Kristen Ryder, Certified School Psychologist, RYT200
Hatha Yoga Certified Instructor, Yoga 4 Peace non-profit studio (200 hour)
Yoga for Survivors-Certified Instructor, Oncology Yoga (150 hour)
Street Yoga Training (Trauma-Informed Youth Outreach; 12 hours)
Connection Coalition Training (Trauma-Informed Youth Outreach; Level 2 Social Justice in Yoga)
Mindful Schools: Certified Mindful Schools Teacher Class of 2019 (Year-long certificate)
Yoga 4 Classrooms Training
Reiki Certified, Levels I & II
MBSR coursework via UMass Center for Mindfulness

Stillness and Strength Yoga LLC, was created to house my specific certification to work with cancer survivors, and grew to include my training and passion: helping youth and families heal from complex adversity and trust their inner resilience. I am the only Yoga for Survivors-trained instructor in Michigan, and have trained to provide outreach services to both the at-risk youth and cancer survivor community. 

Currently, I serve youth and their families as a School Psychologist. I also teach yoga classes through Munson Medical Center's Cowell Family Cancer Center. I specialize in private and small group sessions that focus on stress-reduction and better client mental and physical health. I am passionate about the connection between our nervous system, mindfulness, breathwork, and movement, and strive to help clients understand this connection as an act of self-care during times of discomfort.  

As a Yoga for Survivors instructor, my training consisted of a year-long, 150-hour certification program under the supervision of the Yoga for Survivors program creator, Laura Kupperman, and my personal mentor, Barbara Gallani of The Life Centre in London, UK. Our certification requirements included a 50-hour, two-week intensive training with Laura at The Yoga Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, and a 100+ hour, year-long mentorship training consisting of online coursework, mentor sessions, and multiple group and private sessions, as well as reviews of current reading materials on cancer and cancer-related topics. 

My specialized yoga training program has provided me with specific knowledge, skills, and techniques to work with clients who have been diagnosed with cancer. Clients may deal with physical and/or emotional symptoms that accompany their current or post-cancer treatment, including lymphedema, fatigue, stress, emotional distress, insomnia, gastrointestinal distress, and other side effects of treatment, both short and long-term.  I aspire to contract with local and state-wide cancer centers and hospitals to provide their clients with yoga services during and post-cancer treatment, and help hospitals heal the whole client. 

My Yoga for Survivors certification is in addition to my traditional 200-hour yoga teacher certification in Hatha Yoga through Yoga 4 Peace, a non-profit yoga studio located in Metro-Detroit. I am a lifelong learner, consistently attending new yoga trainings or reading newly-released and research-based publications. Recent trainings and workshops include: Trauma-Informed Youth weekend training with Street Yoga, Hamsa meditation weekend retreat with Swami Nityananda Giri, weekend workshop with Seane Corn, weekend workshop with Noah Maze, day-workshop with Viniyoga instructor Sandy Gaunt, and Ashtanga Immersion with Kino McGregor. Work specific to trauma and social justice via Off the Mat Into the World includes: Yoga for Self-Regulation and Trauma with Hala Khouri, Rituals for the Modern Activist with Michelle Johnson, Susanna Barkataki, and Suzanne Sterling, and Yoga, Purpose, & Action with OTM Founders Hala, Seane, and Suzanne. 

My life experiences blend the worlds of psychology, non-profit research, education, trauma, and social justice into offerings of yoga and mindfulness. I feel that I bring a uniquely personal and empathetic nature to the practice of caring for, listening to, and validating the needs of others. I love the field of neuroscience and enjoy learning about how yoga, mindfulness, and other stress-reduction practices affect our brains and bodies.

I am truly grateful for my life experiences and am elated to be able to provide trauma-informed services to my community through various outlets. I am thankful for the trust and support of my clients, my kiddos, and their families. I look forward to growing and sharing Stillness and Strength's offerings!

Wishing you stillness and strength in all that you do.

**Available for private sessions, group sessions, and teacher consultation remotely or in person**