Stephanie Drozd

Hello! My name is Stephanie Drozd, I am currently a 500hr RTY and RPYT, Advanced Teacher of Therapeutic Yoga, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker facilitating trauma-focused treatment in Chicago, IL. Depending on a client’s intake and identified needs, I can collaborate with them to offer top-down cognitive interventions and bottom-up yoga therapy practices that foster a client's innate ability to ethically engage with a life of meaning, purpose, and connection. In 2015, I received my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training from Pavones Yoga Center in Costa Rica. While teaching, I encountered clients with complex mental health needs outside of my scope as a yoga teacher. In 2018, I obtained my Master's Degree in Social Work at Loyola University Chicago and began working with survivors of traumatic experiences, including but not limited to Intimate Partner Violence, Developmental Trauma, and Childhood Sexual Abuse. In 2023, I noticed that the cognitive driven psychotherapy I was providing was missing something, and providing trauma treatment was also taking a toll on my personal health and well-being. I realized I needed to reignite my meaning and purpose and authentically integrate my passion for yoga into my clinical work. Yet, there was a gap in my knowledge and ability to incorporate the principles and practices of yoga for clients needing to address the whole person, not just the mind. I chose to study with the Kripalu School for Integrative Yoga Therapy and received my certification as a 300hr Advanced Teacher of Therapeutic Yoga. I am currently under clinical supervision with my Kripalu mentor as I work towards becoming an 800hr Certified Yoga Therapist by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT). In my current clinical practice, I provide evidence-based trauma treatment to officers and their support networks at the Chicago Police Department. I am trained and certified in Cognitive Processing Therapy, but I also incorporate interventions adapted from other evidence-based treatment modalities, including but not limited to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.