Welcome!

Supporting Mental Health Professionals in Holistic Trauma Care

Trauma recovery is complex—and requires an approach that engages the person as a whole. This site was created to help mental health professionals integrate exercise and physical activity as an adjunct trauma treatment. Here, you’ll find curated resources such as research articles, YouTube playlists, book recommendations, and tools to support clients through movement-informed healing practices.

Why Movement?

My interest in this work is deeply personal. As a survivor of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges of trauma recovery. Exercise has played a critical role in rediscovering myself, healing my trauma, and reconnecting with my body in a safe, empowering way. Originally, I began working out to develop a healthier lifestyle and lose the excessive “depression weight” I'd gained. However, throughout this experience I found that I was healing, and reclaiming my body as my own. I recognized this change when my relationship with my body started to strengthen, and the schema of my nightmares had altered. In my late teens and into earlier adulthood, I experienced intimate partner violence for several years. This experience and others left me with recurring nightmares, among other symptoms of PTSD. Along my fitness journey, I decided to find active hobbies to build upon my new lifestyle–ultimately leading me to taking boxing classes. After some time in these classes (and along with my regular workouts), I started fighting back against my abuser in my dreams. This was a first–as I’d only ever ran, and ran, and ran. Additionally, the time spent with my body in my workouts changed my perspective. I realized I’d spent years terrified to exist in the vessel I’d been given -years hating it. Yet, I never considered that it’d survived some of the worst humanity has to offer, and was still fighting for me to keep moving every single day. Needless to say, these experiences have changed my life, helped heal my bodily trauma, and have inspired my research and passion for integrating movement into trauma care. 

A Living Resource

As I continue my doctoral research and grow in my clinical and academic journey, this website will grow with me. I’ll be regularly adding new findings, updated resources, and emerging insights to reflect the evolving landscape of trauma-informed care and mind-body integration. Think of this as a living, growing resource—one that stays current, curious, and committed to the needs of both mental health professionals and clients.