Trauma Informed Yoga: Yoga Therapy for Mental Health with Ghada Osman, PhD, LMFT, PYT, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT

with Ghada Osman, PhD, LMFT, PYT, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT

This yoga therapy for mental health course has been designated by the International Association of Yoga Therapists as an Approved Professional Development course offering 45 CE credits. It is also approved for CE units for Florida LMFTs, LCSWs, and MHCs, and for California LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs.

The 100-hour certification course is open to all certified yoga teachers, as well as AUM’s enrolled Yoga Therapy students and those who have taken the 40-hour training in the past.

For participant convenience, this course has been moved entirely to an online Zoom format. Save on travel costs and earn approved recertification hours from the comfort of your home while still participating in a thorough in-depth training now in its 12th year! 2025 will probably be the last year that this course will be offered on-line.

Days one and two are included as part of AUM’s Clinical Yoga Therapy and Bridge Programs; enrolled students receive discounted tuition for the Basic or Advanced Certification.

To order Ghada’s 4-hour Yoga for Stress & Anxiety Relief recording, click here! A donation is made to the Shala for each purchase that includes us a referral.

Choose from two certification options:

• Basic Certification: 40-hour certification; includes onsite instruction and independent online study
• Advanced Certification: 100-hour certification; includes onsite instruction, independent online study, and practical application

Students who completed the 40-Hour Basic Certification in 2016, 2017, or 2018 may count those hours towards the 100-Hour Advanced Certification.

This in-depth training with Ghada Osman, a Harvard-educated PhD, psychotherapist, yoga therapist, and yoga teacher, offers a comprehensive understanding of how yoga can effect positive change across a wide spectrum of mental health challenges and disorders. The course includes 6 hours of in-person or online practicum experience that must be gained at a time that Dr. Osman specifies (TBD), and another 6 hours of in-person or online practicum experience that must be gained  at a time that Dr. Osman specifies (TBD). Content areas include:

• Understanding the philosophy and science behind yoga’s effect on mental health
• Overview of mental health conditions, the role of the therapist, and the models of human development as they relate to psychological well-being
• Assessing a client’s readiness for working with therapeutic yoga
• Breaking down the components of yoga therapy into asana, pranayama, mudras, bandhas, dhyana, and developing witness consciousness
• Applying a straightforward, yet comprehensive three-pronged approach to working with yoga for mental health
• Developing and applying protocols to work with clients experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety disorders, trauma, PTSD, ADHD, addiction, eating disorders, and body image.

We offer free pre-recorded Zoom sessions for the benefit of Parkinson’s patients, their caregivers, and yoga teachers wishing to learn more about yoga for mental health, including the psychological aspects of a Parkinson’s diagnosis. Email us to find out more.

View Ghada’s full training on “Emotional Health Matters: Incorporating Practices for Mental Health Symptoms in Practices for Parkinson’s Patients” via YouTube.

“This is a comprehensive, life-changing training that every yoga therapist and yoga teacher should pursue as part of their personal and professional growth.”
—R. C.

Please note: This course is limited to 16 students.

2025 Dates

• Two-day Basic Course: Friday–Saturday, Therapeutic Benefits of Yoga for Mental Health Certification Course, February 14-15, 2025: 8:30 am–5:30 pm (EST)
• For AUM yoga therapy students: The two-day certification course is required for students enrolled in both the Foundation and the Bridge Program, or the 300/500 hour Yoga Teacher Training program.
• 40-Hour Certification: Sunday-Monday, February 16-17, 2025: 8:30 am–5:30 pm (EST)
• Advanced 100-Hour Certification: Saturday–Monday, February 21-23, 2025. (EST) Contact us for details.

Ghada Osman, PhD, LMFT, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is a licensed psychotherapist, yoga teacher, yoga therapist and AFAA-certified aerobics instructor who has worked with a wide range of populations, from college students to hospice patients. In her private practice, her specialties include helping clients work with anxiety and depressive disorders, eating disorders, trauma, grief and loss, and chronic/ serious physical illness. Ghada is certified as a yoga therapist by the International Association of Yoga Therapy, and completed her 500-hour yoga teacher training at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. A Professor Emerita at San Diego State University, she holds a doctorate degree from Harvard University and a Master’s in psychology from Chapman University. Dr. Osman is the author of Mental and Emotional Healing for Yoga: A Guiding Framework for Therapists and Their Clients, available on Amazon.

What Students are Saying

“The program itself, the curriculum, and the delivery were all excellent. I wish it could be a required course for all yoga therapists…. I was impressed with the content, but I especially enjoyed the way you presented it and challenged us to teach it bit by bit. Instead of just talking at us, you had us experience all of it. The experiential learning was powerful. And throughout, you were mindful about keeping us safe and grounded as we discussed difficult topics.” B.T.

“This course was incredible and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to take it. The course expanded and deepened my existing knowledge of mental health and yoga while teaching me an extensive amount of new information which will allow me to better serve the people with whom I work.” —H.S.

“[Ghada] was very knowledgeable and that was clear. But she was also great at communicating that knowledge. And helping us implement that into our own teaching. Some teachers you can tell know their stuff but aren’t great at relaying that knowledge but this wasn’t the case for her.” —J. M.

“I loved how it redefined what yoga therapy’s focus is for mental health, shifting from the model of fixing a problem and having a solution to building awareness and empowering the client. Ghada gave very clear reasons why and guidance on how to create the conditions for this shift.” —A. F.

“This course is one of the best courses I have taken. It offers tools to work with a variety of demographics. The tools translate to general population, group classes and also individuals.” —G. G.

“This was well designed for online.” —C. K.

“I appreciate that there is always dialogue about the schedule and activities and we are consulted on how we will best be able to use our time, including breaks. It felt like a great flow this weekend.” —A. F.

“This was my second time taking the course. … I knew the course was going to be good, but I didn’t know how it would translate in Zoom. It was great, it had a good flow. The transition between the PowerPoint, group work, and practice time was helpful to keep the group engaged and present.” —G. G.

“Ghada is extremely knowledgeable in her field. The answers she gives to our questions are clear and insightful. There are numerous concepts that we take for granted as teachers and just assume our students might know or understand. She really allows us to think in terms of the person being treated and exactly what they are going through and their feelings.” —A. P.

“The 100-hour extended course is a must for anyone working in the mental health field and also yoga teachers with private clientele. Dr. Ghada’s training is based on research and years of experience working as a psychotherapy and yoga therapist. … She is not only knowledgeable in mental health conditions, but her hands-on experience really shows in the depth of her answers.” —G. G.

“I loved how thoughtful Ghada is, always encouraging us to ask questions, share thoughts and giving us time to take notes.” —G. B.

“Dr. Ghada offers the best of both worlds, as a psychotherapist and Yoga Therapist, she can bring both fields together and offers a clear view of the conditions and how to address them from the yoga therapy lens.” —G. G.

“Dr. Ghada Osman, like each instructor I have been taught by as a Yoga Therapy trainee at AUM Home Shala, was most gracious in sharing her vast knowledge and experience, and doing so in a most caring and compassionate manner. The quality of professional instruction offered at the Shala is absolutely second to none. I recommend it to anyone seriously considering the expansion of their yoga training!” —Nancy A.

“I highly recommend Dr. Osman’s training to all mental-health professionals eager to expand their practice to increasing mindfulness and body awareness in emotional healing among their clients.” —H. V.

“This certification has been transformative and invaluable in my line of work. Amazing opportunity!” —Carole A.

“Dr. Osman teaches in a way that is clear and applicable, and she also embodies what she teaches.”

“This is the third time that I have taken this course. The wealth of information and tools I learned have been extremely valuable in my professional practice.”

“For the first time, I was able to recognize my feelings without covering them up, and without fear.”

Tuition Structure

• 2-Day Certification Course: $900 Early Bird rate through December 31; $950 after December 31, 2024
• 4-Day Basic 40-Hour Certification: $1,650 Early Bird rate through December 31; $1,700 after December 31, 2024
• 4-Day Basic 40-Hour Certification for Enrolled Students: $1,450 Early Bird rate through December 31; $1,550 after December 31, 2024
• 7-Day Advanced 100-Hour Certification: $2,550 Early Bird rate through December 31; $2,650 after December 31, 2024
• 7-Day Advanced 100-Hour Certification for Enrolled Students: $2,300 Early Bird rate through December 31; $2,400 after December 31, 2024
• Clinical Add-on Component for students who have completed the 100-Training in the past 8 years. Add-on discount for 2024 ONLY; $250.00 
• Cancellation policy: If you cancel 3 weeks prior to the program, you will receive a full refund minus a $100 nonrefundable processing fee and a $300 course material charge in the event that you have accessed the online curriculum. If you cancel between 3 weeks and 1 week prior to the program, you will receive a refund of half the tuition, minus the $100 non-refundable processing fee and a $300 course material charge in the event that you have accessed the online curriculum. Cancellations less than 1 week prior to the program are nonrefundabl