YogaHope is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing rehabilitative trauma-informed mind-body programming to women across the globe. YogaHope strives to lead women toward empowerment and recovery by cultivating mindfulness through yoga, meditation and non-judgmental self-inquiry. Already, hundreds of women have experienced the benefits of YogaHope’s Trauma Informed Mind Body (TIMBo) program, and are starting to heal themselves through personal empowerment.
The TIMBo program is the foundation of YogaHope’s work. TIMBo was developed specifically for women who have experienced trauma, chronic trauma, addiction and/or abuse. The program offers participants the tools to address the psycho-social, emotional, and physiological root causes of trauma and stress, and enables them to start the healing process and to improve their natural emotional regulation. The program is empirically based, trauma-informed, and gender-responsive, and utilizes the strengths of female survivors of trauma. Using mindfulness techniques that have proven effective in addressing emotional regulation and distress tolerance, TIMBo is simple, accessible and on the cutting-edge of trauma care.
Since the first TIMBo training in January 2012, we have witnessed profound healing and empowerment in diverse groups of women including social workers, Haitian community members, teachers, women in prison, stay-at-home mothers. It is though a recognition of common experience that women realize the potential for positive change, and by tapping into their roles as nurturers and caregivers they create transformation in their own lives and in their communities.
The yogaHOPE Trauma Informed Mind Body Program (TIMBo) was designed specifically for women and strategically addresses the effects of stress and trauma on the body and the mind. Join us in creating a community of certified facilitators who will become leaders in this movement.
We believe that women are the change makers in society. We believe that oppressed, disenfranchised, underserved and traumatized women have the potential to be healed, empowered and serve as leaders and teachers within their communities. We believe that these women can change the world.
Research and Evaluation
Evaluation is a critical component of determining the effectiveness in meeting the goals of the TIMBo program. Program activities are incorporated into a formal review process conducted by an independent evaluation team. This evaluation process includes mechanisms to measure the impact and the effectiveness of the overall program, and the eventual longer-term impact on the women that participate, and their surrounding communities. The aim is to have the evaluation contribute to yogaHope’s efforts to help bring the healing power of mindfulness training to women in recovery.
Publications
Rousseau. D., & Jackson, E. (2013). Promoting resilience through yoga: Profiling the implementation of trauma-informed integrative mindfulness programming in post-earthquake Haiti. Journal of Yoga Service. 1(1) 38-46.
Other Research
Rousseau, D., & Jackson, E., (2012). TIMBo Implementation in a Women’s Correctional Facility – MCI Framingham Pilot. Research Brief.
Jackson, E., & Rousseau, D. (2012). TIMBo Implementation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Research Brief.
Upcoming Accepted Presentations
Jackson, E., Rousseau, D., Jones, S. &, Rose, A. Resilience from Trauma: Examination of a gender-responsive trauma-informed mind-body program among female inmates. American Public Health Association. Nov. 2013, Boston, MA.
Jackson, E., Rousseau, D., Jones, S., & Rose, A. Resilience from Trauma: Examination of a gender-responsive trauma-informed mind-body program in Haiti. American Public Health Association. Nov. 2013, Boston, MA.
Rousseau, D., Jackson, E., & Jones, S. “yogaHOPE: Providing gender-responsive, trauma-informed integrative mindfulness programming addressing traumatic stress in under-served populations.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting. Nov. 2013, Atlanta, GA.
Completed Presentations
Rousseau, D., & Jackson, E. “Mindfulness as a tool for traumatic recovery: Examination of a gender-responsive trauma-informed integrative mindfulness program for female inmates.” Poster presentation, published abstract. Symposium on Yoga Research. June 2013, Newton, MA.
Rousseau, D. “yogaHOPE: Yoga Based Mindfulness Programs for Women Trauma Survivors.” Poster presentation. Yoga Service Council. June 2013, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY.
Rousseau, D., & Jackson, E. “Mindfulness and Resilience: Examination of a Trauma Informed, Integrative Mindfulness Program as Implemented in Haiti.” Conference on Haitian Mental Health. May 2013, Newton, MA.
Rousseau, D., Wick, K., & Jackson, E. “Helping women heal: trauma informed responses to gender-based violence.” Gender-Based Violence, Advocacy, and Equitable Access, Society for Applied Anthropology. March 2013, Denver, CO.
Jones, S.E., & Rousseau, D. “Holistic trauma informed care: Examination of the yogaHOPE Trauma Informed Mind Body (TIMBo) Program.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting. November 2011, Washington, DC.