March 4 @ 6PM: Somatic Trauma Healing and the Role of the Bodyworker

Katie Boyts will be visiting Monkey Qi Gong to discuss the basic physiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), basic philosophy of working somatically with PTSD, precautions and considerations during bodywork treatments, specific technique ideas. 

Katie is a bodyworker in Portland, having studied at East West College. Her interest and

 passion in healing is rooted in her undergraduate studies at Goshen College where she earned an honors degree in Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies focused on the healing vector of peacemaking, specifically around posttraumatic stress. She has been in the helping field, exploring this topic of trauma healing, for over seven years within contexts of the domestic violence shelter, community event planning and activism, student women’s advocacy, spoken word, public speaking, writing, qigong and of course, bodywork. Most recently Katie has been working with Returning Veterans Project Northwest, acting as massage therapy liaison. She has a private practice in Portland, specializing in Thai Massage, Tui Na and Acupressure as well as dabbling in freelance writing and speaking.