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.

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

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

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

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

Holistic Mindful Check-Ins by Chris McDonald, LCMHCS

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)

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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.

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

• Understanding Yin Yoga
• Mental health benefits of Yin Yoga

The Yoga Therapy Collective

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

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

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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

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

In this episode, we explore the symbiotic relationship between body-based healing and spiritual connection through the lens of heart-centered practices. Jess Garet shares her journey into somatic therapy, sparked by personal experiences with grief and body awareness. She discusses how somatic practices can guide both clients and therapists in emotional release, deep presence, and authentic transformation. Listeners are invited to participate in hands-on heart-centered practices designed to foster a deeper connection with their inner selves.

MEET Jess Garet

Jessica Garet is a somatic psychotherapist, heart doula, and founder of AiRE Healing. With over two decades of experience supporting transformation through body-centered therapy, energy healing, and intuitive listening, Jess helps people come home to the intelligence of their own bodies. Her work bridges the spiritual and the cellular, guiding others through grief, awakening, and the mystery of being human. Through her unique lens, she invites us into sacred conversation with ourselves, each other, and the living world.

Find out more at AiRE Healing with Jess Garet and connect with Jess on Instagram

• The power of somatic experiencing
• Discovering the Heart Doula
• Addressing clients' stories
• The power of orienting
• Heart-centered somatic practices

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

Holistic Mindful Check-Ins by Chris McDonald, LCMHCS

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)

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In this episode, I address the hesitation many therapists feel about incorporating yoga into their practice. I will provide five foundational steps to help therapists confidently and ethically integrate yoga into their sessions. This episode covers the importance of understanding your why, ensuring practices are within the scope of practice, starting small, building confidence through practice, and investing in ongoing education and support. I will also share personal experiences and demonstrate simple yoga practices for therapists to try. The episode aims to empower therapists with the tools and knowledge needed to incorporate yoga into their therapy sessions safely and effectively.

Tummee: Yoga Teaching Made Easy, From Start to Finish

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

Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify

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

Holistic Mindful Check-Ins by Chris McDonald, LCMHCS

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)

Claim your 30-Day Aura Guest Pass from Chris McDonald

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

In this episode, we discuss practical ways to integrate yoga and somatic practices into trauma-informed therapy sessions. Jaclyn shares her journey into yoga, how she incorporates it into her clinical work, and offers a grounding practice for listeners. We discuss topics such as keeping yoga trauma-informed, utilizing mindful movement, breathwork, and body awareness to support clients’ healing, and provide practical tips for therapists looking to integrate these practices. We look at the importance of body-based therapies in achieving deep healing that talk therapy alone may not achieve.

MEET Jaclyn Sappah

Jaclyn Sappah, LCSW, C-IAYT, is a trauma therapist, certified yoga therapist, and founder of Wildflower Therapy Group—a North Carolina-based virtual group practice specializing in holistic trauma therapy for women and teen girls. Through a holistic, mind-body-spirit approach, Jaclyn helps clients release trauma, process stuck emotions, and regulate their nervous systems. Her work blends traditional psychotherapy with integrative healing practices, including EMDR, somatic therapy, yoga therapy, mindfulness, and Reiki energy work. Jaclyn believes true healing happens when we address not just the mind, but the body and spirit, too. She’s passionate about helping women reconnect with themselves and create space for more peace, ease, and self-trust. She is licensed in North Carolina, New York, and California, and offers virtual therapy to clients in all three states.

Find out more at Wildflower Therapy Group and connect with Jaclyn on Instagram

FREE 5 Simple Strategies To Calm Your Mind In Minutes

• Incorporating yoga into clinical sessions
• Defining and utilizing Somatic Therapy
• Practical somatic tools and techniques
• Making yoga fun and accessible
• Introducing movement practices in therapy
• Restorative practices and trauma-informed yoga
• Overcoming initial fears and starting small
• Guided yoga practice for listeners

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

In this episode, we explore the benefits of Qigong, an ancient mind-body practice that helps release stress and restore inner balance through gentle, flowing movements. This yoga snack offers a brief yet powerful practice to help integrate Qigong into personal self-care routines or therapy sessions.

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

Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify

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

Holistic Mindful Check-Ins by Chris McDonald, LCMHCS

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)

Claim your 30-Day Aura Guest Pass from Chris McDonald

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

In this coaching episode, we explore creative ways to support neurodiverse clients, particularly those with ADHD, in staying present and engaged during yoga practices. Joined by Kimberly Hagar, we go over mindful cues, pacing, and specific yoga practices beneficial for this demographic. The episode covers strategies to integrate yoga effectively and ethically into therapy sessions, emphasizing the importance of crystal-clear instructions, movement variety, and client-centered approaches. This episode also features a practical Qigong exercise designed to enhance focus.

MEET Kimberleigh Hagar

Kimberleigh Hagar, LCSW ​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

• Coaching Session: Strategies for Neurodiverse Clients
• Qigong Practice for Focus

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

Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify

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

Holistic Mindful Check-Ins by Chris McDonald, LCMHCS

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)