Consent Week: Trauma Recovery Yoga

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Session description: This unique class is for anyone who is on a path to recovering from physical or emotional trauma. The class aims to give participants tools to understand how trauma affects the body and to let go of trauma stored in the body through movement. Trauma may seem like a loaded word, but it is something that affects many of us through major losses, accidents, violence, or other major life stresses.

The practices will consist of gentle movements, simple postures, and breath awareness. These elements of traditional hatha yoga are modified to build a trauma survivor’s sense of empowerment and cultivate a more positive relationship to one’s body. Everything in the class is optional and beginner-friendly.

Based on the evidence-based methodology of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (https://www.traumasensitiveyoga.com/facilitators/ontario )
While taught by a Registered Psychotherapist, the class itself is not Group Therapy. As an adjunctive therapy, the course is not intended as a replacement for working with a qualified therapist. However, during this time of increased trauma and stress due to COVID-19, Nicole has added a Virtual Group Therapy option for those who wish to have that added support.

For those wanting to go deeper in their process and receive more support, this option gives Virtual Group Therapy facilitated by Nicole, who is a registered Psychotherapist. The four sessions of Group Therapy will take place on weeks 2, 4, and 6 of the course.

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves a therapist working with several or more people at the same time. Group therapy helps people work through problems by interacting with a therapist and a group of individuals with similar struggles. In a safe, confidential setting, each group member can share personal experiences, feelings and issues and receive feedback and support from the rest of the group.

We may all be experiencing some form of helplessness and fear, such as denial and shock, during this very unique and very unusual time in the world. When traumatic events happen (such as COVID-19), it may bring up other symptoms and patterns of behaviour associated with past traumas. This group is appropriate for those who have experienced grief and loss, trauma, addictions, symptoms of isolation, feelings of shame, loneliness, or anyone that feels they would benefit from group therapy while attending Yoga for Trauma Recovery.

Facilitated by: Nicole Brown Faulknor, Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO), Child and Youth Counsellor, Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (TCTSY-F)

Nicole is the Founder of Wounds 2 Wings Trauma + Psychotherapy Services (https://www.wounds2wings.com/what-we-do.html), a Yoga Instructor, Registered Psychotherapist, Child and Youth Counsellor, Trauma Consultant, Author and Trauma Survivor. She is also a member of both the Colleges of Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario and the Canadian Association for Psychodynamic Therapy with over 18 years of professional experience working with marginalized, vulnerable and oppressed communities, individuals, families and children. She has worked extensively with individuals and communities suffering from mental health, addictions, systemic poverty and profiling in order to therapeutically improve relationships with government programs and services.