In mainland China, psychotherapy is largely dominated by psychoanalysis and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), with postmodern approaches still in the early stages of development. Due to the stigma surrounding mental illness, many individuals turn to non-clinical interventions, such as traditional Chinese medicine, qigong, and vipassana, to manage their symptoms. These non-medical practices offer alternative options for those who are hesitant or unable to seek help through conventional therapeutic methods.

Wayapa® Wuurrk is the first internationally accredited Aboriginal wellness modality, rooted in ancient Indigenous wisdom that emphasizes Earth connection as the foundation for holistic well-being. “Wayapa” means “Connect” and “Wuurrk” means “Earth.” This practice, which embodies Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing that have sustained Aboriginal cultures for over 100,000 years. fosters harmony with the environment. Jem will guide participants in embodying and reconnecting with Mother Earth, ourselves, and one another, through the 14 elements of Wayapa Wuurrk. Explore Earth reciprocity, narrative meditation & storytelling, a physical movement practice of 14 elements and taking action to look after the Earth in stewardship.

This session explores how Trauma-Informed Weight Lifting can transform fitness spaces into environments of healing and resilience. Grounded in neuroscience, physiology, and trauma research, this approach redefines weight lifting as a powerful tool for trauma recovery. Case studies demonstrate its impact on personal healing and community resilience, showing how trauma-informed practices promote both physical and emotional well-being. This session offers practical insights for integrating trauma-informed principles into fitness and wellness practices.

In mainland China, psychotherapy is largely dominated by psychoanalysis and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), with postmodern approaches still in the early stages of development. Due to the stigma surrounding mental illness, many individuals turn to non-clinical interventions, such as traditional Chinese medicine, qigong, and vipassana, to manage their symptoms. These non-medical practices offer alternative options for those who are hesitant or unable to seek help through conventional therapeutic methods.

Wayapa® Wuurrk is the first internationally accredited Aboriginal wellness modality, rooted in ancient Indigenous wisdom that emphasizes Earth connection as the foundation for holistic well-being. “Wayapa” means “Connect” and “Wuurrk” means “Earth.” This practice, which has sustained Australian Aboriginal cultures for over 100,000 years, fosters harmony with the environment. Jem will guide participants in embodying and reconnecting with Mother Earth, ourselves, and one another, through the 14 elements of Wayapa Wuurrk. Explore stewardship, custodianship, and reverence in ways practiced by the original caretakers of the land.

This session explores how Trauma-Informed Weight Lifting can transform fitness spaces into environments of healing and resilience. Grounded in neuroscience, physiology, and trauma research, this approach redefines weight lifting as a powerful tool for trauma recovery. Case studies demonstrate its impact on personal healing and community resilience, showing how trauma-informed practices promote both physical and emotional well-being. This session offers practical insights for integrating trauma-informed principles into fitness and wellness practices.

In a world of de-storied global narratives and weaponized communication, Mohsin Mohi Ud Din will share personal accounts and lessons from his global community practices for reclaiming storytelling and communication as a pillar of health, connectedness and agency.

This session will explore how the theoretical underpinnings of TCTSY can help make the spaces where survivors are already showing up more trauma-informed. We will discuss how these principles can inform and enhance the care provided to those already seeking support, focusing on adapting practices to center survivors. Participants will have the opportunity to share how they are already implementing a trauma-informed approach in their work.

Caregiver communities face unique challenges, often including ongoing trauma. This presentation will explore how trauma-informed yoga and the pillars of TCTSY can serve as powerful tools for self-care, stress relief, and emotional resilience, directly enhancing their caregiving roles.

Join the creators of ReScripted, an improv-based model for youth trauma care, to explore how embodied activities can address burnout and stress in the workplace. Learn strategies to build stronger teams and practice self-care while at work!

This talk presents a groundbreaking study on the effects of an eight-week Trauma-Informed Weight Lifting (TIWL) intervention for youth in residential treatment, compared with standard treatment as usual (TAU). Findings reveal the promising impact of TIWL as an adjunctive intervention, reducing posttraumatic stress and related symptoms in adolescents undergoing residential care.

Research consistently shows that complex trauma heals most effectively in the context of a securely attached relationship, with treatment that incorporates the body. Couples therapy offers a unique setting for such healing, yet few modalities use an embodied approach for partners when one or both have a history of trauma. This approach proposes integrating Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) in a partner yoga format with foundational principles from relational psychotherapy, neuroscience, and Polyvagal theory. By bringing TCTSY into couples therapy, this intervention harnesses the benefits of somatic, trauma-informed care within a relational context, fostering healing and connection.

This presentation is an introduction to respectfully navigating the complexities that arise in care of multiply diagnosed and multiply marginalized individuals. It offers a framework for organizing our work as support partners in client care and encourages an interdisciplinary collaborative approach aligned with client values and quality of life

This presentation will delve into the history of Irish dancing and the cultural fusion that has fueled its ongoing evolution. It will also cover a personal journey in Irish dance, highlighting how it has served as a therapeutic outlet throughout life.

Early-life stress (ES) is linked to a heightened risk of cognitive impairments in later life. Our research examines the synergistic influence of stress, metabolic factors, nutrition, and the neuroimmune system in driving this early-life programming.

This session will explore co-creating healing relational experiences by centering embodied consent. Acknowledging that both touch and the absence of touch can be sources of trauma, we will introduce the therapeutic potential of consent, touch, and pleasure as pathways to healing.

The founders of Live Well Rwanda will share insights from their work in providing embodied healing practices within their community. They will discuss effective strategies, meaningful successes, and the challenges encountered along the way in fostering holistic well-being and resilience.

In the Andes, many women experience or have endured traumatic, abusive relationships, yet identifying as “survivors” or discussing these experiences remains deeply stigmatized. At our finca (farm), we didn’t set out to create a space for trauma healing, but by fostering an atmosphere of choice, present-moment awareness, lightheartedness, confidence, and connection, such a space has emerged organically. This environment encourages deep relationships with each other and the natural world, supported by embodied practices. Presented in both English and Spanish, our approach invites women to reconnect with themselves and their community in ways that feel natural, safe, and empowering.

This program began by offering a 30-hour Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) Community Leader (CL) training to staff at Magnetawan First Nation. Grounded in the core principles—or "seeds"—of TCTSY, the curriculum integrates neuroscience, trauma treatment, and attachment theory to equip participants with skills for applying trauma-informed yoga within daily interactions and leadership roles in a Northern Ontario Indigenous community. Evaluations for this project draw on best practice research from the Mind-Body Trauma Care Lab at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. In this breakout session, members of the project team will share their experiences and discuss future directions for the initiative.

Explore lessons learned from a grant-funded pilot project to offer free TCTSY sessions to trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive young adults in Essex County, Massachusetts, USA. We'll examine specific considerations for supporting folks in these communities using TCTSY core principles, as well as consider how we might apply these lessons into our own next steps in this work––and perhaps yours too. As the pressing need for trauma-sensitive resources for trans and nonbinary youth continues to grow, so too does the power of building our collective wisdom around how to be of service.