the trauma conscious yoga method
Yoga-Informed Somatic Therapy in Western Washington
What is the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method?
The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method℠ (TCYM) is a healing approach that blends gentle, trauma-conscious yoga with somatic (body-based) therapy practices to support your whole self—body, mind, and nervous system. Developed by therapist and yoga teacher Nityda Gessel, TCYM combines elements of somatic psychotherapy, such as Somatic Experiencing®, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and EMDR, with accessible yoga and mindfulness practices. It’s designed to meet you exactly where you are, moment by moment, and adapt to your needs as they shift during our work together.
Unlike traditional yoga or trauma-informed approaches that simply acknowledge trauma, TCYM is trauma-conscious, which means we stay actively attuned to your emotional, physical, and energetic experience throughout each session. It’s about creating a space that is not only safe, but also responsive, empowering, and deeply compassionate. This method is also rooted in social justice, honoring the impact of systemic oppression, generational trauma, and collective wounds. We recognize that trauma comes in many forms and affects us all—so we don’t label or rank your experience as “big” or “small.” Your story matters, just as it is.
Through gentle movement, breathwork, mindfulness, and guided self-inquiry, you’ll reconnect with your body, reclaim your inner wisdom, and begin to heal from the inside out. TCYM draws on yogic philosophy, Buddhist psychology, neuroscience, and somatics, offering a truly integrative path toward embodied healing and self-discovery.
It’s not about fixing what’s “wrong”, it’s about learning how to listen to your system, build safety from within, and access more calm, connection, and choice in daily life.
How does it work?
You can learn to stay present and live more embodied.
The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method℠ (TCYM) is a flexible, somatic approach that supports trauma healing, emotional regulation, and self-connection for trauma survivors, deep feelers, and really, all humans navigating life’s challenges. I integrate TCYM into a variety of settings, including individual therapy sessions, intensive therapy work, therapeutic yoga groups, and general audience yoga classes. TCYM works by teaching you how to work with your body rather than against it so you can better navigate overwhelm, emotional flooding, anxiety, and disconnection.
Through these practices, you may experience increased body awareness, mental clarity & calmness, relief from chronic stress patterns, a quieter mind, as well as sharper attention and concentration. You may also experience emotional and energetic release, which can be an intense and powerful experience. The energy released may be from traumas experienced in this life and/or from traumas passed down generationally through epigenetics (a process by which our DNA is altered by the lived traumas of our ancestors.) I’m here to gently guide and support you through this deeply personal and healing experience.
This approach give you…
A deeper understanding of your nervous system — so you can recognize your patterns and responses with clarity, not judgment.
Practical tools to regulate and rebalance — like breathwork, movement, and awareness exercises that support real-time shifts in your state.
Increased capacity for resilience — so you can handle life’s ups and downs with more ease, presence, and confidence.
Support for healing past stress or trauma — by creating safety in the body and reconnecting with your inner resources.
Frequently asked questions about trauma-conscious yoga
FAQs
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Sessions/Classes may involve education around trauma and your nervous system, body-based techniques for grounding and emotional release/regulation, self reflection, meditation, intentional breathing practices, as well as physical yoga postures or somatic movement practices. Learn more.
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Trauma is often stored physically in the body by way of the nervous system. While talk therapy processes your experiences on a cognitive level, TCYM helps release the physical stress, tension, and nervous system dysregulation that trauma leaves behind. It fosters body trust and empowerment. Learn more.
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No! You do not need any prior yoga experience, and you certainly do not need to be flexible. The practices offered are adaptable, invitational, and focused purely on how the movements feel in your body rather than what they look like. Yoga also goes beyond physical movement and involves philosophy, self study, nervous system regulation, meditation, and breathing practices. Learn more.