Marie is a 60-year-old woman referred by her therapist for help in managing her depressive symptoms. She told me her symptoms started in high school. She immigrated to the U.S. in her 20s and has been treated on and off with a combination of therapy and antidepressant medication.

She currently holds an academic appointment at a university where she teaches biology. She is married and has two children. For as long as she can remember, she has suffered from traumatic experiences. Her parents had high expectations and threatened that she would end up as a physical laborer if she did not perform well in school, and she was often spanked with a belt if her grades were unacceptable.

When she immigrated to the U.S. as a student, she was involved in a series of abusive romantic relationships. In graduate school and currently, in her job, she feels persecuted and unappreciated. She describes her husband as verbally abusive.

Despite a good response to an antidepressant, Marie continued to have depressive symptoms and conflictual relationships. That was until I saw her today. The change has been remarkable despite no changes in medication. She told me she did not think she was getting anything out of her regular therapy, so she investigated an alternative mode of treatment: yoga therapy.

She has only had a handful of appointments with the yoga therapist, yet she feels the best she has in years. Her mood is excellent. And her relationships at home and at work have greatly improved. I must admit, I am very impressed.

According to the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), yoga therapy is "the professional application of the principles and practices of yoga to promote health and well-being within a therapeutic relationship that includes personalized assessment, goal setting, lifestyle management, and yoga practices."

Yoga Class Versus Yoga Therapy

Although yoga is therapeutic, differences exist between a yoga teacher and a yoga therapist and between a yoga class and a yoga therapy session. Yoga provides the tools for a process of........

© Psychology Today