251 Integrating Yoga Into Therapy | How to Tailor Practices To Each Client: Episode By Chris McDonald

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Integrating towards their therapy goals. I also talk about how to use your own attunement to create a more impactful and personalized practice. How your presence, responsiveness, and ability to read your client in the moment can shape the effectiveness of how it lands. By the end of this episode, you'll have practical tools to create yoga experience that are tailored.

Responsive and truly supported of your client's growth. On today's episode of Yoga in the Therapy Room podcast. Let's get to it.

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.

Hey there, and welcome to the Yoga In the Therapy Room podcast. The non-traditional therapist guide to integrating yoga into your therapy practice. If you're new here, welcome. My name is Chris McDonald. I'm a licensed therapist and yoga teacher, and I'm your host. Happy to be with you here today. We are at the tail end of summer here in North Carolina, which is nice, but also a little sad.

And in there it's a community where therapists can support each other. And connect with others who are like themselves, who also integrate yoga into therapy because let's just face it, it's a struggle when you're out there doing these alternative complimentary practices and it can feel very isolating.

So that's why one reason I created that, a main reason, but also to offer a lot of different yoga practices. Learn, learn, learn through. Master classes as well as get case consultations for integrating yoga into therapy sessions, which for me has been a dream and is on my heart of something that I love and am passionate about doing.

I appreciate you and I wouldn't be here without you. Um, but I did rebrand this about a year ago and in my heart of horrors, I really wanted to connect with other therapists integrating yoga. Help us all feel more connected, less isolated, while continuing to learn. I think continue education for yoga teachers, yoga therapists, therapists.

No matter how much time I take off. It's still a lot of juggling. Feeling pulled in so many directions this year, and it's just been too much to manage. Even though I do hire help, I do get a lot of support in this podcast. Even my husband, mark has stepped up to help me with this podcast, but there are so many moving parts that people are not aware of who aren't in the field, and just sometimes we're just tired and we need something else.

So sometimes that can be a sign that we want a different direction, and I wanted to be the first to share with you, since you are my. Dedicated listeners that I am ending this podcast this November so that I can open up space for new things like my membership. I wanna still build that and continue to grow that and maybe some other additional training opportunities for you.

And unfortunately, to juggle all these together, I just don't have the time, energy, money, all of it. It's just too much. So I really am trying to narrow down my focus for the future and really lean into the membership as well as the holistic therapy intensivess. We all only have so much time, so much energy in this path and in our lives, and we have to really reevaluate at times if it's not feeling sustainable, I guess is the word that comes to me.

I appreciate all my guests, everyone, but we're not gonna say goodbye just yet because there are more offerings I wanna put out in the world to you and stay connected through my Facebook group, which is free, by the way, bringing yoga in the therapy room. Check it out if you haven't joined yet. And just know too that the future of the, who knows what the future holds.

And I may bring back some episodes in the future, not guaranteeing, but we'll see. And plus the good news is there is more coming between now and November. So there are lots of amazing episodes still coming your way. So don't be too disheartened. Know that this is sad for me too. It's always sad when we have an ending, but I try to look at this as another.

Beginning and hopefully that we can still be in touch in some way, whether that's through the membership or social media or the Facebook group. Whew, that's a lot, but I just wanted to throw that out there to let you know that is coming so you aren't surprised and, but we have some time to get through some amazing content, amazing guests coming up.

So check out that episode and let's get to today's topic. I'm talking today about integrating yoga into therapy, how to tailor practices. For each client. I don't think this is talked about enough. My inspiration from this has come from over the years. Well, number one, even as, as I had the Holistic Counseling podcast listeners, the number one thing, they wanted to know, how do I bring yoga into my therapy room?

One for the client's needs, not our needs, not because we like yoga or we enjoy the benefits ourselves, but it's all about the client, what they are needing in the moment and what are they need. That is the question because I can teach you a bunch of ways to bring it in your therapy room, but every client that comes to you is an individual with individual needs.

Individual interests, preferences, traumas many different mental health concerns. So one way to do it is not gonna work for every client, which makes this tricky business. Since everybody's so different, we can say, Hey, here, do this movement, Asana, practice, and breathwork go. And it may not land. Maybe it doesn't land with any of your clients.

It doesn't always have to be just for trauma, just for yoga, for anxiety, just for depression. There's lots of different issues that we can help with. And another thing I wanna mention too. We have to really go back to the therapeutic relationship. This is often glazed over, just assumed that it's there. In my experience, this was not taught in the yoga trainings that I did.

Maybe it is taught in some, but I think we have to pull the curtain back and really see what's there. The importance of the therapeutic relationship is going to be key in how yoga practices land with your clients, period. If you don't have that therapeutic relationship. It might not go over so well and trust me, I've had that.

And of course, this goes back to neurobiologically, that attunement, that our nervous systems are regulating together, that hopefully we're coming into the session so we can co-regulate. That we are in a commerce space, settled energy, so that can help co-regulate our clients as well. And together we can do these practices to further help open their window of tolerance and help them that they can eventually build that inner resilience so that they can come to a better place and space after therapy.

Well, hopefully after each therapy session, they're building on that and by the end that they can reach their goals. As well. We all have to look at assessing client needs. I think it's going to be so important for all of you listening to make sure you're assessing for readiness for yoga practices and specific yoga practices.

And at that point, I let them know it's okay. That's a normal trauma response. If you are in that hyper vigilance where it's so high that you can't manage yourself and your symptoms, then no. Meditation is not the best thing in the moment. And I tell them that. Let's put that on the table for another time.

Let's try to get your nervous system more regulated now. In the here and now, and we can try some other practices that don't involve meditation. And a lot of times I see the look of relief. Whew, okay, because that meditation was really rough for me. That's all right. And maybe breath is too much. Just a reminder, not everyone is ready for breath work either.

This cannot be underscored either enough, because if they have chronic pain issues, you need to be aware of that. Making sure to be very thorough in your assessment. Intake sessions to really know what's going on with them and to let them know that they are in control. They can stop at any time, especially with physical issues, and of course, emotional issues too.

If they feel like they're getting triggered too much, you could either have some kind of system in place where they could say, Hey, I'm in the red zone. Let them know that you can color code it or come up with an individual way that I gotta stop. If they don't feel like they just wanna say stop or no, not no one no more today, that can be hard, especially clients that have trouble setting boundaries.

So that's another idea for helping them to stay within their window of tolerance and basing on their knees if they're very much triggered and have severe PTSD. We're gonna treat someone very different with yoga practices. Who has severe PTSD or severe symptoms in general? Severe depression is gonna be a different approach.

Right. And getting down to also stages of change, how motivated are you to try something new? Like with yoga practices? I like to do this with a scaling practice with clients. On a scale of one to five, if five is highly motivated, let's go from all the way to one. Not really sure if I'm wanna change, I'm afraid to change, but just of course, giving that, letting them know that that's okay.

I appreciate you sharing that. That's okay. We can work together and figure out the best way forward. So wherever they are, it's all right. Just let them know beginning where they are in the stages of change. You can do the pre-contemplation. Contemplation would change. Or if you do the scaling, just to give you some gauge.

Of where they are as far as what they're willing to do, especially if you wanna give them therapeutic homework for bringing yoga at home and letting them know the benefits of that, that this can really help you to make faster changes in therapy. The more you are willing to do outside of the therapy room, the more beneficial that you're gonna find in your reaching your goals and being able to regulate your nervous system.

When I say cows crisis of the week, that's my term, and it can be hard to narrow it down. Where are you today? Could be a question to ask, what are you needing today? What would be helpful to focus on? And pause. Don't jump in. Let that sink in for them. What do you want today? And if words feel like too much, if they're so triggered, maybe just allow them to settle into their body and see what their body brings up for them.

If you notice they're kind of shaking their arms and hands or rubbing their legs with their, maybe they're just have more the anxious energy. That can be a way to individualize yoga in your therapy room. Maybe you have to bring in some movement practice. I find that people that come in more restless, more amped up, need to get outta the therapy chair.

Just inquire within and if they aren't able to connect anything, that just gives you more information that maybe you can guide them to some practice. Maybe just inhaling arms up and down is enough, or shaking out right arm, right hand, moving the fingers, and then going to shake out the left arm, left hand, moving the fingers.

And then both at the same time can be as simple as that. Therapists, are you wanting to bring yoga into your therapy room, but feel unsure what is allowed, what really works, and you wonder where to start. I hear you. I've put together a free guide just for you, the top 10 F EQs. Are frequently asked questions on integrating yoga into therapy, what every therapist needs to know.

This guide gives you practical strategies to start your journey to integrate yoga practices. With integrity. Get your free copy today@hcpodcast.org slash top 10 questions. That's TOP, the number 10 questions. That's HC podcast.org/top 10 questions. It's also in the show notes. Get your guide today. But let's say your client comes in and they're shut down.

What are you gonna do assessing their need for that day, asking those same questions. What would be helpful for yoga practice today? And I, I ask that question and after the good news is, after time that they've worked with me, they're able to say, oh, do you remember when you did that visualization of the tree?

Then they can go back and look. Now, if you have clients like I have some with A DHD, they struggle to remember, I will do a review with them. Okay? Here is one of the movement practices we did with Cat Cow. We did some of the forward folds. If you remember, we did the extending breath for six seconds, inhaling for four.

Which of those feels right for you? So that's another way to individualize yoga in the therapy room, is to give options. Give them a menu. Of course, ask if they would like a menu, and if they do. Here are some things we've done before or I could bring in something different and new. Not everybody wants different and new is what I've learned.

We can never do breath work too much, as long as it's not causing harm. Of course, it's building resiliency in the nervous system is changing neural pathways. We are making changes and sometimes it is small and I think telling clients that as well, it's not going to be a lightning bolt from God. Change in your life usually, right?

There's gonna be small incremental changes in your nervous system that you may not notice right away. You may notice a little bit, but it's gonna be more significant later on. And I know I've had a lot of listeners ask about neurodivergent clients, especially those with short attention spans with a DHD.

I don't do long flows. If I do something that's gonna be less reps with them in, let's say, up to like three practices, and that could include breath, work, movement, maybe a meditation, depending on the client, and then call it a day and integrate after that, see how they're doing with it. 'cause the more we can get them out of their heads too and more into their bodies, the more beneficial it's going to be.

So just think about that with. Neurodivergent clients, but I think we have to also be aware that we are mindfully watching the clients as we do the practices with them to look for signs of distress. I've had clients that start to get dysregulated. I could tell their eyes are getting wider, they're more tense.

But I think we have to really be aware of what's happening. Are they dissociating? Are they getting more shut down? How can we bring them back? That's assessing need in the moment. So we have to look over all client need as well as assessing need. In the moment, and hopefully through time, you're able to help your client connect more to their bodies, developing that yogic awareness, the interoception, so they know what's happening and they can tell you what's happening.

And that's why it goes back to what I mentioned before with attunement, that we have to build that therapeutic relationship. To me, I like to really build some of that relationship before bringing yoga in sessions. I'm not saying it isn't possible to start off the gate, but for me to bring that level of comfort for both of us.

What was that like in session? So really getting their feedback, 'cause they may not say anything. They probably won't say anything, let's just say. So the more we can tune in and say. It's okay. This is a safe place to tell me if it didn't work. Let's find something that could work or we can adapt it differently on based on what you're needing.

We can also ask clients with that open discussion, I know we've done some yoga practices. Is there any way you wanna structure for future sessions? Or do you like things the way they, I think that can be really helpful and, and also integrating that with their progress. So I'm noticing you're making progress in therapy towards your goals.

Just know it's there to help you grow. I know if it's not all positive, it's hard to hear, but it is there as just information. I think if we can take out the emotionality of it and look at it as objectively that this is just information for us to help be the best that we can be as therapists and how can we best help.

Our clients too. And I think for you too, just to get as much education as you can to help different kinds of clients. 'cause not everybody's coming to us full of yoga experience and easy to work with. So those more challenging clients, you might need more continuing education to help keep yourself more confident, confident and competent hard words to say together and just know that.

The needs and how do we make and adjust changes as needed. It really does take some time and skill to do that, but just know by adapting practices and all the yoga that you learn over the years, hopefully from me and other people, other teachers. That you're able to bring it all together and make it to your own.

I think that's the beautiful thing is I bring in yoga practices and from Q Go and other yoga trainings I've had all together and make it my own and create my own as well. So I think that that's the beautiful thing, is that we can bring all these together for a full integrative experience for our clients based on our personal values and things that we can offer the world and who we are as people.

She was like, I was, uh, reflecting after, oh, let me know. How did that feel for you? What came up? She's like, it was okay. That's all I got from her. So was anything helpful? And she shrugged her shoulders. Don't let that stop you. By the end. This client had said that was so helpful and she left for a while, but it was so helpful.

She came back another time. So just know clients just like us, show up differently every day, so don't let it hold you back and stop you from bringing it into your therapy room. Especially with difficult clients, they often need it the most, right? Yeah. So much here, I think to be thinking about reflecting on.

I really appreciate you tuning in. And it helped you to feel a little inspired to find ways to individualize to your clients. And if you're feeling inspired from this episode, but still have questions about bringing yoga into your therapy room, I wanted to let you know that I have a new free guide just for you for those who are curious about bringing yoga in the therapy room, but are unsure about what's allowed.

Unsure about how to get started. It's called Top 10 FAQs. Frequently asked questions about integrating yoga into therapy, what every therapist needs to know. Inside, you'll find clear, practical answers to the most common questions so you can feel more confident, ethical, and grounded as you begin weaving yoga in your sessions.

That's HC podcast.org/top 10 questions. It's also in the show notes and start building your confidence today. And once again, this is Chris McDonald's sending each one of you much light and love. Till next time, take care. Thanks for listening to today's episode. The information in this podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only.

It is 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.