This advanced training course trains yoga therapists in an approach that combines the twelve steps as outlined in the “Big Book, the Basic Text for Alcoholics Anonymous”, and other texts of this nature such as “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions” for both AA and NA, the Masterson Approach to the personality disorders, and yoga therapy.

This course is the first of its kind, to the author’s knowledge, and is an approach that the author has used with many individuals with great success. The course takes therapists into each of the steps, as well as into an explorative study of the personality disorders according to Masterson, and studies them through the lens of yogic philosophy according to the Upanishads, the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s Sutras, and the Tantras.

Each of the twelve steps and each personality disorder described in the Masterson approach is studied from a yoga therapy perspective to understand how the emphases used in these separate traditions reflects the spiritual understanding of the science of Yoga. The author’s treatment plans, case studies, and personal experience with the subtleties of addiction forms a strong foundation for group discussion, study group work, role plays, and other forms of didactic and peer-group learning that takes place during this training. Therapists are guided through a process of self-examination to see how they fit into Masterson’s quadrant approach to personality disorders, and how addiction relates to this in their own lives. This is an in-depth self-development training for therapists to enable their understanding of how addiction goes beyond mere substances and to create a powerful capacity to guide others in this understanding.