Catherine Cook-Cottone, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist, yoga therapist, and professor at University at Buffalo, SUNY. She has written 10+ books and over 100 research articles and chapters on mindful self-care, yoga, embodiment, self-regulation, eating disorders, and trauma. She is a trauma therapist and conducts trainings internationally on trauma-informed and responsive yoga. In 2018, she was awarded the American Psychological Association's Citizen Psychologist Presidential Citation. She lives in Amherst, NY. Joanne Spence, D.Min, ERYT-500, C-IAYT is a certified yoga therapist and founder and director of Yoga in Schools. Joanne trains and teaches internationally in a range of settings, including teaching yoga in prisons, hospitals, schools, churches, and sometimes on street corners. She has more than thirty-five years of clinical experience as a mental health professional and twenty-plus years as a teacher and practitioner of yoga. She is the author of two books and book chapters. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA.
Catherine Cook-Cottone and Joanne Spence have written a marvelously useful book for yoga teachers. In any given yoga class, students arrive at the mat with a wide array of visible and less visible mental and physical health conditions - battling an eating disorder, feeling ashamed of their bodies, in the throes of an addiction, living with past trauma, having an incarcerated family member, or being diagnosed with cancer. In addition to being easy and enjoyable to read, teachers spending time with Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching will become wiser and better guides for their students. -- Rob Schware, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Give Back Yoga Foundation Dr. Cook-Cottone and Joanne Spence have made a vital contribution to the yoga profession. Trauma-informed is such a buzz term, but few people agree on what it really means. Their approach is practical, informed by decades of research, and should be essential reading in all yoga teacher and yoga therapy trainings. -- Chelsea Roff, Executive Director of Eat Breathe Thrive and Co-Executive Director of the Give Back Yoga Foundation In this meticulously crafted and insightful volume, the authors provide a comprehensive guide to effectively addressing the nuanced complexities of trauma that can manifest during the practice of yoga. Drawing upon a wealth of research, literature, and practical applications, this book seamlessly integrates the essential knowledge and practices required by yoga instructors and healthcare providers. With its attention to detail and lucid prose, this work is destined to become a seminal guide for generations of trauma-responsive care providers, offering invaluable wisdom for years to come. -- Amy Wheeler, PhD Founder, Optimal State, Past President of the Board of the International Association of Yoga Therapists As someone deeply immersed in supporting first responders to manage chronic stress and trauma, Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching is a game-changer. It's a compassionate and transformative guide, offering practical yoga that resonates with first responders and anyone who has experienced trauma. Whether you're working with first responders or others facing chronic stress, this book is packed with fantastic tools. -- Gina Rollo White, MA Mindfulness Studies, creator of Mindful Junkie, and author of forthcoming Tactical Brain Training ®; Supporting First Responders to Mindfully Navigate Chaos. This book is a lasting resource guide for trauma-centered yoga. -- Rolf E. Sovik, PsyD. Author of Moving Inward, Past President of the Himalayan International Institute This book is a gift to anyone who cares deeply about sharing yoga with any population and an incredible resource for anyone wanting to offer these tools in their own training of instructors. Cook-Cottone and Spence's approach to sharing trauma-informed and trauma-responsive yoga is easy to digest and gives tangible tools to inspire and encourage any level of instructor to implement these practices. As a facilitator of both 200 and 300 hour yoga teacher trainings, I am thrilled to have this book as a part of our programs. -- Liz Veyhl, E-RYT 500, Founder & Executive Director of Small World Yoga