Research library
Backed by science. Made for people.
TCTSY has one of the strongest evidence bases of any yoga-based intervention in the field. The research spans more than 20 years, covers multiple populations and settings, and includes a landmark 2023 randomized controlled trial published in JAMA Network Open. Every study in this library is freely accessible — no paywall, no request form, no abstract-only access. CFTE purchases full access to its research so the people doing this work can actually read it.
40+
Publications
Peer-reviewed studies,
journals & dissertations
since 2009
2023
Jama Network Open
Landmark RCT published
in one of the world's leading
clinical journals
20+
YEARS OF RESEARCH
Engaged with
CFTE care models
annually worldwide
12+
STUDIEs
Finding body-based interventions as effective as or more effective than traditional talk therapy
LANDMARKÂ STUDIES
Two studies that changed the conversation.
2023 · JAMA Network Open · Randomized Controlled Trial
As effective as CPT — with significantly higher retention.
A randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open found that TCTSY produced symptom improvement equivalent to Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD — with one additional finding that matters clinically: participants were significantly more likely to stay in TCTSY than in the talk-based alternative. Efficacy is important. Retention is what makes efficacy meaningful.
2024 · Campbell et al. · Journal of Traumatic Stress
Ranked alongside the gold standard for PTSD treatment.
In the largest systematic review of yoga-based PTSD interventions ever conducted — 988 studies evaluated — TCTSY ranked alongside Cognitive Processing Therapy as one of the top two interventions for PTSD. CPT is currently the gold standard in trauma treatment. This finding places a body-based methodology at the same level, with the peer-reviewed evidence to back it.
WHAT WE STUDY
Research that follows trauma into the communities where healing actually needs to happen.
TCTSY's evidence base was built alongside its clinical practice — not assembled afterward. The studies below examine TCTSY's effectiveness across populations, settings, and cultural contexts. Some of the most significant research has come from the places where most research doesn't go: refugee camps, conflict zones, First Nations communities, juvenile justice settings.
POPULATION STUDIED
Trauma doesn't discriminate.
Neither does our research.
Veterans & Military
treatment-resistant PTSD, military sexual trauma
Youth & Adolescents
residential programs, community settings, schools
Incarcerated Individuals
correctional facilities and reentry programs
Indigenous Communities
culturally sensitive adaptation and implementation
Refugees & Displaced People
cross-cultural adaptation across languages and contexts
Gender Non-Conforming Youth
affirming, embodied approaches to trauma care
Survivors of Sexual Trauma
including military sexual trauma and interpersonal violence
Community & Clinical Settings
hospitals, outpatient clinics, community centers
RESEARCH LIBRARY
Search the full research archive.
Browse more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, doctoral dissertations, and academic journal articles on TCTSY.
RESEARCH PARTNERS
The institutions we work alongside.
TCTSY's evidence base is built on genuine collaboration with universities, hospitals, veterans bureaus, and community organizations. These are some of the institutions that have partnered with CFTE on TCTSY research.
Interested in studying TCTSY?
CFTE actively seeks research partnerships with universities, clinical institutions, community organizations, and independent researchers. Dr. Viann Nguyen-Feng of the Mind-Body Trauma Care Lab at the University of Minnesota Duluth is a current TCTSY research collaborator and a useful point of contact for academic inquiries. If you are interested in studying TCTSY or in collaborating on an existing research project, reach out to Dave Emerson directly.
