What to Expect in a Yoga Therapy Session: Clinical Assessment, Hands-On Care, and Your Roadmap to Recovery

If you are dealing with persistent joint pain, recovering from an injury, trying to safely return to a movement practice you love, or getting back to working around the house, entering a new therapeutic environment can feel overwhelming. You might wonder: Is this going to be like a standard yoga class? Is it like physical therapy? Or is it something entirely different?

Yoga Therapy bridges the gap between clinical healthcare and holistic movement. My goal is to work as a partner in your health - helping you understand your body, restore ease of movement, and give you the tools to stay pain-free.

Here is an inside look at how I combine clinical assessment, hands-on manual work, and a structured session roadmap to help you heal.

1. A Clinical Foundation: Orthopedic Assessment Meets Medical Partnership

My approach to Yoga Therapy is grounded in orthopedic assessment for massage therapists. Over years of training, I have studied the biomechanics of common injury sites - from lumbar disc issues and SI joint dysfunction to various kinds of rotator cuff injuries, frozen shoulder, and hip range of motion- so we are not “shooting in the dark.”

Rather than guessing where your pain is coming from, I use evidence-based clinical assessment tools to evaluate your postural alignment, joint range of motion, and functional movement, helping us get a clear road map of the underlying cause of your pain and how Yoga Therapy can help you regain functional movement.

Working in Partnership with Your Healthcare Team

Yoga Therapy does not replace your existing medical care - it enhances it. I actively work in partnership with the information you bring from your doctors, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, chiropractors, or other medical professionals.  On the other side of the spectrum some clients come who can’t see a PT or specialist for months and/or don’t want to work within the medical system. All are welcome.

At the same time, it always helps me if you have imaging reports, PT discharge notes, or specific medical guidelines from your doctor; we integrate them directly into your assessment. I always look for diagnoses from doctors that can help inform how I work with you.  I also know when you need to go see a doctor or PT to help move things forward.  This ensures that every movement we do is safe, clinically informed, and aligned with your broader healthcare plan.

2. The Power of Hands-On Care: Resetting Before We Move

One major element that sets my practice apart is the integration of hands-on bodywork. Before we ask a body in pain to perform therapeutic exercises or yoga poses, we need to ensure the underlying structures are receptive to movement.

When appropriate, I utilize targeted manual therapy, massage, and gentle lumbar pelvic rebalancing techniques.

• Pelvic & Spinal Pain: Chronic low back, hip, and sacral pain are often tied to subtle misalignments in the pelvis. By using hands-on techniques to help rebalance the pelvis and release surrounding muscle guarding, we create a stable, neutral foundation. As a Licensed Massage Therapist and Yoga Therapist, I use gentle methods to bring your hips, pelvis, and lower spine into alignment that differ from traditional chiropractic moves.  I also refer to a chiropractor when I believe it would be in your best interest.  

• Preparing for Movement: Releasing chronic tension in the soft tissue first allows your spine and hips to glide smoothly. Once the nervous system feels safe and the joint is aligned, active movement becomes significantly more effective - and much less painful.

3. Bridging the "PT Gap": A Real-World Case Study

A very common story I see in my clinic involves clients who have completed a course - or maybe 2 or 3 - of Physical Therapy.

Case Example: A client comes in after months of excellent care with a PT for chronic low back and hip pain. Through their physical therapy, they successfully reduced their pain. However, they hit a plateau. The high-intensity pain is gone, but they still have not been able to return to regular activities.

This is where my approach to Yoga Therapy shines. By combining our orthopedic assessment with whole-body movement, deep breathwork for nervous system regulation, and hands-on pelvic adjustments, I have been able to address pain cycles with my clients that weren't totally healed in PT rehabilitation exercises.

Within a few sessions, I have seen many clients move past that final plateau, resolve the remaining discomfort, and gain the confidence to move freely again without fear of re-injury. I have seen clients get back to lifting weights, doing yoga, returning to yard work, and increasing the ability to go for long walks again.

4. Your Treatment Roadmap: What to Expect Across Your Sessions

Signing up for Yoga Therapy shouldn't be a major mystery. I believe in giving you a clear timeline so you know exactly where you are in your recovery process.

For Specific Aches & Pains: The 5-Session Series

If you are coming in to address a specific physical issue - such as low back or hip pain, or neck, elbow, or wrist, etc, - we typically work through a 5-session framework:

• Session 1: Assessment & Foundation. We perform a thorough orthopedic intake, review medical/PT notes, evaluate movement, apply hands-on adjustments as needed, and establish your baseline exercises and/or breathwork practices.

• Session 2: Basic Techniques. You learn your core, individualized therapeutic movements, self-assessment tools, and breath practices tailored to your specific issue.

• Session 3: Check-In & Progression. We review your home practices, assess how your body responded over the week, make necessary refinements, and add targeted progressions.

• Session 4: Integration & Building Capacity. We continue to build strength, mobility, and nervous system resilience, ensuring you feel confident self-managing day-to-day flare-ups.

• Session 5: Resolution & Independence. We evaluate your overall progress, fine-tune your long-term self-care routine, and celebrate the resolution of your primary issue.

For Returning to Yoga After Injury: The 10-Session Series

If your goal is broader - such as returning to a regular yoga studio class or active movement routine after recovering from a major low back, shoulder, knee, ankle or hip injury - we often expand to a 10-session series.

In this extended format, we take the time to explore a wide variety of classical yoga poses (asana). We break down how to modify specific shapes for your unique joint mechanics, how to execute transitions safely, which yoga poses and transitions to discontinue, and how to protect your body so you can step into a class environment again with complete confidence.

Ready to Start Your Healing Journey?

Whether you are looking to cross the finish line on lingering pain or want to rebuild a safe, sustainable yoga practice, Yoga Therapy offers a personalized, evidence-informed path forward.

Click Here to book in Ann Arbor or Click Here to book in Chelsea

 Or reach out today with any questions about how we can support your recovery!