Healing from the Inside Out—How trauma informed yoga Supports Trauma healing in Philadelphia
Have you ever felt like your body is holding onto something you can’t quite name? Maybe your chest tightens without warning, or your stomach churns when you try to rest.
Perhaps you feel disconnected—like you're floating above yourself, going through the motions but never quite in your body. For some, there’s a constant undercurrent of tension. For others, it might be numbness, a dull ache that never really goes away.
These are common experiences for people living with the effects of trauma. When the nervous system has been overwhelmed, the body can become a place of confusion, discomfort, or even fear.
Trauma isn't just stored in memories—it’s stored in muscles, breath, posture, and sensation.
This is why a body-based approach to healing may be essential in unpacking and recovering from trauma.
For many individuals seeking trauma therapy in Philadelphia, the healing process isn’t just about talking—it’s also about reconnecting with the body. That’s where yoga therapy comes in. As a trauma-informed, somatic healing modality, yoga therapy offers a powerful and evidence-based complement to traditional psychotherapy.
Why Yoga Therapy?
Trauma impacts more than just our thoughts and emotions—it lives in the body. Long after a traumatic experience has ended, the body often continues to react as if the danger is still present. Many clients come to trauma therapy describing physical symptoms they can't explain—chronic pain, muscle tightness, fatigue, or a racing heart. Others share a sense of disconnection, like they’re watching life from a distance or moving through it on autopilot. These symptoms are not just “in your head”—they’re rooted in how trauma lives in the nervous system and in the body itself.
For trauma survivors, the body can feel like an unpredictable, unfamiliar, or even unsafe place. This can make traditional talk therapy challenging. When the body is activated, it’s difficult to reflect, feel, or make sense of what’s happening emotionally. This is where yoga therapy becomes a vital bridge between the mind and body.
Yoga therapy offers a path back to safety and connection.
Rather than bypassing the body, yoga invites us into a new relationship with it—one marked by curiosity, compassion, and choice.
By integrating yoga into trauma therapy sessions, Jessi supports clients in gently reconnecting with their bodies in a way that feels safe and empowering.
Through intentional movement, grounding breathwork, and mindfulness practices, therapeutic yoga helps clients regulate their nervous systems, soothe hypervigilance, and re-establish a sense of calm. It isn’t about achieving a certain pose—it’s about listening to your body’s cues, honoring your limits, and building trust in yourself again.
Over time, clients often begin to experience a subtle but profound shift. They may notice a sense of being more present, more settled, and more in control. They begin to reclaim their body not as a site of pain or trauma, but as a source of strength, wisdom, and resilience.
Trauma-Informed Yoga—A Compassionate Approach
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga is an evidence-based, clinically recognized adjunct to trauma therapy that is particularly effective for individuals who have experienced complex trauma, PTSD, or dissociation. It is rooted in the understanding that trauma disconnects us from our bodily experience—and that healing must involve returning to that connection with care and intention.
What makes TSY different from traditional yoga is its emphasis on empowerment, not perfection. Rather than instructing clients on what they “should” do with their bodies, TSY offers invitations. Every movement is optional. Every breath is guided but not demanded. This gentle, invitational language helps clients explore their internal experience on their own terms.
Here’s how TSY honors the needs of trauma survivors:
Choice—Clients are invited to decide how and when to move, fostering agency and autonomy. There is no expectation to push past discomfort or override internal signals.
Mindfulness—Movements are approached with present-moment awareness, encouraging clients to notice what they feel without judgment or pressure to perform.
Safety—The space is intentionally designed to feel emotionally and physically secure. Poses are predictable and modifiable, and facilitators are attuned to signs of discomfort or distress.
Non-coercion—There are no hands-on adjustments or corrections, which helps reduce the risk of re-traumatization and supports a sense of personal sovereignty over one’s body.
For clients looking for trauma therapy in Philadelphia, these elements of TSY can be profoundly healing. Many trauma survivors have experienced moments where their bodily autonomy was taken from them. Whether through abuse, violence, or systemic harm, the sense of not being in control of one’s own body can linger long after the traumatic event.
In TSY, every breath, every pose, and every decision to move—or not—is an opportunity to reclaim personal power. Clients can explore what it feels like to say “yes,” “no,” or “not right now” with their bodies, which often translates to a stronger ability to set boundaries and trust their own instincts in daily life.
Yoga therapy doesn't just restore flexibility—it restores freedom. Over time, this practice helps rebuild trust between the mind and body, fosters emotional resilience, and offers a grounded, somatic foundation for deeper trauma processing through modalities like EMDR or IFS.
How Yoga Supports Trauma Healing
The benefits of yoga therapy extend beyond flexibility and strength. When used intentionally in the context of trauma therapy, yoga becomes a powerful tool for healing, integration, and transformation. At Spilove Psychotherapy, our trauma-informed approach to yoga therapy in Philadelphia invites clients to reconnect with their bodies and access a felt sense of safety, control, and agency. Here’s how yoga therapy supports deep, somatic healing from trauma:
Nervous System Regulation
One of the most immediate and measurable effects of yoga therapy is its ability to support nervous system regulation. Trauma can leave the body stuck in survival mode—fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—long after the threat has passed. This ongoing hyperarousal can manifest as anxiety, insomnia, irritability, or even chronic health issues.
Through breathwork, grounding postures, and slow, intentional movement, yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the “rest and digest” response. This helps the body shift out of hypervigilance and into a state of calm. For clients navigating traumatic memories or body-based flashbacks, this ability to self-soothe is essential. Over time, clients learn how to access these tools on their own, empowering them to regulate their emotions and nervous systems beyond the therapy session.
Body Awareness and Reconnection
Trauma often causes a sense of disconnection from the body. Some clients describe feeling numb, dissociated, or unfamiliar with bodily sensations. Others may feel overwhelmed by even the smallest physical cues, like a quickened heartbeat or a tight chest. Yoga therapy gently supports the process of reconnection.
Rather than pushing or forcing, clients are guided to notice what they feel—without judgment, pressure, or a goal of performance. Sensations, emotions, and even discomfort can be met with curiosity instead of fear. This growing somatic awareness helps rebuild the connection between mind and body, laying the groundwork for greater self-understanding, presence, and healing.
Empowerment and Autonomy
One of the most profound impacts of trauma is the loss of control. Whether through a sudden event or ongoing relational trauma, many survivors feel as though their voices, choices, or bodies were taken from them. Yoga therapy offers a reparative experience of choice and agency.
In each session, clients are encouraged to move at their own pace, engage with postures only when they feel ready, and adapt the practice to meet their unique needs. There is no “right way” to participate—only the right way for you. This focus on personal autonomy fosters a deep sense of empowerment, self-trust, and safety, which can ripple outward into all areas of life.
Boundary Awareness
Many trauma survivors struggle with understanding, expressing, or maintaining healthy boundaries—often because those boundaries were ignored, violated, or never taught. In yoga therapy, the body becomes a place to practice and explore boundaries in a safe, embodied way.
Clients might learn to say “no” to a posture that doesn’t feel good, “yes” to one that brings relief, or “not yet” to one that feels unfamiliar. These micro-decisions can have powerful psychological impacts. Over time, the act of honoring one’s body in real-time builds confidence and clarity around setting limits, asserting needs, and tuning into intuition. These are skills that extend far beyond the mat—and are essential in the trauma recovery process.
In all these ways, yoga therapy complements trauma therapy by supporting the full person—mind, body, and nervous system. By creating space for embodied healing, clients often begin to feel more grounded, more resilient, and more at home within themselves.
The Integration of Yoga, EMDR, and IFS
At Spilove Psychotherapy, we understand that healing from trauma is not one-size-fits-all. Every individual’s experience is unique, and so is their healing journey. That’s why Jessi offers an integrated, trauma-informed approach to therapy—drawing from Somatic EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and trauma-sensitive yoga therapy. Each of these modalities offers a unique entry point into healing, and when combined, they create a comprehensive and deeply supportive therapeutic experience.
Somatic EMDR—Reprocessing Trauma Through the Body
EMDR is a well-established, evidence-based approach that helps clients process and desensitize traumatic memories. When paired with somatic awareness, Somatic EMDR allows clients not only to work with cognitive and emotional material, but also with the body-based sensations and physiological responses tied to trauma. This method can help release trauma that is “stuck” in the nervous system, allowing clients to move forward with greater clarity, relief, and calm.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)—Healing the Inner World
IFS therapy invites clients to explore their inner landscape of “parts”—the protective, wounded, and resilient aspects of themselves that have developed in response to life’s challenges. This non-pathologizing model is especially effective for trauma work, as it creates space for self-compassion and curiosity. Clients learn how to unblend from reactive parts and connect to their core “Self”—the calm, wise, and compassionate presence that lives within all of us. When integrated with body-based practices, IFS helps clients not just understand their parts intellectually, but feel them somatically and relate to them in new, healing ways.
Yoga Therapy—Embodying Safety and Choice
While EMDR and IFS support trauma healing cognitively and emotionally, yoga therapy brings the body into the center of the healing process. Trauma can leave the body in a state of vigilance, disconnection, or shame. Yoga therapy gently invites clients back into their physical selves through movement, breath, and awareness. This practice fosters nervous system regulation, body-based boundary setting, and a sense of empowerment that is crucial for long-term healing.
When integrated, these three modalities form a full-spectrum approach to trauma therapy:
EMDR helps process and resolve the lingering impact of trauma memories.
IFS supports emotional regulation, self-leadership, and inner harmony.
Yoga therapy reconnects clients with their bodies as sources of wisdom, safety, and strength.
Together, they address trauma on all levels—mental, emotional, and somatic—allowing for deeper, more sustainable healing.
By weaving together these modalities, Jessi offers clients a trauma therapy experience that is holistic, empowering, and personalized. Clients aren’t just managing symptoms—they're building a new relationship with themselves, one rooted in trust, resilience, and hope.
If you're seeking trauma therapy in Philadelphia that goes beyond talk therapy and honors your full self—mind, body, and spirit—this integrated approach may be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Is Yoga Therapy Right for You?
If you’ve struggled to feel safe in your body, or if traditional talk therapy hasn’t felt like quite the right fit, you’re not alone. For many trauma survivors, healing requires more than insight—it requires reconnection, regulation, and the ability to inhabit the body with safety and trust. That’s exactly what yoga therapy is designed to support.
You don’t need to be flexible. You don’t need to have any prior experience with yoga. You don’t need to know the names of poses or wear special clothes. Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY) is about meeting you exactly where you are—with compassion, curiosity, and no expectations. The focus isn’t on doing it “right,” but on listening to your body and honoring what it needs in each moment.
If you're someone who:
Struggles with chronic tension, anxiety, or hypervigilance
Often feels disconnected or numb in your body
Has difficulty setting boundaries or feeling in control
Finds it hard to relax, rest, or breathe deeply
Feels overwhelmed in traditional therapy settings
...then yoga therapy may offer a healing path uniquely tailored to you.
This approach works beautifully alongside other forms of trauma therapy. Whether you’re currently in therapy or just starting out, incorporating yoga therapy in Philadelphia can deepen your capacity to self-regulate, access inner resources, and feel more grounded in your healing journey.
Trauma Therapy in Philadelphia That Honors the Body and Mind
At Spilove Psychotherapy, we recognize that trauma impacts every part of a person—thoughts, emotions, relationships, and the nervous system. That’s why we take an integrative, body-centered approach to healing. We believe in therapy that goes beyond talking, creating space for you to explore your inner world and bodily experience in ways that are supportive, empowering, and transformative.
Jessi and our team of trauma-informed clinicians are trained in modalities like Somatic EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and yoga therapy—each designed to help you feel safer in your body, more present in your life, and more connected to your sense of self.
When you work with us, you’re not just a set of symptoms or a diagnosis. You’re a whole person with a story that deserves to be held with care. Whether you’re healing from childhood trauma, relationship wounds, or ongoing stress, you don’t have to walk the path alone.
Take the Next Step Toward Healing
If you’ve been carrying the weight of trauma in your body and mind, know that healing is possible—and you don’t have to do it alone. At Spilove Psychotherapy, we offer trauma-informed yoga therapy as part of a holistic approach to trauma treatment that honors your whole self.
Whether you’re just beginning your healing journey or seeking to deepen the work you’ve already started, yoga therapy can help you reconnect with your body, regulate your nervous system, and reclaim your sense of safety and empowerment. Our trauma therapists are here to guide you every step of the way, offering compassionate care that integrates yoga therapy, EMDR, and IFS.
Interested in learning more? Follow the steps below:
Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to explore whether yoga therapy is a good fit for your trauma healing journey.
Browse our blog to learn more about trauma therapy, somatic healing, and the benefits of yoga-informed care.
Discover how Spilove Psychotherapy can help you feel more at home in your body—and more empowered in your life.
Your next step doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be yours. We're here when you're ready.
Other Therapy Services We Offer in Pennsylvania
In addition to our focus on yoga therapy, our skilled therapists offer a variety of other mental health services. These include Ketamine-assisted Psychotherapy, LGBTQIA+ therapy, and treatment for eating disorders. We also provide specialized EMDR therapy or trauma therapy, family and relationships therapy, and couples therapy.
Our qualified therapists conduct DBT skills groups as well.
If life coaching is more suited to your needs than traditional therapy, we provide in-person life coaching in Pennsylvania and online services across the US.
About the Author
Jessi Mitchell, MS, is a trauma-informed therapist at Spilove Psychotherapy who specializes in healing complex trauma through a compassionate, body-centered approach. With advanced training in EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic therapy, and Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, Jessi helps clients reconnect with their bodies, process unresolved pain, and cultivate a sense of safety and self-trust. She works closely with individuals navigating childhood trauma, grief and loss, identity exploration, and body image concerns.
Jessi is especially passionate about supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals and those who have felt disconnected from their bodies due to trauma. Her integrative style honors the mind-body connection and offers clients multiple pathways to healing—whether through movement, mindfulness, or deep inner parts work. At the heart of her approach is a belief that every person deserves to feel at home in their body and empowered in their healing journey.
