"The difference between feeling better and getting better."

There’s a growing trend in mental health circles where anything that feels soothing gets labeled as “trauma healing.” Trauma-informed yoga is one of the biggest culprits. And while stretching and deep breathing have their place, let’s be honest—you’re not going to yoga-pose your way out of PTSD.

I don’t say that to mock people who’ve found relief through movement or mindfulness. But I do say it as a therapist who treats trauma with evidence-based interventions, not improvisational wellness routines dressed up as therapy. Trauma is complex. It affects how people think, behave, attach, and regulate emotion. And real trauma work—the kind that helps people change—requires more than soft music and breathing cues.

Yet, in some circles, trauma-informed yoga is sold as if it’s the cure. It's often bundled alongside other "modalities" like forest screaming, ecstatic dance, horse whispering, and whatever other retreat fad happens to trend that week. These practices are marketed under the seductive promise of “healing your inner child” or “releasing trauma from the body.” But here’s the problem: they’re not trauma treatment.

At best, these are adjuncts—ways to self-soothe or re-engage with one’s body in a non-threatening way. And yes, body awareness matters. Trauma often leaves people disconnected from their physical experience. But helping someone feel their feet on the ground is not the same thing as resolving what happened in childhood, combat, or abuse.

Let’s be clear:

Feeling better isn’t the same as getting better.

Clinical trauma recovery takes structure. It takes commitment. And it often takes discomfort—sitting with memories, learning to reframe them, practicing new behaviors, and staying the course when it's easier to withdraw.

Here’s what actually treats trauma:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Prolonged Exposure Therapy

• EMDR

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

These methods have been studied, tested, and refined. They’re not sexy. They don’t involve incense or guided stretching. But they work.

Now, if a client tells me that yoga helps them feel more grounded or less anxious before sessions, great. That’s useful. But when it gets promoted as a standalone trauma solution, it sends a dangerous message: You can skip the hard work of therapy and just stretch it out.

Trauma survivors deserve more than that. They deserve real change. And real change comes from treatment—not trends.

If you're ready to get serious about your healing—not just feeling better in the moment, but actually changing how your trauma shows up in your life—then it's time for real therapy.