Judy Thompson

She incorporates integrated modalities as she works with clients to create their own toolbox of healing and self-care. Judy specializes in working with clients diagnosed with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, addiction, and self-harm, and she works to help the client rebuild their sense of ‘self’ as an aspect of permission and self-empowerment that functions beyond trauma, history, or the use of medication. Judy’s approach is to offer multi-sensory therapy that presents the client with a harmonious and naturalized approach that motivates an intuitive level of restoration and healing. Judy’s path with healing and wellness evolved following traumas in her youth and young adult life. At age 12, she was injured in an accident that resulted in the fracture of her cervical vertebrae, and she began a life-long practice of stabilizing physical injury with physical pain. As a young adult, she was diagnosed with a congenital condition that sympathized her body into a constant state of Tachycardia. These two precedents created a way of being that was unexplainable and challenging to accept. Her field of awareness expanded outside of the constraints of anxiety and trauma through the use of nada yoga, meditation, elements of Ayurveda wellness, and creative art-making. She uses tools and resources from these practices and approaches to maintain her own inner balance.Judy’s teachings aim to be multi-sensory and interweave the use of creative constructs. She believes that it takes only a moment of willingness from the space of the heart to create a shift towards lightness and ease. Judy Thompson’s journey in the fields of yoga therapy and integrative mental health began over 10 years ago, shaped by both her academic background and personal experiences with trauma. She approaches her work with deep compassion, drawing from her own healing process, to create safe and supportive spaces for others. She is committed to holding space for each individual’s unique story, honoring their personal needs with care and compassion.Her trauma-informed approach is rooted in sensitivity and an understanding of the complexities that individuals face when navigating anxiety, depression, and life’s stressors. Judy knows that healing is not a one-size-fits-all process, and she advocates for mindful practices that honor the personal needs of each individual. She believes in meeting people where they are, with patience and compassion.Through her work, Judy has seen how growth can happen when individuals feel seen and heard, and taught to value the wisdom of their body. Her practice is guided by the belief that healing requires not only tools and techniques, but also deep empathy and respect for the inner strength and beauty of each person.Through her own journey navigating wellness, Judy created Sakala School of Integrative Teaching, with the vision to elevate the clinical model of care through integrative teachings. Created specifically for mental healthcare and education professionals, Sakala School’s Witnessing Beauty Yoga Teacher Training program aligns with trauma-informed methodologies that emphasize principles of neuroscience and ancient philosophies, while focusing on the domains of post-traumatic growth.