Arielle Schwartz

Arielle Schwartz is a clinical psychologist, author, and yoga teacher whose work centers on complex PTSD, post-traumatic growth, and the therapeutic integration of somatic practices with evidence-based psychology. Based in Boulder, Colorado, she has built a practice and a body of written work that addresses trauma recovery through both cognitive and body-centered modalities, with particular emphasis on the polyvagal theory and vagus nerve regulation through yoga.

Her approach draws on both Western clinical psychology and the embodied self-regulation traditions of yoga, particularly pranayama and restorative asana. Schwartz positions her work at the intersection of psychotherapy and somatic healing, arguing that trauma lives in the nervous system and that effective treatment requires engaging the body as well as the mind. Her vagus nerve yoga protocols are designed to support clients in shifting between states of sympathetic arousal and parasympathetic calm, using breathwork and gentle movement to retrain the autonomic nervous system. This methodology distinguishes her from psychologists who rely solely on talk therapy or from yoga teachers who may lack clinical training in trauma.

Schwartz is the author of The Complex PTSD Workbook, a clinical guide for individuals and therapists addressing the layered effects of chronic or developmental trauma. She has also published The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook, which reframes recovery not as a return to baseline but as an opportunity for resilience and meaning-making after adversity. Both books are used in clinical settings and by readers working through their own trauma histories.

She trained as a clinical psychologist and completed advanced study in EMDR, internal family systems, and somatic psychology. Her yoga training includes certifications in trauma-sensitive yoga and therapeutic applications of pranayama. Schwartz began integrating these disciplines after observing that clients who engaged in embodied practices alongside psychotherapy often reported faster and more sustained recovery, particularly in their ability to regulate anxiety and reconnect with a sense of safety in their bodies.

Her work has reached therapists, yoga instructors, and individuals navigating trauma recovery across multiple continents. Schwartz offers professional trainings for clinicians seeking to incorporate somatic interventions into their practices and has taught workshops on complex PTSD and vagus nerve regulation in clinical, academic, and wellness contexts. Her writings and recorded talks are used in graduate programs in counseling psychology and in yoga teacher training curricula focused on trauma-informed instruction.

Schwartz continues to maintain a clinical practice in Boulder and teaches workshops and courses on trauma, resilience, and the neurobiology of healing. She offers online programs for both clinicians and the general public, extending her reach beyond in-person sessions. Her recent work has focused on polyvagal-informed interventions and on expanding the evidence base for yoga as an adjunct to psychotherapy.

For those seeking a grounded, clinically informed approach to trauma recovery that honors both the mind and the nervous system, Schwartz offers practical tools rooted in both science and embodied practice.