TCTSY
Trauma Sensitive Yoga
The original, evidence-based model for integrating the body into trauma care.
Developed over more than two decades of clinical research, TCTSY is a body-based approach designed to support individuals impacted by complex trauma and PTSD through movement, choice, and interoceptive awareness.
TCTSY Works.
Experiences of psychological trauma profoundly change our relationship with our body. TCTSY works by restoring a felt sense of safety in the body through our embodied, collaborative approach to healing that utilizes yoga forms and the power of authenticity and presence.
The TCTSY methodology is based on central components of the hatha style of yoga, where participants engage in a series of physical forms and movements. Elements of standard hatha yoga are modified to maximize experiences of empowerment and to cultivate a more positive relationship to one's body.
Since 2009, TCTSY has been featured in over 40 peer-reviewed publications, doctoral dissertations, and academic journals. It continues to evolve through clinical practice, global trainings, and community partnerships.
In 2021, a pilot study led by Ursula A. Kelly, PhD, of Emory University and the Atlanta VA, further validated TCTSY’s effectiveness with women veterans and survivors of military sexual trauma. Co-authors included Melinda Higgins, PhD; Terri N. Haywood, MPH; Meghna Patel, PhD; David Emerson; Kimberly Hubbard, BA; Jennifer M. Loftis, PhD; and Belle Zacarri, PsyD.
By 2023, the full randomized clinical trial was published in JAMA Network Open, demonstrating that TCTSY led to faster symptom improvement, higher retention rates, and similarly sustained results when compared to Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)—a leading evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
TCTSY is one of the only body-based trauma interventions validated through rigorous clinical research.
- Developed through more than 20 years of study
- Featured in dozens of peer-reviewed publications
- Recognized as an evidence-based treatment for complex trauma and PTSD
Research has demonstrated:
- comparable outcomes to leading trauma therapies
- improved retention rates
- measurable impact across diverse populations
This matters — not just for credibility, but for access.
Practitioners need evidence to bring this work into clinical, institutional, and community settings.
Trainings Around The World
Introduction
to Trauma Sensitive Yoga
Short Online Workshop
Fully Asynchronous
Valid for 5 CECs with YA
Foundations
in TCTSY
Offered in multiple languages around the world almost every week, both in person and online
Valid for 20 CECs with YA, 18 with IAYT, and 4 with NCBTMB
Certification
Program
Offered online every year from September through March in both English and Spanish
Applications open January to August
Valid as a 300-hour training with YA
Find A Foundations Course Near You
International Facilitator Directory
Find a certified TCTSY facilitator or trainer around the world. All Facilitators (TCTSY-F) are officially certified through Trauma Sensitive Yoga's 300-hour program based on protocol developed, studied, and empirically validated by CFTE.
Access DirectoryExperience TCTSY Online
Weekly Virtual Sessions
Our team of certified facilitators offer weekly online TCTSY group sessions. To join, a brief introductory meeting with one of our clinical interns is required. It is recommended that participants are in ongoing therapy or have another outside support network.
This is a pay-what-you-can contribution.
Join A ClassRead The Research
The Proof You Can't Fake
Since 2009, TCTSY has been featured in over 40 peer-reviewed publications, doctoral dissertations, and academic journals. It continues to evolve through clinical practice, global trainings, and community partnerships.
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