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In this episode, we discuss practical ways to integrate yoga and somatic practices into trauma-informed therapy sessions. Jaclyn shares her journey into yoga, how she incorporates it into her clinical work, and offers a grounding practice for listeners. We discuss topics such as keeping yoga trauma-informed, utilizing mindful movement, breathwork, and body awareness to support clients’ healing, and provide practical tips for therapists looking to integrate these practices. We look at the importance of body-based therapies in achieving deep healing that talk therapy alone may not achieve. 

MEET Jaclyn Sappah

Jaclyn Sappah, LCSW, C-IAYT, is a trauma therapist, certified yoga therapist, and founder of Wildflower Therapy Group—a North Carolina-based virtual group practice specializing in holistic trauma therapy for women and teen girls.  Through a holistic, mind-body-spirit approach, Jaclyn helps clients release trauma, process stuck emotions, and regulate their nervous systems. Her work blends traditional psychotherapy with integrative healing practices, including EMDR, somatic therapy, yoga therapy, mindfulness, and Reiki energy work.  Jaclyn believes true healing happens when we address not just the mind, but the body and spirit, too. She’s passionate about helping women reconnect with themselves and create space for more peace, ease, and self-trust.  She is licensed in North Carolina, New York, and California, and offers virtual therapy to clients in all three states.

Find out more at Wildflower Therapy Group and connect with Jaclyn on Instagram

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• Incorporating yoga into clinical sessions
• Defining and utilizing Somatic Therapy
• Practical somatic tools and techniques
• Making yoga fun and accessible
• Introducing movement practices in therapy
• Restorative practices and trauma-informed yoga
• Overcoming initial fears and starting small
• Guided yoga practice for listeners

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Joining us today is therapist Jacqueline Sapa. She shares how she uses yoga with clients and how therapists like you can start bringing it into your therapy room. She also shares a phenomenal grounding practice that will get you out of your head. And into your body. This episode offers practical insights and gentle guidance on weaving, somatic and yogic tools into your trauma-informed work.

This podcast is here to empower therapists like you with the knowledge and confidence to bring yoga into their practice safely and ethically. 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.

We know as therapists, trauma isn't just stored in the mind, it lives in the body. And while traditional talk therapy has its place and can be supportive, it often needs to be paired with body-based practices to truly support. Deep healing. In this episode, we'll dive into how yoga and somatic techniques can gently guide clients back into their bodies, help them regulate their nervous system, and restore a felt sense of safety and agency.

Here to help guide us on this journey is Jacqueline Sappa. She is a trauma therapist, certified yoga therapist and founder of Wildflower Therapy Group, a North Carolina based virtual group practice specializing in holistic trauma therapy for women and teen girls. Jacqueline helps clients release trauma process, stuck emotions, and regulate their nervous systems.

Yeah. I'm so glad that we finally got to connect here. So can you share with listeners how you discovered yoga?

Jaclyn Sappah: Sure, yeah. I discovered it initially when I was about 15 or 16 years old out in California, staying the summer with my aunt who has been into yoga since. The seventies or eighties. I went to my first class with her and really enjoyed it.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, because I know that's how it happened to me too.

It's like I took it randomly and then all of a sudden it was just like, you know what? I wanna do this more. And Right. Started to move towards that daily practice, which. Has been a game changer, but So what first drew you to incorporating yoga into clinical sessions?

Jaclyn Sappah: Well, like I kind of mentioned, I found yoga to be really helpful in my own healing journey.

So I, you know, had some trauma from my past that I was able to work through with yoga and I was able to learn to regulate my nervous system and find a sense of balance and ease by going to yoga and. Doing it regularly and meditating and getting, you know, developing that somatic awareness, that MINDBODY connection.

You know, they were coming in for chronic illnesses often and mental health issues would come up, and so I was able to sit with them and breathe and just develop this awareness of the body. And anyway, long story short, I eventually went. To a training for yoga therapy and learned a, you know, more about the therapeutic and healing aspects of yoga for mental health as well, well as physical health.

Chris McDonald: How would you define somatic therapy? I know we hear that phrase a lot in the counseling world. What is your definition?

Jaclyn Sappah: Right. Yeah, that's a good one, right? Because it is debatable, the way I see it is somatic meaning body, so it's a body-based therapy. So anything that you are utilizing or getting in touch with the body for the purposes of healing.

So not just talking about it, but rather. Integrating the body into the talk therapy session or doing something that you're becoming aware of your body. You're moving your body, and it's meant to, it's intended to be done in a therapeutic and healing way and yoga. Right, exactly. So for me, thematic therapy is yoga.

Of course.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. Yeah, me too.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yep.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah, lots of them. Um, I. One of my favorites to start with is just very simple grounding exercises. Just kind of talking the client through, you know, little mindfulness meditation of, you know, closing your eyes or keeping a light gaze, noticing your feet on the ground, your back against the chair, and just kind of scanning through the body to notice.

What things feel like and where things are. And also noticing the different sensations in the body. What feels tight, what feels loose, so, so noticing the body and where it's at. I love to also bring in breath work. I like to teach clients that our breath is the one thing that is always with us. No matter where we go, we can tap into breath work.

Get into that stillness. Yeah. I love dancing too. Right? Yeah. Getting some, I love just having your random dance party.

Chris McDonald: Exactly. And do you bring in any humor with clients too when you do movement? Because I found that it's been like a way to kinda lighten the mood and make it a little bit easier to drop in the body.

Absolutely.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah. I honestly like, I'll get up. Whether it be, you know, individual sessions or a workshop and I'll just turn up the music and say, we're gonna have a dance party. Nice. You know, join in with me if you want. So actual,

Chris McDonald: that's what you label at dance party?

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah. I label a dance party. Right. I love it.

Exactly. While we're all, 'cause that's, you know, building a sense of trust and connection and you know, we're creating a space that it's okay to be vulnerable in.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. So I think it really helps with the attunement too. With client. Yeah. And knowing that we don't have to be, we're serious counselors here.

Jaclyn Sappah: Right, right. I can't even say it without laughing. Right. Yeah. We're relatable, we're real. Yeah, exactly. We we're, you know, we have our shit. So it's,

Chris McDonald: yeah. And I'm glad you mentioned shaking. 'cause I find that so powerful and helpful, especially with anxiety. And my favorite one, one to make clients laugh too, just put your right arm or left arm in and shake it all about.

And we do the hokey book. But they'll say it though. They're like, oh my God. Yeah. Right,

Jaclyn Sappah: right.

Chris McDonald: But it does kind of help them to be like, okay, so we can just be silly with boo. We don't have to be like, oh my gosh, I have to be serious. Yogi too, and

Yes. With their childness, you know, and when we shake and dance and make funny breathwork, like the lion's breath, right. Where you're like, yes.

Chris McDonald: Or growl like a dog.

Jaclyn Sappah: Right. You know? Or wh your tail like Right. All those things. It's so silly. And what adults really do that. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Oftentimes they have to drink to be silly like that.

But in yoga. We can just be silly like that without any alcohol. Right. So it's

Chris McDonald: like given that permission to maybe to even drop into the child self and Yeah. Connect with that part. Yeah. In a fun way so we can make yoga fun. It's okay. Totally, totally. Yeah. Challenge for listeners to really, can you find a fun way to bring it in?

Right. And yeah. No, it makes a lot of sense. How do you introduce movement practices? How do you introduce yoga to clients?

Little head rolls. Shoulder rolls, lifting the arms, moons, that kind of thing. Standing up from the chair, just kind of getting that energy moving. Little things like shaking and just little twists and that sort of thing. Stuff that's more easily done at your seat. 'cause I do virtual therapy and if it's, you know, in a setting of a, a group setting in person, then we can do a little bit more.

But very gentle yoga, it's anybody who. Doesn't have any experience with yoga, typically can do this. Things like cat cows, whether it's seated cat cows or on your knees doing those. And then throughout the session it, it depends, you know, sometimes something might come up and it's like, okay, let's, let's get up and let's kind of feel this.

Right. It, it might just be that we pause and do that for a minute, or it might lead to kind of doing a. Gentle therapeutic restorative yoga session for the, the rest of the session. And I kind of like to do it more intuitively, whatever makes sense. So organically, yeah, just seeing

Chris McDonald: what,

Jaclyn Sappah: where it fits and what

Chris McDonald: kind of

Jaclyn Sappah: restorative practices do you like to use?

You're leading, leading Against the Bolster and you have Yes. You know, your chest. What is that one called?

Chris McDonald: Um, I don't know what it's called. I can't think. I was like, I, was it Fish Bowes are you talking about or something? Fish,

Jaclyn Sappah: well, fish Bowes is great, but um, fishes is good. No, I think it's called like reclined.

Something reclined, something. Um, we're making it up

Chris McDonald: today.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah. It's a reclined something, you know, and so it's basically you like pile up a bolster to I know what you're

Chris McDonald: saying. Yeah. Yeah.

Jaclyn Sappah: Bound, bound angle. Reclined bound angle. Okay. I think that's what it's called. Um, and you just kind of have your legs out in front of you.

Maybe you have a blanket under the knees and you just kind of lean back. I like to put pillows under my arms. Anything to really support you. And it's just such a, it's a, for some people that aren't ready, that's too much of a heart opener. Sure. Right. So we may have to be more gentle with it, not have the bolster be kind, but rather like.

Yeah. How do you keep. Yoga, trauma informed yoga. So use, you know, using invitational language. Always. I invite you to do this. I invite you to close your eyes. I invite you to move over into this pose also with closing eyes, right? I like to say at the beginning, I invite you to close your eyes or keep a light gaze, so letting them know that they don't have to close their eyes.

A cup of tea, anything that's kinda brings them that warmth. And then other things, like if we're in a, you know, in person and in a room together and maybe I'm doing some adjustments, so like yoga adjustments, I am very, like, I make sure they can hear me coming over towards them. And I start, like, I don't just come behind them, I might come from the side or kind of like in a way that.

Is not going to alert them and scare them. Right. And and also create a space where they can see the door, they feel safe where they are.

Chris McDonald: How do you help clients who may be triggered and they have trauma in their background and they're having a difficult time getting regulated in session.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah. So. When that happens, you know, we hold, I hold space for it.

For a few minutes, whatever it is. Maybe it's just simply me telling them, I'm here with you. You're here right now, or in the present. Or not in the past. You're okay. And I'm here and asking them, what do you need? What do you need right now? Yeah. That's powerful. Do you just, yeah.

Chris McDonald: You have such a warm energy.

It's like, Ooh, I wanna go in. Your office is very trauma informed and nice.

Jaclyn Sappah: Aw, thank you. I

Chris McDonald: feel very comfortable. Yeah. Yeah, that's wonderful as well. Oh, I love that. Are you wanting to bring more of a somatic approach into your therapy work, but find yourself hesitating? You've had some yoga training and you aren't sure where to start, or maybe you worry about staying within your scope and are unsure how to actually integrate it in a way that.

If you're ready to move from feeling stuck and uncertain to confident in align, 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 what about for therapists who maybe wanna get started with integrating some yoga practices? Is there a simple way that you would recommend they, they get started?

Yeah. Maybe just not overthink it. Just, I love that. Right. Therapists we think a lot.

I still was like, well, how do I bridge the two? And then I was worried, oh, the, you know, the board of social work, are they going, am I gonna get in trouble for doing yoga or, you know, it all felt, I. Nerve wracking of how do I do this? So, but then I eventually, I just started doing it and I was fine, but it took practice, it took doing things differently.

And once I got used to it, that became the new normal. So I would say start small, like start experimenting by opening up with some kind of practice and ending the session. So kind of bookmarking the session with things. And then as you get comfortable doing that, then allow your intuition to guide you.

So listen to that and do it. Experiments, see how it goes, and then ask the client afterwards, how did that feel? Did you find that helpful? What did you think is, do you wanna do more of that?

Chris McDonald: Yeah, great questions. I love the integration part too, to really see how that landed for them to really connect. But I think I.

A lot of people list, they hear that voice, but they don't follow through. Right. They might have that like, oh wow, well maybe, maybe, you know, opening up the chest right now could be helpful. But they just kind of overthink, like you said. Right. So I think really just sometimes we gotta be brave. Right. With some of integrating something new.

A hundred percent. Take a little bit of courage to start small.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah. And you'd be surprised by how many people love that, right? It seemed, it feels scary to. Stop them mid-sentence as it does, as they're talking about. But when they stop and they just, you know, put a hand on their heart or a hand on their belly.

Chris McDonald: right? Exactly. To bring you and just place hand on heart. I invite you to place your hand on your heart. Let's just breathe. Yeah. You just brought yoga in your therapy room.

Jaclyn Sappah: Right, right. It's literally that easy, you

Chris McDonald: know? I know. Yeah. Yeah.

But I think just once you start to see the results too, I've seen such positive impact. Can you talk about the benefits of using trauma informed yoga?

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah. I mean, so many benefits, right? There's, it's interesting. Because this morning I had a really powerful session with a client where there was just some really deep healing trauma stuff going on, and I left the session feeling dysregulated.

Nice. And I, right. It was perfect diving and I went to it and it was a reminder to me of how powerful yoga is because through this class. I, there were so many times I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream, but I, through the, the twists and the balancing poses and the strength and the rest and the, all the stuff, I worked through my dysregulation for an hour and I left the class feeling so much better.

Like I could go back to rest. I could see

Chris McDonald: your shoulders just dropping. And somatic therapy is also noticing and reflecting back, right?

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And, and it's. So I use that as an example of, just wanted to share that, right? It was a nice reminder, but also when I'm in the therapy room with a client, I can see, I can see them dysregulated and then we do.

It's really pretty amazing.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, so powerful. I'm glad you mentioned that. 'cause I was having a stressful morning today and was not myself and which is, you know, when you get into that like that sympathetic and go, go, go and it's just hard to stop. And then once I was able to teach someone some yoga this morning, I started like.

Gradually just feel like the anxiety just coming down, coming back into my window intolerance, and as I made lunch, I was like, I'm myself again. I feel myself, right? Isn't that crazy? Yeah. I was like, that is the power of yoga that we can ourselves as therapists too, even though we're not the ones.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah. It's, it's, and I feel that way every time. And then, you know, little things like when we're doing the grounding at the beginning or the end, and then I am bringing, um, you know, we're going internal, looking at sensations in the body and emotions, and then at the end of it, I, you know, say things like, all right, notice the sounds around you, bringing your awareness from once.

So externalizing. And so as we're doing that, then we invite in some gentle movement, and often I will do that gentle movement with 'em, and I'm like rolling my neck and I'm like, oh, I haven't done this in a while. Like, oh, this is amazing. Right,

Chris McDonald: exactly. Yeah. We notice ourselves too. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that also brings more of the attunement when we're doing it with them.

'cause they we're witnessing each other. It's like those mirror neurons to get turned on. Oh yeah. And or just that connection piece that gets so much deeper.

It's a trauma healing method. I'm sure you know what it is, but for any listeners, thanks for sharing. Right. Um, and so in EMDR, it's a mind body therapy and so it can be very overwhelming to the system as we're going through it, but the idea is to reprocess traumatic and difficult memories and sensations and, and images and thoughts that go along with them.

And so I kind of. We do bilateral stimulation to the brain, so that's through eye movements or tapping bilaterally. And so when we do eye movements for a little bit, we stop and then I ask, what are you noticing? Then I say, okay, notice that, and we do it again. So that's what I was taught. To do and that's how MDRs talk.

And it's,

Chris McDonald: ooh,

Jaclyn Sappah: a powerful mirror. And you know, that really resets 'em.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, so pausing. It's like, I guess, does that even help with the interoception? Yeah. Too, to just really notice even more, maybe dropping them in more into the body. It's powerful. Yeah. Can you share a yoga practice with listeners today?

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah, I'd love to. Okay. So I invite everyone to close their eyes or keep a light gaze, if that feels comfortable.

Chris McDonald: If you're driving, pull over.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yes, please. So just noticing your feet on the ground or wherever they are connected to the earth, feeling that support of the earth, both pulling you down and lifting you up.

So I'm going to invite you to take a deep breath in down into the belly, and on the exhale, sending a tree root out through your right foot into the grass, the soil, the bedrock, down into the lava, all the way into the center of the earth. See that tree root latching into the core of the earth, and on your next inhale, breathing in all that good earth energy up through your tree, root back into your right foot into your body, and just feeling that energy into integrating.

Taking a breath in and out, breathing in, and then we'll send a final tree root out on the exhale through your tail bone, your root chakra down into the earth, all the way down until it reaches the center of the core of the earth, the ball of fire, and inhaling up all that good grounding earthly energy back through your root.

And I invite you to gently wiggle your fingers and your toes, and placing a hand on your heart and a hand on your belly, feeling that connection within that internal strength and wisdom feeling, the movement of your breath and your belly, the beating of your heart, feeling secure and grounded. And then whenever you're ready, gently opening your eyes.

That is

Chris McDonald: so grounding.

Jaclyn Sappah: Good.

Chris McDonald: Ew. I like the visualization, so I like the separate feet. 'cause I've done similar ones, but I like how you did it with the right foot and then the left foot and then the tailbone.

Jaclyn Sappah: A tripod.

Chris McDonald: Tripod. Oh, it's like more sturdy, right? It is solid, right. I was out there, I was outside. I could feel it.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah, I like to do that a lot. You have to be careful with that too, though. You know? True. For some, you know, for clients with trauma, that could be too powerful initially. So kind of, you know, work your way into it and see, you know, start with a short visualization, even just.

Simple things like closing your eyes or having a light gaze and noticing body sensations, or just noticing sunshine, something like that. And seeing do they respond well to it or is it triggering? And if it's triggering, you wanna back off.

Chris McDonald: Do you use titration at all too, with trauma

Jaclyn Sappah: for practices that may be more difficult?

Like pendulation? Yeah.

Chris McDonald: Yeah,

And so em embodying that and going back and forth until the client can more easily get to the, the helpful resource.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, I do see some overlap with brain spotting and EMDR as well, because we use that a lot of resourcing. I know EMDR, you do a lot of that, right? Yeah. Different kind of resource practices, and so I'm guessing yoga ties in a lot with that too.

There's a lot you can do. Exactly.

Jaclyn Sappah: It's. I mean that's, that's what I use for the majority of resourcing.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. Yeah. So how often do you do yoga now? What is your practice like? My

Jaclyn Sappah: practice? You know, it's, I would say about three to five times a week. I've been doing really well with it lately. There's been times that I haven't, you know, of course there's actually up until.

And so I know.

Chris McDonald: I can see your whole face now. Yeah.

Jaclyn Sappah: It really is. You know, it's, yeah. Do

Chris McDonald: you notice a difference with being consistent?

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah, I, I feel so much better. Even my mom says, you're so much better when you are doing yoga regularly. Yeah. Like, you're right. I'm so much happier. Even mom grounded. Yeah.

She really does. I mean, it's crazy. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I think back to, it's like. I'm sure you can relate to this. It's like going home, right? I, yes, I had it. All the places I've lived, all the difficult times and good times I've been through, I've had that, that yoga practice to go back to. And I've realized over time it's not necessarily the studio.

When I get into that, really that connection with myself and that just that magic that yoga brings. Right. The magic. Yes.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. And I think the teacher matters too. I'm really picky on my teachers. Oh, me too. I'm going to someone new tonight. I am a little apprehensive. We'll see how it goes. It's a

Jaclyn Sappah: little bit nerve wracking.

Yeah,

Chris McDonald: I know. I'm like, oh. 'cause I have back issues, so I. Had some people that do some things and then I do it and I hurt myself. I'm like, okay, I'm gonna pace myself, do my own variations if I need to. But yeah, but I think that can really, they can really hold the space for you though if you have some really amazing teachers and that's the best.

Anything else you wanna share before we wrap up this episode?

Chris McDonald: Yeah.

Jaclyn Sappah: Yeah. What's the best way for listeners to find you to learn more about you?

Um, you can find me on Instagram at Holistic Trauma Therapy. I'm also recently on TikTok. I don't really have a whole lot going on there yet. But my intern convinced me to start and tell I love some TikTok. Right. Okay. That's what she said. She said that's the way to go. So I, but I've been on Instagram for a little bit longer, so there's more interesting things on there right now.

And you can go to my website, wild Flowers therapy group.com.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. Sounds good. But thank you so much for coming on the podcast, Jacqueline. This has been great. Yeah, thank you so much for having me. It's

Jaclyn Sappah: been wonderful chatting.

Chris McDonald: That brings us to the end of another episode. Be sure to tune in next Wednesday when another episode drops therapists if you've been unsure about where to start with bringing yoga into your therapy room and are looking for more individualized support.

Learn more at HC podcast.org/yoga consultation. That's HC podcast.org/yoga consultation. I'd love to support you on this journey. 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.