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Certification in
TCTSY Trauma Sensitive Yoga

Get certified in the original trauma sensitive yoga model — from anywhere in the world.


Approved for 26.5 CECs for social workers with ASWB.
Approved as a 300-hour training with Yoga Alliance.

También se ofrece completamente en español aquí.

Certification in
TCTSY Trauma Sensitive Yoga

Get certified in the original trauma sensitive yoga model — from anywhere in the world.


Approved for 26.5 CECs for social workers with ASWB.
Approved as a 300-hour training with Yoga Alliance.

También se ofrece completamente en español aquí.

Learn TCTSY. Help Survivors Heal.


Our 300-hour Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) Online Certification Program empowers trainees to transform complex trauma and PTSD through a bottom-up approach to healing. Developed over 20 years of research by the Center for Trauma and Embodiment, TCTSY is a global care model, applicable in various contexts, with proven results.

Our next certification program will run from September 2025 - March 2026.
Applications will be accepted from January 15th through August 15th, 2025.

Who is this for?

Certified yoga teachers and therapists, social workers, mental health professionals, health care providers, bodyworkers and massage therapists, community leaders and educators, and those interested in becoming a certified trauma care provider by utilizing a scientifically-validated, body-based treatment intervention.

How does it work?

The program is delivered completely online, comprising recorded seminars and practice sessions, required readings, bi-weekly writing assignments, plus self-study and partner work from September to March, with a two week break over the winter holidays. While this is not a self-paced course, it is delivered in a largely asynchronous, non-interactive format.

What will I learn?

With the close support of a Program Mentor and peers, participants will gain an in-depth understanding of trauma, attachment theory, neuroscience, intersectionality, & key yogic concepts, along with intensive study of the proprietary TCTSY methodology, including the research behind it and how to build, cultivate, and sustain a TCTSY program in any setting of their choice

Join a global community of professionals.

“Beyond learning how to offer a practice of healing for those processing trauma, the TCTSY certification program and ongoing education altered how I experience the world. For me, every touchpoint with CFTE at JRI has been an excellent experience provided by ethical individuals constantly striving to know better and do better. This program showed me a different way to teach yoga and a new use of language for all facets of my life. It's powerful.
2023 trainee
 
 
Hear from TCTSY Facilitator Dr. Desmonette Hazly, from Los Angeles, who works with chronically ill trauma survivors.
Hear from TCTSY Facilitator Clare Pritchard, from Australia, who works with sexual assault survivors.
 How to Apply:


Submit your application via the button below. All applications undergo a review process and you will be notified of your applicant status within 7-14 days. Your first program payment will be required within 14 days of acceptance. 
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all cohorts are full. Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

To inquire about accessibility accommodations or other questions regarding the course or application process, please email the Certification Program Coordinator here

Applications for 2025-26 are now closed.


Please note:
The TCTSY Certification Program is a professional and educational training, and is not meant to be used for personal healing.

The program requires participants to review and reflect deeply on trauma-related material throughout the length of the program. We encourage interested applicants to reflect on their degree of readiness to engage with this ongoing exposure to trauma material.

Why TCTSY? It's the Original Yoga for Trauma.

Trauma is hard to heal. Effective treatment needs to reach beyond talk-based therapies. TCTSY is the first and only scientifically-validated, yoga-based clinical intervention for complex trauma and PTSD. It blends decades of original research with contemporary perspectives on equity, intersectionality, and complex trauma care, and centers the body in the healing process.


A 2024 systematic review of 988 studies found that TCTSY is one of the top two interventions for PTSD (Campbell, et al.), alongside CPT (cognitive processing therapy), the gold standard for PTSD treatment. Our 2014 study established the evidence-basis for TCTSY as well as the foundations for all trauma sensitive yoga models to follow (Emerson, et al.). View our research here.

In 2024, over 40,000 people around the world used TCTSY as an effective, body-based treatment for trauma. There are almost 1,000 actively certified facilitators in more than 50 countries, territories, and First Nations. TCTSY is also a culturally adaptable intervention for trauma. It is used by refugees in Lebanon and the West Bank, First Nations folks in North America, American veterans, justice-involved male youth, adolescents in foster care, SA and DV survivors, and many others dealing with the complexities of trauma in its various forms.

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Certification Program Staff


Learn alongside an international team of Program Mentors—and practiced
 TCTSY Facilitators—with decades of experience in trauma, yoga, embodiment, & social justice.
Sydney Spears, PhD, LCSW

Licensed Social Work Consultant & CFTE Leadership Team Member

Jenn Turner, LMHC, TCTSY-F

TCTSY Co-Founder &
CFTE Executive Director

Krystal Peréz, AMFT, TCTSY-F

TCTSY Certification Program
Coordinator

Karen Schwartz, LMSW, C-IAYT

Social Work Planner &
CFTE Director of Operations

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Candidate Eligibility


To be eligible for the certification program
, applicants must be: certified yoga professionals; mental health or health care professionals; bodyworkers and licensed massage therapists; community providers working with individuals and communities that have experienced trauma; or any combination of the above. Additionally, movement practitioners working with trauma survivors or marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.

Best suited candidates who are yoga professionals will have a vibrant intellectual curiosity regarding trauma theory and experience practicing and teaching yoga. This will provide critical subjective and intuitive insight into the place of yoga in a healing milieu. These candidates will learn to bring TCTSY into their Yoga Scope of Practice.

Best suited candidates who are mental health or health care professionals will be grounded in trauma theory and have experience in their milieu treating patients with complex trauma. These clinicians will have the opportunity to make TCTSY an active part of their clinical or direct care practice while honoring their clinical scope of practice.

Best suited candidates who are community providers working with engaged with individuals or communities who have experienced trauma will bring their skills and understanding, a desire to expand their knowledge about trauma theory, and a current application for TCTSY in their community. These professionals will develop ways to include TCTSY in their work and environments.

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Training Prerequisites


All applicants must complete a 
Foundations in TCTSY Trauma Sensitive Yoga training with one of our licensed global trainers, regardless of background experience with trauma or yoga.

 

Our 20-hour Foundations in TCTSY Trauma Sensitive Yoga training is an introduction to the core concepts and applications of this global treatment model. Foundational Trainings are offered around the world, in person or online, and in multiple languages.  

Applications to the Certification Program may be submitted prior to completion of the 20-hour training — however they will be held for review on our waitlist until the Foundational Training is complete.

 

Learn More About Our Foundational Trainings

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Course Delivery


The program is delivered online in asynchronous format, although it is not self-paced. Each module is released weekly to ensure concurrent content delivery and appropriate time to study and integrate course materials.


We use Kajabi’s learning management system to host the course. Access to a computer or mobile device running its latest software is required.

Learning Objectives

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Program Structure


Dates & Time Commitment

The TCTSY Certification Program begins early September and concludes at the end of March; approximately 28 weeks, with a break mid-December to early January. Participants can estimate a commitment of 12 hours per week for this certification program to complete assignments and review materials. The required time may vary based on content and individual learning style.

Peer Support & Mentorship

TCTSY is based on the importance of safe and supportive relationships. During the certification program, you will be paired with one to three other students to get peer-to-peer support and learning. Interdisciplinary partnerships allow for an expansion of knowledge across disciplines. Student peer groups will be assigned a program mentor. You will meet with your group for one hour each week and your mentor will join your meeting for approximately 20 minutes every other week.

Each participant will receive three hours of individual mentorship.

Course Materials & Assignments

Each module comprises required and optional readings plus recorded seminars (45-75 minutes) on the weekly topic. Short, bi-weekly writing assignments predominate from September through December. The program shifts to a practicum focus from January through March.

Live weekly TCTSY practices plus topical discussions facilitated by program mentors on Saturdays at 12PM EST and 6PM EST. You are required to attend one of these weekly meetings live, or to view the recording of the meeting when it becomes available.

Beginning in January, students record (8) 10-minute TCTSY facilitation videos and share them with their mentor as the basis for continued learning. Videos are of students facilitating alone via their device or with a friend or family member, strictly as practice.

A special project is required and is due by mid-March (topic TBD by student and their mentor).

All recorded course materials have been created within the past 1-2 years, with the exception of the practice and discussion sessions which are recorded weekly. 50% of required readings have been published within the past 5 years.

Students will be asked to purchase and read “Trauma and Recovery” by Judith Herman and “Trauma Stewardship” by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky & Connie Burk. All other required readings will be provided.

Certificate of Completion

100% of the course must be completed in order to receive your certificate.

Certificates are issued via the course learning platform.

Certificates are issued in March if all requirements have been satisfied.

Test Requirements

Those seeking ASWB or social work continuing education credit need to complete a post-test comprised of 132 questions. A passing score of 70% or higher is required. The test may be repeated as needed until June 15th of the course completion year.

Completion of the post-test is not required for non-CE seeking participants.

 

 

Curriculum

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Regional Availability


The program is structured into four time-zone and language-based cohorts: North America, Europe, Australasia, and Spanish-Speaking.

Students are asked to choose which cohort works best for them based on their location or time-zone. These cohorts are not exclusive to applicants from the regions. It is more about organizing students in terms of timezone and language than by region.

Language Support


While we can provide video captions in multiple languages, you must have proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking English for participation in the North American, European, and Australasian training cohorts.

That said, there are Program Mentors who can support German, Dutch, Italian, French, Danish, and Chinese language speakers. Please indicate in your application if you prefer one of these languages in addition to English. We also offer a concurrent Spanish-language program.

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Continuing Education Credits


Association of Social Work Boards (United States)

The Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) 300-Hour Certification Program, course #1971, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by Center for Trauma and Embodiment as an individual course. Individual courses, not providers, are approved at the course level. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: March 1, 2025 - February 28, 2027. Social workers completing this course receive 26.5 continuing education credits. 

The course modules for ACE credit are as follows: Trauma Theory; Intersectionality, Oppression & Embodiment; Self-Care; Neuroscience and Interoception Parts I & 2; Attachment Theory; Trauma, Memory, and Parts of Self; Dosage & Titration.

For an overview of ACE credit modules and required readings, please see the syllabus here.

Yoga Alliance (United States)

We are a Yoga Alliance approved 300-hour school. Graduates who have their RYT-200 designation can use our program to upgrade to RYT-500 status. Graduates who attain an RYT-200 designation after they complete the TCTSY Certification can apply for the RYT upgrade retroactively as long as they are actively certified in TCTSY at the time they apply. Please review the After Graduation section below for more information on maintaining your certification.

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Costs, Scholarships, & Financial Policy

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After Certification: Continuing Your Journey

 

Becoming a TCTSY Facilitator is the start of an ongoing journey. You are invited to join a global movement of practitioners committed to bringing body-based trauma care to diverse contexts of healing. As an evidence-based treatment model, TCTSY sets global standards in trauma care and affirms your professional role within the field.

Graduating gives you two years of full access to our community hub, the Facilitator Portal. This space supports your practice and professional growth with: free monthly seminars, live or recorded TCTSY sessions for self-care, ready-to-use outreach materials, and opportunities to join peer-reflection groups. You’ll also receive a free annual consultation with a senior mentor, keeping you supported every step of the way.

 

Benefits of Renewal

  • Professional Visibility: Be featured on the TCTSY website, reaching over 100,000 annual visitors seeking trauma-sensitive yoga worldwide.

  • Credibility: Renewal affirms your place in an evidence-based clinical model and demonstrates your commitment to the highest standards of trauma-informed care.

  • Ongoing Learning: Access free monthly seminars on trauma, mental health, yoga philosophy, intersectionality, research, neuroscience, and more—keeping your knowledge current and evidence-based.

  • Exclusive Resources: Share our half-day training module in your community with no revenue-sharing requirements.

  • Global Connection: Join peer reflection groups and connect with facilitators worldwide through our online community.

  • Mentorship: Receive a free consultation with a senior mentor every renewal cycle, plus access to ongoing mentorship programs that deepen your professional growth.

  • Practitioner Care: Participate in live and recorded TCTSY- practices designed to support your own wellbeing.

 

Steps to Stay Certified

 

TCTSY is a clinically validated, body-based model for trauma care, grounded in over 23 years of research and practiced in clinical, community, and yoga settings around the world. Renewal keeps you aligned with this evolving field and demonstrates your commitment to best practices and continued learning. It also deepens your expertise in supporting people impacted by trauma while connecting you to a global network of colleagues dedicated to integrity and care.

To maintain your certification as a TCTSY Facilitator, beginning two years after graduation, you will complete each year:

  • Continuing Education: 13.5 hours of trauma-related CEUs

  • Annual Contribution: Sliding scale from $0–150 USD, adjusted by country to ensure more equity in access

  • Commitment to Practice: Adherence to our Ways of Being (Code of Conduct)

  • Mentorship: One free 45-minute consultation with a senior mentor (optional)

We make these requirements as accessible as possible: our free monthly seminars (live or recorded) count toward CEUs, and you may also apply hours from outside trauma-related training or our annual Conference on Trauma & Embodiment.

For any questions about this process, please contact our Recertification Coordinator at [email protected]

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Frequently Asked Questions 

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