April 18th & 19th 8am - 4pm Pacific Time Zone, Virtual via Zoom
The Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) Foundations Training is a 20-hour program designed to introduce the core principles and practices of trauma-sensitive yoga. This training emphasizes how choice, safety, and present-moment awareness can support people living with the effects of trauma, while also highlighting the ways these principles connect to broader anti-oppressive and trauma-informed approaches.
Training that Transforms
Experiences of psychological trauma can profoundly change our relationship with the body. TCTSY works to restore a felt sense of safety through an embodied, collaborative approach to healing. Using simple yoga forms, invitational language, and the power of authenticity and presence, this practice supports participants in rediscovering connection, agency, and trust in themselves.
Evidence-Based Practice
TCTSY is the first yoga-based empirically validated, clinical intervention for complex trauma or chronic, treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder. Research, including randomized controlled trials, has shown that trauma-sensitive yoga can:
Reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress
Support emotional regulation and coping capacity
Strengthen agency, choice, and body connection
Improve overall quality of life
TCTSY is the only yoga model of its kind to be listed in the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) and continues to be applied in clinical, community, and educational settings worldwide.
Who This Training Supports
This training welcomes anyone seeking to deepen understanding and practice, including:
Yoga instructors and somatic practitioners
Social workers, mental health clinicians, and healthcare professionals
Educators, activists, and community workers
Healers and helpers in movement- or relationship-based fields
No prerequisites. All levels of experience are welcome.
What You’ll Explore
By the end of the training, participants will be able to:
Describe how complex trauma affects brain, body, and relationships
Identify core elements of trauma-sensitive yoga and their anti-oppressive connections
Facilitate choice-centered movement and breath using invitational language
Support predictability and present-moment awareness in practice
Integrate trauma-sensitive principles into clinical and movement-based settings
Reflect on shared, authentic embodiment while honoring survivor pace and choice
Core Curriculum At-a-Glance
Whole-system impact of trauma (nervous system, relationships, daily life)
Psychological and neuroscientific underpinnings relevant to this modality
Language and facilitation that shares power and supports agency
Structures for safety, predictability, and choice
Movement and breath practices that support healing processes
Anti-oppressive frameworks in trauma-sensitive spaces
Experiential Learning
This training is experiential by design. You’ll be invited to:
Explore your own understanding of trauma’s impact
Practice choice-based movement and breath
Participate in small-group practicum with supportive feedback
Reflect on how to translate these tools to your community or setting
Training Format & Hours
Total: 20 hours
Live Contact Hours: 14 hours (in person or live via Zoom)
Self-Study: 6 hours (readings, reflections, practice)
Learning Modes: Group lectures, guided movement and breath, discussion, and practicum (practice teaching & feedback)
Continuing Education & Recognition
Yoga Alliance: 20 Continuing Education Hours (CEs)
International Association of Yoga Therapists: 18 CEs
NCBTMB: 4 self-care CEs (retroactive to NCBTMB-certified therapists who completed a foundational training after Oct 2022)
This training is the primary prerequisite for the yearly 300-Hour Certification Program in this modality through the Center for Trauma and Embodiment.