247 Coaching Episode | How To Integrate Somatic Practices & Yoga Through Telehealth Sessions: Interview With Andrea Savage

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Help clients reconnect with their bodies even when you're miles apart. If you've been wondering on how to make somatic work online, this episode is for you on today's episode of Yoga in the Therapy Room Podcast.

So whether you're here to expand your skills, enhance your self care, or both, you are in the right place. Join me on this journey to help you be one step closer to bringing yoga into your therapy room.

Welcome to the Yoga in the Therapy Room podcast, the non-traditional therapist guide integrating yoga into your therapy practice. I'm Chris McDonald. Your host and I'm super excited to bring you yet another coaching episode. This is where I interview a listener and answer a question they have about integrating yoga into their clinical sessions.

The answer is yes, you absolutely can. I've been doing this for 10 years and it's very effective. That's the short answer. We'll get in more into that in this episode. Also here to bring you some other tips, encouragement for the virtual space, as well as equipment you might wanna be thinking about from camera, to sound to lighting.

Be giving some tips about that as well. From breath and movement to grounding and nervous system tracking. We're gonna explore simple ways to help your clients come back to their body in the session, even through a screen. Let's get started. Welcome to the Yoga in the Therapy Room podcast, Andrea. Thank you.

I'm so excited you're here. Can you share how you became interested in a more somatic approach?

So I definitely knew right away. The integration of the body with the mind and, you know, healing needs to go beyond talk therapy traditionally. So yeah, that's, I just wanna combine the two. And how did you discover yoga? Through a lot of experiences. I, you know, I can say, I could list them divorce. Breast cancer survivor, recovery from addiction, that kinda stuff.

I used yoga religiously to use that word, but I did. I really stood firm on that for my own personal healing, so that's how I discovered it. Just by practicing.

Chris McDonald: And how do, how do you integrate yoga into your clinical sessions?

Take a breath, get into a more mindful state, and my hope is that, you know, you bring their blood pressure down a little bit and that they can kind of ease into a more comfortable space where they're comfortable sharing and talking about tough things.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, I love that. So what's your

Andrea Savage: question for coaching today?

Yeah, so I'm curious how to bring a somatic approach into the therapy room as. Especially when you're doing telehealth, it's very different than being in the room with someone else. So I'm curious to just hear tips, tricks, ways that you integrate it throughout. I do tend to start and end with a breath practice or a, you know, a body scan or something like that, but it just continuing it through the sharing and bringing the clients back into their body again as they're discussing things.

Andrea Savage: I think it's on both of our parts. The authenticity of connecting our breath. It's, it's just a different feel when you're not in the same room.

You just don't have that energy exchange. So making sure that they know I'm doing the practice with them, even if we're having a closed eye practice or a, you know, if we're closing our eyes and doing body scan and that kind of thing. Helping them to ensure that I'm. Right there with them continuing to do it as I'm leading 'em through it, more so than, you know, watching them on camera, getting Sure.

Chris McDonald: Comfortable

Andrea Savage: with it.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, because I get that, and I hear that a lot from people and I, I've been told before by listeners. Oh, I can't do yoga in sessions because I'm all telehealth. Well, I got good news. You can,

Andrea Savage: oh yeah,

So we might miss some subtle cues or, but I disagree about the energy part. I think the energy's still there. So my question for you too is. What are your thoughts with integrating it? Do you feel like that it's not as effective or what, what's coming up for you with that?

Andrea Savage: I, I, I think I have the gap in the energy.

I'm used to being in the room with people as they're meditating, you know? So, you know, maybe it's more on my end 'cause I agree, like you can definitely Yeah. Have synergy and still be connecting well. Over video, but it's just a little different.

Chris McDonald: It is different, and we can totally validate that, that it does feel different.

Right. Being able to identify first, what is the negative belief or is there. Is this not gonna work as well? Or I can only do it in person. I've had one person tell me that I can only do it in person. It doesn't work. I'm like, we worry about that. It doesn't work because I think it can be right. So if we really gotta challenge that and do some inner work on that, that it does work, right?

It's just might, we might have to make a few. Adjustments first to see, you know, what feels right for you as a practitioner too. Is there certain practices that you're more comfortable with? Because I know you mentioned, was it grounding, you said, and breath work?

Andrea Savage: Yeah.

Chris McDonald: Perfect. Those are all self-awareness.

What kind of camera are you using? Are you comfortable with what you have? I guess that's the other question I have.

Andrea Savage: That's a great prompt for me as I build my private practice. I haven't invested in the equipment to make yoga and teletherapy. Exactly. Yeah. Works. So creating the space. Would probably make me feel more confident integrating it.

You know, I often listen to a client and think, oh, legs Up the wall would be such a great pose for this client to experience. And I really like the idea, rather than telling 'em like, oh, put your legs up the wall, showing them and letting them experience it. I'm more likely to come back to it. Mm-hmm. So that's a really good prompt for me to, you know, look at the equipment I'm using, the space I'm using.

And making it clear. Because if you're using, let's say a laptop, which is already built in with a microphone, it's not gonna be as high quality in the sound kind of song. Okay. And the video. Yeah, will suck. Yeah, pretty much. So upgrading into a portable video camera. So my camera I have is an attachable one, and if you can see right now, you can see it does a broader lens too.

Can they see me with these practices? Right. So really putting that time in before you get in, if you get some new equipment too. Yeah, to make sure. 'cause we have the quality sound, the visual, but then the lighting too. So I have a lot of natural light in front of me. You can, if you don't, you can also get.

Some lighting with like a ring light or some other light source. I've had to play around with my light a lot, especially if I have dark days when we have storms. Yeah. I'm like, oh gosh, what other lights? So I have lights to the side. So it's, it's, we really gotta be our best director with this too, so that, especially if you're gonna teach yoga practices online.

If you can also, if you're gonna do seated to sit back. So if you see me right now, so if I sit back, but we're gonna move further back so you can see the whole body.

Andrea Savage: Yeah. Okay.

Because I think this could really help with your anxiety and also share your experience. I share with clients too. I do these practices regularly because it helps me. Ground myself and my nervous system. So I'm thinking this could be beneficial. So I'll show you first and then we'll do it together. So really the setup is important too, so they know what to expect.

And I know you mentioned, I love how you said, starting with grounding and letting clients know this is how I start my session. So if you have a new client, this is an option. Of course, we wanna respect the client autonomy, but this is something that we can do each session. How does that feel for you? And if some days you don't want it, that's okay because sometimes people are just wanna.

Go, right? Yes. Jump right in. Full body self, so to speak. Um, does, is this making sense with the equipment though and the lightning perfect

And then saying, you know, this is a, this is a good place to pause as they're possibly becoming overwhelmed or dysregulated again. You know, I just wanna show you a little practice when you're perfect.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, that's a good intro. Bringing that in. Yeah. And a lot of times I think that we have to pause if we're gonna bring the body in session.

And I know Carl Rogers had his way of going. Therapy, but I don't totally agree with letting clients just go, go, go, go, go. Right. That's what they're used to doing. Yep. With somatic, we gotta pause. Mm-hmm. What is happening in the body. And sometimes I'll say that too, especially if they say something that's really insightful or the other end dysregulating.

Even that co-regulation, if you're noticing in your body, oh, I feel this like heaviness. Do you notice that? Let's just sit for a moment and see what's going on. And even inviting the somatic practice. What would happen if you brought one hand to your chest? Can you give that moment of awareness and breathe and then inviting even the breath work or some movement practice too.

Andrea Savage: Yeah, that's great.

Chris McDonald: So it can be just pauses and I think that that's something that people forget too. We're not talking about a 53 minute. Yoga class could be mindful moments of yoga, right? We can integrate in a session and for them to, to be present with it. Now, the other piece I will mention is with telehealth, if somebody's on their phone, it can be a little trickier.

So if they have, I've had clients, I'm trying to position my phone, I can't get it right. I'm like, just put the phone down. Can you hear me? And just do the best with your cues because sometimes that's not gonna work.

Right. You know, this is, this is your, we can try practice. Right, right. But you, you know,

Chris McDonald: yeah.

Andrea Savage: It's your practice. And especially when I'm asking them to close their eyes or. That kind. It can feel awkward if we both have our cameras on.

Chris McDonald: I think it depends on the client too. Absolutely. Because I, 'cause I think it does help a little with the co-regulation too and the mirror neurons.

There can be just that be mutual benefit even if we're not in person to be doing the practice with them. So, but making sure to position your camera. So like I said, if you're standing up so that, that they can see your whole body. 'cause you don't want, here's my head, but I'm. Yeah, doing this stuff below, you can't see what I'm doing, but I'm queuing.

Or if, I know you said legs up the wall, but maybe legs up the chair too. 'cause that absolutely could be a little bit more accessible for people. But for them to see it a little more, sometimes it's hard to, which wall do I go to? Do I gotta, do, I gotta clear my bookshelf, like, yeah, what am I doing?

Sometimes I've done that with, um, legs up the chair and just demonstrate it and then invite them to do that as well. So we can do that too. I've done it with in person too. It's kind of weird. It's like, okay, let's, let's give it a go in session interview. Feel. Okay. That's great. Yeah. But it's been with amazing results and I assign that as part of their therapeutic homework.

Maybe take this practice home with you and try it each night before we meet again and see how it goes. You

Andrea Savage: know, just kind of go from there. I find we can have really great. Breakthroughs, discoveries, conversations, whatever you like to call 'em. But you know, when you're, both of you have legs up the chair.

Andrea Savage: Right. But Well, it's, it's, it's not typical, but it's really effective. It's the same concept of walk and talk therapy, ecotherapy, you know, just integrating other elements to. Take the spotlight off the client, I think.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, really That's true. Helps, you know, integrating the body, kind of, you get those extra five senses going and you know, whether it's cold water or whatever. But yeah, definitely helps the client to feel more comfortable sharing, I think.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. Yeah. So I guess, does that answer too, with sometimes different ways you can bring it in?

Andrea Savage: Yeah, and I, I really like. All the tips you gave in terms of setting up and being prepared for the unexpected. 'cause it does when, when you've been doing yoga as long as I've been doing yoga, you just kind of live it and you don't even realize that, you know, you're practicing yourself while you're.

Running a therapy session.

Whether that's, you know, we disconnect and then reconnect and try to log back in. Whatever might be happening. Make sure, I always tell clients, have your phone with you because I have had clients, we're on video, on the computer, they don't have their phone with them. Whatever reason I can't reach them. And then it gets a little stressful.

Yeah. So having a very clear procedure for telehealth too. And I'll tell you a funny story. I was doing a meditation with someone online. I was like, wow, she looks really relaxed and you know, I'm giving the cues and this, and I was like. Oh my God, this has been frozen for like 10 minutes.

Andrea Savage: I was like, that's funny.

Andrea Savage: just, yeah, no, that's a good idea. So integrate that.

Yeah.

Chris McDonald: With eyes Closed Practice. Make sure your eyes are open though, so you can be aware of what they're doing. Yeah. 'cause I think with safety too, depending on what yoga practice you're doing, that we have to be careful with not seeing them know your client. I have some clients that are yogis, they do yoga every day.

I'm not as concerned about them. My new people who. Don't exercise who have never done yoga before. I'm a little more cautious with them of where I'm starting to. I think we have to be really mindful to see their readiness to do yoga and which practices, and then maybe we just wanna start with a simple grounding.

Integrate it in a way that feels ethical, grounded, and effective. If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone. These are exactly the kinds of issues I help therapists explore in my one-on-one yoga integration consultations. Wherever you are in your yoga journey, I can provide the support and safe and effective practices that fits your clinical style and supports your client safely.

If you're ready to move from feeling stuck and uncertain to confident and aligned, go to HC podcast.org/. Yoga consultation, that's HC podcast.org/yoga consultation. You can also find the link in the show notes. So anything else that's been challenging with telehealth? I think

Andrea Savage: the tips and tricks you gave really cover the bare bones of it, for sure.

Chris McDonald: curious to hear your, it's hard and if you get clients, the talkers.

Andrea Savage: Yeah.

Chris McDonald: Where it's just like, you're like, oh yeah.

Sometimes we can interject though to say, you know what? Can I stop you right there? Would that be okay? Getting permission. Too, and I wondered if we could just pause and, and just notice for a moment. 'cause I, I noticed your sho I've seen clients like this. You've probably seen that where their shoulders are rising and they're getting more tense or they're clasping their hands and just into that fight or flight response.

I'm just wanted to check in with you what is happening right now. I'm noticing this shift. So I think if you notice too, the physically, even online, we can notice sometimes. But the other piece I was gonna mention with telehealth too, we don't always know what's happening beneath the camera. If we're only shoulders up, maybe make that also something to remind them with a yoga practice.

Andrea Savage: limited.

Yeah. I wonder what you think about different poses for different, 'cause I, I do know the body can release different emotions in that type of thing. Like for example, hip openers. Yeah, yeah, definitely. As trauma, that can be really. Jarring for some people if they, if they don't know what to expect. Again, I'm assuming we save those more intense practices for the more advanced yogis.

People that are comfortable with understand. But have you had any experiences like that where you've had somatic breakthroughs where you know it physically kind of triggers a more emotional release? Which is always a good thing, right, of course. Yeah. But it's difficult. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's difficult.

Chris McDonald: I think I've had some more with my grief yoga that I do, and Okay.

Right? And it's just, it's a beautiful thing to witness. But walking them through that, you know, especially it can be, if it's a really big release, it can be challenging. And then come back to the breath, come back to grounding whatever they need to do for self-soothing in that moment. If it's. Like overwhelming too much.

Mine have not been like crazy words. They're so dysregulated they can't get back. Yeah. Um, but it, yeah, definitely I've seen a lot of the releases for sure.

Andrea Savage: Okay.

Chris McDonald: So what's the takeaway from today's

Andrea Savage: coaching? I think the biggest takeaway is to make sure that the setting is set. We often. Telehealth, assume I just get on and this is my frame.

Feeling like we're in the room together and you know that our energy is connected to your point at the beginning. Yeah,

Chris McDonald: exactly. And our energy is connected. And I wonder too if, if clients on too, if, if that's some of their beliefs too, that the energy's not the same. And you can share your experience too, that the energy is always connected.

Right. And yeah. So that you can feel your, like you're in the same space.

Andrea Savage: Yeah. Love that. That's powerful. So setting, I think the setting for me is the, and the easiest thing to. To tackle. Right? Like that's, that's something that, yeah, I'm just, oh, okay. I need a microphone. So like the practical tools that can help me to, to bring it into practice.

Yeah.

Andrea Savage: Yeah, I have a website set up. It's www. Savage roots.com and Savage Roots is based on my soon to be legal name. It's complicated. It's complicated, of course, but Andrea Savage will be my name going forward.

And we establish Savage Roots. It's a nonprofit that is going to help women who have been through traumatic experiences th you know, thrive rather than survive through, you know, integrating. All of the different modalities that are often not looked at as medically necessary, but in my view, are very necessary for healing.

You know, we, we practice yoga, we do reiki, we do, and we have a bunch of different, you know, we even have tarot readers and that kind of stuff.

Chris McDonald: Ooh, you're speaking my language.

And it's, it's all based, you know, and I didn't mention this before, but it's all based on my favorite book about this, and it's over, I don't know if you can see this, what's it

Chris McDonald: called?

Andrea Savage: Overcoming. Trauma through yoga. Ooh, reclaiming Your Body by David Emerson. He's my favorite. You know David Emerson? Yes.

Mm-hmm. So he taught me a lot about integrating your diet and what you put in your mouth into your wellness. Anxiety and what you eat affects your brain and all of that. With his first, some of his first prior works, but he works with, uh, Dr. Hopper that integrates the traumatic yoga, informed yoga experience into that.

Chris McDonald: yeah, I appreciate you sharing that, but thanks for so much for coming on the podcast today.

Andrea Savage: Thank you for all of the tips. I really feel like I have more some to-dos that are gonna. Of course enabled me to help my clients better, so Excellent.

Chris McDonald: Perfect. And that brings us to the end of yet another episode. Thanks for being here, listeners. I hope today's episode remind you that somatic work is possible no matter where you or your clients are.

Even in virtual sessions, small intentional practices can create powerful shifts. If today's episode sparked ideas or questions about how to ethically and effectively bring yoga into your therapy work, I invite you to take the next step and book a yoga integration consultation with me to get the individualized support you are looking for.

Thanks for listening to today's episode. The information in this podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It's given with the understanding that neither the host, the publisher, or the guests are giving legal, medical, psychological, or any other kind of professional advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast.

Yoga is not recommended for everyone and is not safe under certain medical conditions. Always check with your doctor to see if it's safe for you. If you need a professional, please find the right one for you.