Graduation Semester and Year
Summer 2026
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Social Work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
De'An Roper
Second Advisor
Jessica Sanchez
Third Advisor
Christine Spadola
Abstract
Introduction: With violence against women continuing to rear its ugly head across the world, it remains imperative for helping professionals and researchers to continue advocating for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Yoga shows promising results for people who have experienced trauma and have depressive or anxious symptoms. One area of research not explored is the effect of yoga on female IPV survivors’ feelings of self-embodiment and bodily autonomy.
Methodology: This scoping review was conducted based on the five-step framework created by Arksey and O’Malley. The guiding research question was: What does the current literature suggest about the effects of yoga on IPV survivors’ sense of embodiment? Based on the research question, the following databases were searched: Academic Search Complete, APA PsycINFO, and Social Work Abstracts.
Discussion: The current research shows that yoga is possibly a viable adjunctive therapeutic intervention for increasing embodiment within survivors which is paramount to healing. Yoga as a primary or adjunctive intervention is suitable and worth further exploration for the purpose of increasing embodiment and body-awareness/connection in this population.
Conclusion: Yoga and mindfulness practices have been shown to increase embodiment in people experiencing psychiatric disorders. Little research exists on the feasibility of yoga as a primary or adjunctive therapeutic intervention for increasing embodiment in female survivors of IPV. Future research should focus on creating a standard metric for measuring embodiment and the possible application of yoga for increasing embodiment in survivors.
Keywords
Yoga, embodiment, IPV, intimate partner violence, women
Disciplines
Social Work
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Albers, Kenzie R., "Exploring How Yoga Affects Embodiment in Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Scoping Review" (2026). Social Work Theses. 5.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/socialwork_theses2/5