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How To Heal From Trauma Online With Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Group Discussion, And Somatic Healing

Determining how to heal from trauma is no easy feat. Our Founder, Dr. Kate Balestrieri, developed this program 15 years ago, which combines Trauma Sensitive Yoga, education, self-directed exercises and worksheets, and other somatic skills to help people begin or deepen their healing.

Revive + Thrive: An Integrated + Embodied Virtual Workshop to Heal From Trauma

In this virtual course, you will learn:

  • The multi-dimensional impacts of trauma, including how it impacts the brain, attachment needs, relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners, sexuality, identity, work & achievement, spirituality + more.
  • Tools for how to decrease shame, and improve self-esteem,
  • Exercises for improved emotional regulation and reduction in the fight, flight, freeze and fawn response,
  • How to set and sustain boundaries,
  • How to redevelop an integrated relationship between your mind and body, to reduce dissociation and feel more present,
  • How to use the body’s internal cues to be more autonomous, assertive and intuitive.

Each module contains new strategies for navigating the long-term symptoms of trauma.

 

Trauma Sensitive Yoga (a trauma informed yoga) and other somatic modalities are used to promote integrated mind-body regulation, geared toward re-shaping your physiological responses to trauma triggers. Yoga therapy can help give you the tools you need to practice being in your body in an empowered way.

No previous yoga experience is required. Trauma Sensitive Yoga is not rigorous, and does not include any inversions. People with all levels of physical ability are welcome.

Participants of the group will get access to a private Facebook group, for peer support, and our Revive & Thrive E-Book free, to go more in depth about the topics discussed. It is filled with self-guided explorations and exercises, and great to pick up for later reference.

This online course is not therapy. It is an adjunctive treatment, in the form of a self-guided workshop. While working with a therapist is not mandatory to invest in the course, it is highly recommended so you have someone to help you make sense and process everything you will learn and experience. This course is not recommended for people who are actively engaging in self-harm or have had suicidal thoughts or behaviors in the previous 12 months, unless under the direct care of a therapist.

My PTSD and emotional triggers feel so overwhelming — can I really learn how to heal from trauma?

How to heal from trauma is not always a straightforward path. There are many approaches to consider, which can make it difficult to know which path is best fro you. We’ve found that combining the traditional cognitive and behavioral approaches with somatic and body-based yoga therapy approaches to offer survivors of relational and complex trauma the most integrated method of healing.

People who have experienced trauma and PTSD often feel dissociated or disconnected from their bodies, which can perpetuate a feeling of being unsafe. Through the Revive and Thrive course, you will be guided through a series of education and self-paced exercises, to help you identify physical sensations, reduce emotional triggers, improve emotional regulation and mental health, and reconnect with your body and sense of self.

The practice of yoga has well-studied benefits on mental and physical health conditions. In this course, trauma survivors are taught how to put these yogic tools in action to slow down their mind, and listen to their bodies. Healing is not a linear process, but we are here to help you along the journey.

Sign Up For Our Course Today

Our Founder, Dr. Kate Balestrieri, developed this program 15 years ago, which combines Trauma Sensitive Yoga, education, self-directed exercises and worksheets, and other somatic skills to help people begin or deepen their healing.

Individual therapy won’t work for me right now. Can I do trauma recovery online?

Yes, you can work on how to heal from trauma online as long as you have wifi and a safe, private place to access the course.

For some people, it is best to work with a therapist in person, but for people who are not experiencing active self-harm or suicidal ideation, an online course can help jumpstart a new path forward or deepen your current recovery.

The benefits of yoga, especially trauma sensitive yoga, can be plentiful. To find out if the Revive + Thrive course is right for you, please schedule a free 30-minute consultation.

I’ve done talk therapy before. How is this program different?

The Revive + Thrive program differs from traditional talk therapy in many ways. First, it is not therapy. This is a course you complete in your own time.

Designed to be an integrative course, this workshop places equal emphasis on addressing trauma in the body by blending cognitive and somatic resources to help you heal in ways traditional talk-therapy may not be able to access.

Talk therapy can be helpful for verbally processing experiences of trauma. The Revive + Thrive course invites your body to heal along with your mind. The goal of this course is to help you feel more embodied and grounded, fostering reconnection with an internal sense of knowing and feeling.

 

What is Trauma Sensitive Yoga?

Traumatic experiences, even if they are not physical, can take a toll on the body. Trauma Sensitive Yoga is a style of yoga that was specifically designed, by Jenn Turner and David Emerson, to help survivors heal from trauma by focusing on the body’s cues, limits, and internal dialogue.

In doing so, survivors develop a heightened awareness of sensations that are present in the body, countering the effects of trauma such as feeling numb or dissociation. Becoming more embodied allows people to notice dysregulation and triggers more readily, and intervene more effectively.

Yoga teachers have known for centuries that yoga can be a welcome relief for many people. Trauma sensitive yoga took the practice a step further, and made it an active and empirically validated treatment for people curious about how to heal from trauma, without necessarily reliving the details in therapy.

Working with a sex addiction therapist or mental health professional can help reduce feelings of shame, by helping you understand how the problematic behaviors developed, and how to regain control of your life. Addiction to pornography, like substance use disorders, started as a coping strategy. You are not a bad person. You’re a person whose coping skills have lost their effectiveness.

At Modern Intimacy, we maintain a judgment free approach to treatment and recognize addiction for what it is; a coping skill that no longer serves you.

It sounds good, but I’m not flexible. Is yoga therapy right for me?

The Revive + Thrive program is designed for all levels of flexibility and physical ability. It can be practices by seasoned yoga students or someone who’s never taken a yoga class.

Trauma sensitive yoga does not use traditional yogic language or any inversions. Instead, it focuses on non-triggering forms and invitational words. In Trauma Sensitive Yoga, as with any yoga routine, there is always the option to remain still. This specific style of yoga encourages you to listen to and honor your body’s needs, reinforcing a felt sense of trust in yourself, and a sense of personal autonomy.

What other therapy techniques do you use in the course to heal from trauma?

In addition to trauma sensitive yoga, the Revive + Thrive program incorporates other bodily based interventions that are drawn from NeuroAffective Touch, Somatic Experiencing and other somatic therapies.

Somatic therapies are a body-centered models of therapy, that strengthen the connection between mind and body, and provides resources to help reduce the experience and severity of the fight, flight, freeze or fawn response.

How long does the trauma recovery program last? What do I need to do to prepare?

The Revive + Thrive course includes six core modules, and can be completed at your pace. We recommend that you work on one module per week, or slow it down if that is better for you.

You can invest in the yourself (and the course) now and take it in your own time. Periodically, Dr. Kate Balestrieri runs a live online workshop as well. Check with the team for the next upcoming date.

The vision with this course that it offers you the flexibility to heal in a way that is meaningful to you. You can work through it on your own, with your therapist, with a Modern Intimacy therapist, or in one of Dr. Kate’s live virtual workshops. Each module of the course is focused on a different topic relevant to healing.

To prepare for the program, we suggest wearing comfortable and non-restrictive clothing. A yoga mat, blanket, chair or soft rug is ideal for this practice. Yoga blocks or a poof can be helpful, but not are not required. If you have specific physical limitations, please schedule a free 30-minute consultation with a Modern Intimacy associate, to decide how best to prepare.

It is also recommended to choose a comfortable space where you can have privacy and be free from distractions. You may want to pick up a journal, dedicated to your healing journey. Taking notes throughout the course can be a great way to track your experience and questions, and also slow down your mind a bit. Handwriting is good for your brain, so maybe, just maybe, go old school with a pen and paper.

I want to learn more. Who can I talk to?

To learn more about this program, coordinating with your current therapist, register for a group workshop, or individual coaching, please schedule a free 30-minute consultation and a Modern Intimacy Associate can answer your questions and concerns.