Social Work Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Therapeutic Yoga

Abstract

Body-based interventions such as yoga are becoming increasingly common as evidence-based practices in social work and therapeutic treatment. However, yoga is rarely taught as a therapeutic practice in social work educational programs. This study examined social work students’ knowledge and interest in yoga as both a physical exercise and therapeutic approach. 213 social work students from two mid- to large- sized universities in a Midwest state completed a survey. The survey results showed that students are interested in participating in yoga as well as learning yoga as a therapeutic approach for their clinical practice. A few students noted concerns about cultural appropriation and using interventions to fit the individual client. Training in yoga as a therapeutic intervention could be added into existing social work programs to increase the ability of future social workers to provide this intervention to their clients.