Updated: 7/23
I am accepting new clients for online individual yoga therapy beginning in September, 2023, with daytime and evening openings. Please contact me at amyehunt225@gmail.com for more information, or consider signing up for the in-person group option beginning October 2023 in San. Mateo.
Individual yoga therapy is an approach to mental health and well being that draws from traditional yoga and meditation practices to promote agency, positive outlook, physical health, clarity, focus, and emotional regulation, as well as to ease mental, emotional, and physical suffering.
The goal of individual yoga therapy is to put the capacity for growth, balance, and health into your own hands. Together we develop practices that promote well being throughout your life. This is the aim for all who enter into yoga therapy. Yoga therapy can also be specifically tailored to alleviate the suffering associated with many mental and physical ailments.
Although I am trained to help people with a number of physical and mental health conditions, my areas of specialization for individual therapy are depression, anxiety, and stress in adults and young adults. I also work with those suffering from trauma/PTSD, migraine/headaches, post-CoVid recovery, post- cardiac event recovery, and difficult life transitions, including post-natal depression, menopause, divorce, online learning/ work challenges, loss, and grief.
How long are sessions? One-to-one sessions usually last 60 minutes, though the first session is 75-90 minutes.
How often would I have a session? Most people find that once a week works well. After each session you’ll have a new technique to practice at home, so it’s best to have at least a week between sessions.
How many sessions would I have? The minimum number of sessions I recommend is 3. Sometimes people with stress see me for 3 sessions in a row and then ask for a session every now and then when they are feeling overwhelmed, have a flare up, or lose motivation to practice. Three sessions also works well for people who are experiencing temporary grief or loss. Most people find 5-8 sessions to be about right. Those with mild anxiety and depression, as well those who are managing heart disease, can find some relief in that time and learn the tools they need to manage their condition. If you are recovering from trauma, an eating disorder, or PTSD, or if you are managing a condition like cancer, HIV, lasting effects of CoVid, cardiac event recovery, or autoimmune disease, then it’s likely that you will book sessions for a few months.
In many cases, people doing private sessions can also benefit greatly from attending the group classes or doing the 8-week course or both. Some people start out in private sessions and then transition to the group class to maintain their practice.
Is yoga therapy only for those who are suffering or unwell? No, not at all. Some people don’t have a mental or physical health condition but just want to feel more embodied, experience more joy, discover more about themselves. Doing 3 to 5 sessions can be a great way to recharge, to find new direction, or to come home to oneself.
Does yoga therapy replace medical treatment? No, not at all. In fact, many of the people I see have been referred to me by a physiotherapist, a psychotherapist, or a physician. Some of my clients are on medication for their condition and/or following a course of treatment by another provider. Yoga therapy is a holistic therapy that works on physiological and neural pathways that not only won’t interfere with your other treatment but will likely improve your ability to heal from or manage your condition and increase your quality of life. It’s an ideal complementary therapy. I have worked with clients recovering from heart disease who are on beta blockers, people with depression taking SSRIs, those with anxiety who also see a psychotherapist, those with trauma who are seeing a psychiatrist and doing EMDR, etc. That being said, yoga therapy has the potential in many cases to reduce the amount of time and money spent on acute medical care by improving overall health and encouraging preventative practices.
As a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), I am trained to work within the US health care paradigm. In some countries, like the UK, yoga therapy can even be prescribed by physicians for conditions like diabetes and depression. Many C-IAYT therapists work in hospitals and clinics.
If you’re in doubt, contact your medical provider about the benefits and risks of yoga therapy for your condition. I’d be happy to provide more information to you and your doctor about the specific breath and movement practices we would do.
What can I expect the sessions to be like? In the first session we’ll discuss what brought you to yoga therapy, do a few breath and movement practices, and set therapeutic goals. In subsequent sessions we’ll review your response to the week’s practice, do movement and breath exercises, then set a new practice related to your goals.
Each week you will have a daily practice to do, which we will set together based on your goals, as well as available time and energy.
What will I need? You’ll need comfortable clothes that aren’t too loose. In most cases you’ll do the session in bare feet, but socks with grips are OK. You can bring a water bottle if you like. I have mats and props, so you won’t need to bring them.
If you are seeing me on Zoom, please have a mat, two blankets, a yoga bolster (or a couch cushion) and a firm chair available.
Amy Hunt Yoga 