconnect the mind and body, and Kimberleigh offers insights into the benefits of combining these practices for overall mental well-being.

MEET Kimberleigh Hagar

Kimberleigh Hagar, LCSW ​, is a mental health therapist​, yoga teacher, and Reiki Master. She provides individual holistic therapy online, specializing in women experiencing overthinking, perfectionism, imposter syndrome and struggling with self-compassion. In therapy, she incorporates​ holistic practices including: yoga, EFT Tapping (acupressure), tarot/oracle cards as a self-reflective tool, ​mindfulness, and ​R​eiki-assisted therapy.

Find out more at Mindfully Balanced Therapy and connect with Kimberleigh on Instagram

• Understanding overthinking and its challenges
• The connection between overthinking and anxiety
• Reconnecting with the body through yoga
• Practical yoga techniques for therapists
• Guided grounding exercise

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

Soul: Build a Gratitude Habit USE CODE CHRISYOGA 30 for 30 DAYS FREE FOR LISTENERS

In this episode, I address common fears and doubts therapists face when integrating yoga into therapy sessions. We discuss overcoming blocks related to training adequacy, concerns about yoga's spiritual aspects, and the fear that clients may reject yoga practices. This solo episode emphasizes the importance of aligning yoga practices with clinical orientation and offers practical guidance for supporting hesitant clients. I also include a reflective journaling activity designed to help therapists identify and move past their fears.

1. What fears or hesitations come up for me when I think about integrating yoga into my sessions

2. Where do I feel those fears in my body, and what stories am I telling myself about what could go wrong

3. What is the deeper desire or value behind my interest in integrating yoga into therapy? What would be possible for you and your clients if you moved through that fear?

4. What is one small aligned action I could take this week that feels safe enough to begin moving forward?

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

Soul: Build a Gratitude Habit USE CODE CHRISYOGA 30 for 30 DAYS FREE FOR LISTENERS

In this episode, we discuss ways to make yoga practices inclusive for diverse bodies, abilities, and experiences. We will explore various adaptations such as chair yoga, trauma-informed approaches, and functional movements to ensure every client feels welcome and empowered. Jivana shares his journey into yoga, the principles of Accessible Yoga, and practical tips for therapists to integrate yoga safely into their sessions. We also go over the importance of language, props, and maintaining a balance between instructional clarity and invitation. Listeners can learn a chair-based sun salutation practice and gain insights into available trainings and resources to further their skills in accessible yoga.

MEET Jivana Heyman

Jivana Heyman, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers. He's the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body. His books, classes, and trainings support yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition

Find out more at Accessible Yoga School and connect with Jivana on Instagram

• Understanding accessible yoga
• The spectrum of yoga poses
• Using props for accessible yoga
• Exploring resistance in yoga
• Demonstrating Cobra Pose with a bolster
• Inclusive language and queuing in yoga
• Chair Yoga Sun Salutation

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

Soul: Build a Gratitude Habit USE CODE CHRISYOGA 30 for 30 DAYS FREE FOR LISTENERS

In this Yoga Snack, we discuss practical tools on how yoga can help navigate challenging times, particularly in the context of a divisive political climate, discussing nervous system regulation, self-care strategies, and yoga philosophy that promote inner resilience and grounding. This episode provides a guided visualization to aid in finding a sense of safety and calm.

" It is times like these that our yoga practice becomes more than just movement of breath. It can be a lifeline, a sanctuary, a way we can return to our center." -Chris McDonald

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

Soul: Build a Gratitude Habit USE CODE CHRISYOGA 30 for 30 DAYS FREE FOR LISTENERS

In this episode, we discuss the intricacies of integrating yoga into therapy sessions ethically and effectively. We delve into the core components of crafting a comprehensive informed consent, addressing scope of practice, risks, and theoretical alignment. Dr. Tina Vitola shares her extensive knowledge on how therapists can bridge conventional mental health practices with holistic modalities while maintaining professional integrity. This episode emphasizes the importance of personal practice, thorough training, and client autonomy, aiming to empower therapists to safely and confidently include yoga and other unconventional practices in their therapeutic work.

MEET Dr. Tina Vitola

Dr. Tina Vitolo is a clinical innovator, educator, and mentor dedicated to helping therapists bridge the gap between conventional mental health practice and unconventional, holistic, and integrative modalities. With nearly 20 years of experience in the field, she specializes in guiding clinicians to develop a strong theoretical foundation, ensuring they integrate complementary, alternative, and energy-based practices in a way that is both ethical and clinically sound. As the founder of The Black Sheep Therapist community and the creator of the Innovative Practitioner Accelerator (IPA) Program, Dr. Vitolo has empowered hundreds of therapists to align their unique practice styles with empirical frameworks, providing them with the confidence and language to navigate regulatory expectations without compromising their authenticity. She is deeply passionate about supporting clinicians in transforming their personal journeys into cohesive, ethically grounded practice frameworks that foster both professional freedom and integrity. Dr. Vitolo is widely recognized for her expertise in helping therapists build clinical language around their unconventional modalities, ensuring they meet ethical and insurance compliance standards while maintaining alignment with their unique approaches. She is a sought-after consultant, speaker, and educator who specializes in teaching therapists how to integrate their personal and professional identities into their work, ultimately creating a more authentic, impactful, and legally sound practice.

Find out more at The Black Sheep Therapist and connect with Tina on Facebook and Instagram

• The importance of informed consent in therapy
• Integrating unconventional modalities in therapy
• Navigating ethical and scope of practice concerns
• Building theoretical alignment
• Linking yoga to various theories

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

In this coaching episode of the Yoga in the Therapy Room podcast, we explore the ethical and trauma-informed integration of yoga into therapy sessions. Joined by Kelly Henry, the episode explores the ethics of using yoga for emotional regulation and body-based trauma processing in clinical settings. They discuss practical tips and challenges therapists face when incorporating yoga into their practice, focusing on maintaining ethical guidelines and client autonomy. The episode also highlights the importance of informed consent, co-regulation, and the integration of yoga with other therapeutic modalities.

MEET Kelly Henry

Kelly Henry, a Licensed Independent Social Worker-Supervisor (LISW-S) and Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor, YTT, is the proud owner and operator of Sol Therapy LLC. With a rich background spanning over two decades, Kelly has dedicated her career to delivering comprehensive mental health and substance abuse services. Her expertise encompasses various settings, including community mental health, inpatient and outpatient behavioral health facilities, substance abuse treatment centers, and Day Treatment programs. Kelly's core philosophy revolves around self-empowerment, firmly believing that everyone is entitled to the highest quality of life. Complementing her established practices, Kelly recently obtained certification in yoga, with the aim of integrating mindfulness and meditation techniques into her conventional psychotherapeutic approaches. Through her unwavering commitment, Kelly instills hope and provides invaluable support to all individuals under her care.

Find out more at Sol Therapy and connect with Kelly on Facebook

• Practical Tips for Integrating Yoga into Therapy
• Ethical Considerations and Client Autonomy
• Combining Yoga with Counseling Theories

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

In today's" Yoga Snack," we discuss simple yet effective vagal toning exercises designed to help regulate the nervous system and promote a sense of calm. Tailored for both personal self-care and therapeutic client sessions, the episode dives into practices such as diaphragmatic breathing, shoulder release techniques, and bee breath meditation. Additionally, listeners can gain insights into the anatomical and physiological aspects of the vagus nerve, its role in stress regulation, and the application of these exercises in therapy sessions.

" Knowing that bringing yoga into the therapy room can be an experiment to see what works for each client, and it's important to individualize to different bodies and needs." -Chris McDonald

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

In this episode, we focus on safely guiding hypermobile clients through yoga practices to prevent injury and support long-term well-being. We discuss key safety considerations, common misconceptions, and practical techniques for yoga practices tailored to clients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility. Libby shares her journey with hypermobility, explores its impact on the nervous system and mental health, and provides actionable advice on effective queuing and creating empowering yoga experiences.

MEET Libby Hinsley

Libby Hinsley is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, yoga teacher trainer, and personal trainer specializing in treating hypermobility syndromes and chronic pain. Her book, Yoga for Bendy People: Optimizing the benefits of yoga for hypermobility, was published in 2022 and explores how people with joint hypermobility syndromes can use the tools of yoga to support their thriving. She has also developed a successful strength training program for people with hypermobility syndromes. As a person living with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and related health conditions, she is committed to raising awareness about hypermobility syndromes in the yoga and physical therapy communities and beyond. She also teaches anatomy for yoga teachers through her program called Anatomy Bites.

Find out more at Libby Hinsley and connect with Libby on Instagram, and check out the Zebra Talks Podcast

• Understanding hypermobility and its challenges
• What are EDS and hypermobility?
• Symptoms and diagnosis of EDS
• Yoga practices for hypermobility
• Queuing techniques for hypermobility
• Understanding proprioception and body awareness
• Improving proprioception through mindful movement

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

In this episode, we explore the integration of yoga and holistic practices into public mental health care. We discuss practical strategies to make these tools accessible for clients, the benefits of trauma-informed yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness, and the barriers to implementation. Nina Marie shares her experiences as a peer support specialist, explaining how techniques like resourcing can be beneficial in public mental health settings. Learn about their approaches to making mental health care more compassionate and accessible, complete with a guided resourcing activity for therapists to incorporate into their practices.

MEET Nina Marie Collins

I am a 500-hr yoga teacher, and I also work in the public mental health field as a Peer Support Specialist. I care deeply about bringing holistic practices into mental health care, particularly public mental health care which often serves people with both mental health challenges and poverty. These people may otherwise not get access to holistic practices. I have taught yoga in several of the mental health settings I've worked in. Recently, I am completed a training to be a facilitator of energy work. I am passionate about bringing holistic practices and spirituality into mental health care, particularly in the public system.

Find out more at Spectrum Yoga and connect with Nina on Instagram and Facebook

• Integrating Yoga into Public Mental Health
• Challenges and Strategies in Public Mental Health
• Success Stories and Practical Applications
• Resourcing Practice Demonstration

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

The Yoga in Therapy Collective —where therapists learn, grow, and get support with yoga-informed practices

Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the Free Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room Facebook group

Leave a review and subscribe to this podcast

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)