40+
Publications
Peer-reviewed studies, journals & dissertations since 2009
2023
JAMA Network Open
Landmark RCT published in one of the world's leading clinical journals
20+
Years of Research
Original clinical research conducted since the early 2000s
12+
Studies
Finding body-based interventions as effective as or more effective than traditional talk therapy
Landmark finding
The 2023 JAMA study that changed the conversation.
In 2023, a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open — one of the most rigorous and widely read clinical journals in the world — found that Trauma-Sensitive Yoga produced faster symptom improvement and higher retention rates than Cognitive Processing Therapy, the gold-standard evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
This wasn't a small pilot study. It was a landmark RCT — the kind of research that changes clinical guidelines and opens doors for body-based care in institutional settings that previously kept them closed.
what we study
Research that reflects the full complexity of trauma.
Our research follows the reality of trauma — which doesn't discriminate by age, background, or circumstance — into the communities where healing actually needs to happen.
TCTSY
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga & PTSD
The largest body of research in our library — over 40 publications examining TCTSY's effectiveness across populations including veterans, survivors of sexual trauma, youth, and incarcerated individuals.
TIWL
Weight Lifting & Trauma Recovery
Emerging evidence base examining weight lifting as an adjunctive treatment for trauma — exploring nervous system regulation, agency, and embodied resilience through resistance training.
Body-Based Care
Embodied Approaches Across Modalities
Research examining how embodied, somatic, and movement-based approaches compare to and complement traditional cognitive and talk-based treatments for complex trauma and PTSD.
populations studied
Trauma doesn't discriminate. Neither does our research.
Veterans & Military
Treatment-resistant PTSD, military sexual trauma, Marines returning from combat
Youth & Adolescents
Youth in residential programs, community settings, and schools
Incarcerated Individuals
People inside correctional facilities and reentry programs
Indigenous Communities
Culturally sensitive adaptation and implementation of TCTSY
Refugees & Displaced People
Cross-cultural adaptation across languages and contexts
Gender Non-Conforming Youth
Affirming, embodied approaches to trauma care
Survivors of Sexual Trauma
Including military sexual trauma and interpersonal violence
Community & Clinical Settings
Hospitals, outpatient clinics, community centers, and schools
research library
Search the full research archive.
Browse more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, doctoral dissertations, and academic journal articles featuring CFTE's programs. Filter by program, population, journal, or year.
research partners
The institutions we work alongside.
CFTE's research is built on genuine collaboration. We work with universities, hospitals, veterans bureaus, and community organizations to ensure our findings reflect the real diversity of people who carry trauma — and the real contexts where healing happens.
Interested in partnering on research?
CFTE actively seeks research partnerships with universities, clinical institutions, community organizations, and independent researchers. If you are interested in studying the effectiveness of body-based trauma care — or in adapting CFTE's models for a specific population or context — we would like to hear from you.
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