The role of Yoga in Psychological Therapy

Yoga-based interventions are increasingly being explored as part of a broader approach to mental health care. The evidence base for their use in anxiety is substantial and, more recently, has extended to clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders. This half-day research event, organised by the Yoga Researcher Network at the University of Westminster and supported by The Minded Institute and Yoga in Healthcare Alliance (YiHA), brings together renowned researchers and field experts to examine the scientific and clinical rationale for yoga in psychological therapy settings.

Central to this exploration is what the evidence reveals and how it might inform the inclusion of yoga in the treatment of anxiety disorders, a question that is both pressing and timely. In the UK, there is a live and growing movement to update the clinical guidelines for Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder, which have not been substantively revised since 2011 and currently recommend only two forms of therapy, with CBT as the predominant treatment pathway. This movement, backed by over 70 organisations and parliamentarians from across all major parties, reflects a broad consensus that the current guidance is too narrow and that the case for a wider range of therapeutic approaches deserves serious consideration.

The discussions will address how yoga and CBT might enrich one other for improved therapeutic outcomes; what the current evidence tells us; how that evidence might inform future policy guidance and the training of psychological therapists; where the most important gaps in research lie; and what needs to be done next.

Register here

Speakers

• Dr Sat Bir Khalsa, Faculty of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, USA, lead researcher on the landmark JAMA Psychiatry randomised controlled trial comparing Kundalini Yoga and CBT for Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
• Professor Melissa O'Shea, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia, whose research examines the integration of yoga within psychological therapy and who has been active in efforts to have yoga reflected in clinical guidelines in Australia.
• Dr Alison Bennetts, University of Southampton, UK (TBC), Clinical Psychologist and researcher whose work investigates the mechanisms by which yoga yields psychological change and the relationship between yoga and talking therapies.
• Kelsey Wiemer, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK. CBT therapist, lecturer, and yoga therapy trainee whose practice sits at the intersection of cognitive behavioural therapy and yoga-based approaches.

This event is for yoga researchers, yoga therapists/instructors, mental health professionals and policymakers. There will be time for networking.

Please note places are limited, so if you register and become unable to attend please cancel your tickets so someone else take your place.

For any questions please contact:

• Anna Cheshire [email protected]
• Tina Cartwright [email protected]