Joanne Spence

B.S.W. M.A. Certified Yoga Therapist

Welcome to my website. I am so glad you stopped by. Mine is an unlikely story. If my offerings look surprisingly simple, it is because they are - I'd like to share how gentle movement and breathing practices have changed my life physically, mentally, and spiritually. I would like to show you how yoga and contemplative practices can be part of your everyday life. I sometimes call my practices my non-drug intervention! If you have a history of - or current challenges with - trauma, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, ADHD, or insomnia, let me show you how yoga can help heal your body and unwind your mind in simple, practical ways that are accessible to anyone who can breathe (read - you do NOT have to be flexible to do yoga - not my yoga, anyway; I promise). If you would like to know why I do this and the details of how it has changed my life, you can read more in the "Backstory."

Backstory

Books

My areas of expertise: trauma, chronic pain, ADHD, depression, anxiety and insomnia,

contemplative Christian spirituality.

Adults of all abilities

Children from age 5 of all abilities

Books, Articles, Chapters

My new book:

Trauma-Informed Yoga: A Toolbox for Therapists

47 Simple Practices to Calm, Balance, and Restore the Nervous System (in press), PESI Feb 2021

Books I have contributed to:

Best Practices for Yoga in Schools, 2015. Atlanta: YSC-Omega Publications.

Stories from School Yoga: Narratives from the Field, 2019. Albany: SUNY Press.

Yoga Playgrounds: Yoga Power Curriculum

Articles:

Australian Social Work,

Social work and yoga: The evolution of practice from talking to moving

Journal of Yoga Service, 1(1): 53-59

Yoga in Schools: Some Guidelines for the Delivery of District-Wide Yoga Education.

The Arts in Psychotherapy Journal, 40(3): 347-351.

The Impact of Breathing and Music Interventions on Stress Levels of Patients and Visitors in a Psychiatric Emergency Room.

Resources

Amy Weintraub - founder of LifeForce Yoga

Kristine Webber - founder of Subtle Yoga

Jill Miller - founder of Yoga Tune-Up Fitness

Contact Me

When you call/email/text for an appointment, you will get a real live caring person - me! If I am with a client, simply leave me a message and I will get back to you within 2 business days. I am also available for coaching via Skype, FaceTime, Face Book Messenger.

6818 Simonton Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15208

Tel: 1-412-287-4591