Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Social Work (MSW)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

School of Social Work

Advisor/Mentor

Stauss, Kimberly

Committee Member

Gallagher, John M.

Second Committee Member

Rosa, Ananda

Keywords

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Trauma-informed yoga; University students

Abstract

Traumatic experiences affect female identifying folks at an unequal rate compared to other populations. Trauma-informed yoga (TIY) has become a popular intervention for treatment of symptoms related to trauma. By utilizing tenets such as meditation, intentional movement, and trauma-informed language and positioning, this practice focuses on the mind-body-connection to establish feelings of safety. Although trauma education and interventions are becoming commonly implemented on college campuses, there is a gap in implementation and empirical studies evaluating such campus programs. To explore how TIY could aid this population, a four-week yoga intervention was created. Four participants engaged in a weekly TIY class taught by a certified instructor. A pre- and post- test assessment was administered to measure participants' trauma symptoms. Participants shared their thoughts on the intervention through semi-structured interviews at the end of the study. Although quantitative findings were not significant, data showed promise towards the effectiveness of similar future interventions with a larger sample size. Additionally, qualitative data suggests that participants experienced an increase in mind-body-connection, increased feelings of safety, and increased sense of community. Research limitations, suggestions for future implementation of TIY, and practice implications are also discussed.

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