In this episode, we discuss the benefits of the Alexander technique (AT). We discuss how subtle shifts in posture and awareness can impact breathing, and explore the concept of air hunger, its effects on the nervous system, and why some breath practices might be unsafe for certain clients. Simon shares his personal journey with breathing issues, the transformative power of the Alexander technique, and practical strategies for therapists to integrate breath and somatic awareness into their sessions. They also go into the importance of gentle approaches and mindfulness in breathwork, especially for clients with a history of trauma.

• Simon Spire's journey with the Alexander Technique (AT)
• Understanding air hunger and its impact
• The Alexander Technique in therapy
• Practical applications and practices

MEET Simon Spire

Simon Spire is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Contemplative Teacher, and Founder of Liberating the Natural Breath, a program that helps people with dysfunctional breathing and Air Hunger restore their easeful, Natural Breathing.

Find out more at Liberating the Natural Breath, Soulcentric Psychotherapy and connect with Simon at Simon Spire

The Top 10 FAQs on Integrating Yoga into Therapy

Connect With Me

The Yoga in Therapy Collective\

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

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the private Facebook Group: Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room

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 discuss practical strategies for integrating yoga into therapy sessions in a personalized way. We will go over assessing clients' readiness and needs, matching techniques to specific moments, and using attunement to enhance the yoga experience. We also discuss the importance of building a strong therapeutic relationship, monitoring clients' responses in real-time, and adapting practices accordingly.

The Top 10 FAQs on Integrating Yoga into Therapy

The Yoga in Therapy Collective

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

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the private Facebook Group: Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room

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 discuss the significance of Trauma-Aware Yoga Therapy for women healing from trauma. We explore how traditional therapy can be complemented by reconnecting with the body, breath, and nervous system. Keri shares her journey into yoga therapy, her holistic approach integrating body, mind, spirit, and life, and her extensive experience supporting women through somatic practices. We also discuss the importance of personalized yoga therapy, being trauma-informed, and partnering with mental health professionals. Keri offers a soothing somatic yoga practice for listeners, highlighting the deep healing potential of this integrative approach.

• Integrating yoga and mental health
• Understanding yoga therapy training
• Specializing in women's growth and healing
• Creating a safe space for clients
• Trauma-informed practices in yoga therapy

MEET Keri Marino

Keri Marino is a Certified Somatic Yoga Therapist on a mission to help you feel more whole, confident and love yourself more. ​Over the past 16 years, she's worked thousands and thousands of people across the US and guided them through yogic life transformation. Keri is the person you hire when you're ready to go deep and want an off the beaten path approach. While working with Keri, you'll feel embraced in warmth, calmness and a powerful soulful approach that will help you find clarity in your life, heal through your body and soak in the love of her unequivocal mama energy.

Find out more at Keri Marino and connect with Keri on Instagram and YouTube

The Top 10 FAQs on Integrating Yoga into Therapy

The Yoga in Therapy Collective

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

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the private Facebook Group: Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room

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 encore episode, featuring a discussion with clinical mental health counselor Katelyn Jakobsen, we explore integrating sensory-motor psychotherapy into therapeutic practices, particularly for clients with chronic illness and self-esteem issues. We go into the importance of using the body in therapy for a holistic healing approach, contrasting traditional talk therapy with sensory-motor strategies and attuning to bodily sensations, movements, and posture to aid in trauma processing and improving mind-body awareness.

• Understanding Sensory Motor Psychotherapy
• Practical applications and client experiences
• Incorporating yoga and sensory motor techniques

MEET Katelyn Jakobsen

I am an LCMHC at Krippa Family Psychological & Wellness Services. I specialize in treating chronic illness and self-esteem, and use a lot of therapy principles based in sensorimotor psychotherapy and IFS. As a former athlete and chronically ill individual, using my body and reclaiming it as a safe space has been hard but important work that I hope to share with others.

Find out more about Katelyn at NC Psychologist

The Top 10 FAQs on Integrating Yoga into Therapy

The Yoga in Therapy Collective

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

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the private Facebook Group: Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room

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 discuss the practicalities and challenges of incorporating yoga into clinical therapy sessions. I share personal insights and lessons learned, focusing on ethical gray zones, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the importance of intentional practice. We address common fears and misconceptions, offer practical advice on documentation and informed consent, and emphasize the transformative impact of yoga on both therapists and clients.

The Top 10 FAQs on Integrating Yoga into Therapy

Connect With Me

The Yoga in Therapy Collective

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

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the private Facebook Group: Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room

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, we discuss how therapists can effectively integrate somatic work and yoga into virtual therapy sessions. The conversation highlights techniques like grounding, breath work, and nervous system regulation that can be conducted online. Andrea Savage shares her journey of merging somatic approaches with therapy. The episode also includes practical tips on optimizing equipment and setting for a better virtual yoga therapy experience and addresses common concerns about the effectiveness of online somatic work.

• Addressing telehealth concerns and effectiveness
• Practical tips for integrating yoga in virtual sessions
• Advanced techniques and client considerations

MEET Andrea Savage

Andrea is a Pre-Licensed somatic therapist practicing in Minnesota. Her passions are empowerment, self-knowledge, and somatics.

Find out more at Parasol Wellness

The Top 10 FAQs on Integrating Yoga into Therapy

The Yoga in Therapy Collective

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

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the private Facebook Group: Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room

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 encore episode, we explore the mental health benefits of yoga with guest Addie deHilster. Addie, a mindfulness meditation teacher and certified yoga therapist, discusses her work integrating movement modalities like Yin yoga to enhance mindfulness and meditation practices. We discuss how Yin yoga, described as embodied meditation, provides mental health benefits, including stress resilience and improved nervous system regulation.

• Understanding Yin Yoga
• Mental health benefits of Yin Yoga

MEET Addie DeHilster

Addie deHilster is a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher and C-IAYT Yoga Therapist. Her passion is teaching movement practices that "unlock" mindfulness skills, and helping students gain traction in their meditation practice so they can be more present in their lives. Yin Yoga is one of the main modalities she practices and teaches, as it is an excellent doorway into embodied meditative stillness. Now based in Vancouver, Washington (USA), she previously owned and operated a community yoga studio in Los Angeles, California, for over five years. A dedicated practitioner of Buddhist Insight Meditation, she has accumulated over four months of silent retreat practice over the years. She is a graduate of the Mindfulness Mentor Training with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, the InsightLA Mindfulness Facilitator Training, and the 2014-15 Mindfulness Yoga & Meditation Training Program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, which is a program dedicated to weaving together the wisdom traditions of Hatha Yoga and Buddhist meditation. She has studied Yin Yoga with Bernie Clark, Paul Grilley, and Sarah Powers. Addie is the founder of the Moved to Meditate Class Library, the host of the Moved To Meditate Podcast, and she offers online Yin Yoga Teacher Trainings with a mindful, therapeutic emphasis.

Find out more at Move To Meditate

The Top 10 FAQs on Integrating Yoga into Therapy

The Yoga in Therapy Collective

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

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the private Facebook Group: Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room

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 discuss the transformative practice of yoga for managing anger and grief with guest Paul Denniston. We focus on how unresolved anger can manifest as physical and emotional tension, and how yoga can provide a safe and effective outlet for clients to express and release these emotions. We go over the shift from a power-centric practice to one focused on healing and compassion through various somatic techniques. This episode includes practical exercises for therapists to help clients embody and process their feelings safely within a trauma-informed framework, promoting emotional regulation and recovery.

MEET Paul Denniston

Paul Denniston is the founder of Grief Yoga® and the author of Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment. The mission of Grief Yoga is to use movement, breath, and sound to release pain and suffering to connect to empowerment and love. Grief Yoga combines many different forms of yoga to channel and release anger to allow unresolved grief a compassionate space to breathe and move. His gentle work creates a safe space of movement and healing to transform trauma and connect to the resilient, loving warrior within. Paul has taught and trained this practice to thousands of therapists, counselors, yoga teachers, and health care professionals around the world.

Find out more at Grief Yoga®and connect with Paul on Instagram and Facebook

• The power of expressive practices
• Techniques for releasing anger
• Creating safety and grounding
• Witnessing and validating emotions
• Transforming pain into gratitude

The Yoga Therapy Collective

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

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Facebook: Yoga In The Therapy Podcast

Join the private Facebook Group: Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room

TikTok: @YogaChris58

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How To Build Competence and Confidence in Integrating Yoga Into the Therapy Room