YOGA THERAPY CANBERRA
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coaching
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Individualised yoga therapy that starts with you.
Private yoga therapy with yoga therapist Liz Albanis, in Nicholls on Canberra's Northside and online.
Yoga Therapy isn't about fitting your body into a predetermined sequence of poses.
It's an individualised, collaborative approach that draws on the principles and practices of yoga to support your health and wellbeing.
We begin with you. Your needs, goals, circumstances and what matters to you. From there, we develop a personalised plan that may draw on movement, breathing practices, relaxation, meditation, mindfulness, yoga philosophy and lifestyle practices, where appropriate.
Whether you're navigating stress, changes in your physical or mental wellbeing, living with a health challenge, returning to movement, or simply looking for a more personalised approach, your practice is selected and adapted for you.own the page
A general yoga class is designed for a group.
Yoga therapy starts with the individual.
In a general yoga class, a teacher usually guides a group through a practice designed to support general wellbeing. Modifications may be offered, but the class itself isn't normally designed around one person's health history, circumstances and goals.
Yoga Therapy is different.
We begin by getting to know you.
Through an individual consultation and assessment, we explore what's happening in your life, what you'd like support with, what feels accessible and what you would realistically be able to practise.
From there, I develop an individualised Yoga Therapy practice with you.
Depending on your needs, that might draw from:
Asana (accessible yoga postures)
Pranayama (yogic breath-work)
Hasta Mudras (hand postures)
Nada Yoga (sound)
Kriya (cleansing breath or complete action)
Dyana (meditation) and Dharana (mindfulness)
Svadhyaya (self-study) and Atma Vicharya (self-inquiry)
relaxation and restorative practices
Bhavana (guided imagery or visualisation)
Mindset through ancient yoga philosophy
Lifestyle practices that are within my scope, drawn from the yoga tradition.
You don't need to be flexible. You don't need to be “good at yoga”. And you certainly don't need to be able to touch your toes.
Yoga therapy adapts to you. Not the other way around.
What is yoga therapy?
‘Yoga Therapy is the opposite of a cookie cutter approach and is different from simply booking a one-to-one yoga class’
Liz Albanis
Yoga teacher vs therapist
What's the difference between a Yoga Teacher and a Yoga Therapist?
Yoga therapy starts with the individual.
A Yoga Teacher generally teaches yoga practices for general health and wellbeing, often in a group environment.
A Yoga Therapist has undertaken substantial additional professional training to apply yoga therapeutically and individually. The process can include comprehensive intake and assessment, establishing individual goals, developing an appropriate practice, reviewing progress and adapting that practice as circumstances change.
Yoga Therapy typically requires 650–800 hours of additional specialised training and represents a distinct scope of professional practice.
I'm both.
I'm a Registered Yoga Therapist and Registered Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Australia.
I completed a 650-hour Yoga Therapy course in 2026 (over the course of 26 months). Building on yoga teaching experience dating back to 2012.
My broader professional training also includes a Diploma of Fitness, Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance, Pilates and Barre training and Roll Model Method certification.
Who might consider yoga therapy?
You don't need to wait until something is “wrong”.
People seek Yoga Therapy for many different reasons.
You might be looking for an individualised approach because you're experiencing stress or changes in your mental wellbeing, navigating a health challenge, experiencing persistent discomfort, returning to movement, finding conventional yoga classes inaccessible, or wanting to develop a sustainable personal practice.
You may also simply want professional guidance rather than trying to work out what is appropriate from a generic class, app or YouTube video.
I have a particular interest in mental health and trauma-informed practice.
My interest in this area is both professional and personal. Yoga has formed part of my own experience of trauma recovery, which ultimately influenced the direction of my further training and professional work.
But Yoga Therapy isn't a miracle cure, and I don't market it as one.
It can be used alongside appropriate healthcare, with practices selected for the individual rather than making promises that a particular technique will “fix” a diagnosis.
Already receiving medical or mental-health care?
Yoga Therapy can be complementary to other care. Where appropriate and with your written consent, I welcome communication or collaboration with your treating healthcare professionals.
Please note: Yoga Therapy does not diagnose conditions. Rather, Yoga Therapy is a complementary approach and does not replace medical, psychological or allied health care.
Why work with me
Experience beyond the yoga mat
I've been teaching yoga since 2012, but my professional background extends beyond yoga teaching.
I'm a:
Registered Yoga Therapist
Registered Senior Yoga Teacher — Yoga Australia
650-hour Master of Biomedical Yoga Therapy graduate
Diploma-qualified Personal Trainer
Pilates Instructor
Roll Model Method Certified Instructor
Certificate IV Allied Health Assistance graduate
I've taught across yoga studios, Pilates studios and health clubs and worked with people with widely differing bodies, backgrounds and reasons for moving.
I’m forever a student. I am
committed to learning more through continuing professional development, volunteer work on Yoga Australia’s Yoga Therapy Committee. Most importantly learning from my clients.
That broader movement background can be particularly valuable when someone's needs don't fit neatly into a conventional yoga class.
Yoga therapy to support mental wellbeing
I have a particular interest in trauma-informed Yoga Therapy and supporting people experiencing stress or changes in their mental wellbeing. Yoga Therapy may support self-regulation, stress management and coping, alongside appropriate healthcare.
I specialise in trauma-informed yoga therapy, with an emphasis on choice, autonomy and creating practices that respect the individual.
You won't be expected to force your body into a posture, perform yoga a particular way or blindly follow universal alignment instructions.
Instead, we'll explore what is appropriate for your body and circumstances.
You are the expert on your experience. My role is to help you explore yoga practices and tools that may support you.
How my yoga therapy program works
1. Complimentary discovery call
We'll have a short conversation about what you're looking for, answer any initial questions and consider whether Yoga Therapy and my scope of practice are an appropriate fit for you.
2. Complete your confidential intake
Before your first consultation, you'll complete a confidential intake covering relevant health and lifestyle information, your current circumstances, goals and anything that may need to be considered in developing your practice.
3. Your 90-minute initial consultation
We'll explore what's bringing you to Yoga Therapy, what you'd like support with and what matters to you. This session will also involve some further assessments.
The consultation and assessment are an important part of developing an individual approach. Together, we'll begin exploring practices that are appropriate for your needs, circumstances and goals.
This isn't simply a 90-minute private yoga class. It's a collaborative process that starts with you.
4. Develop your individual Yoga Therapy practice
Together, we'll develop a personalised practice that is realistic for your circumstances and can evolve with you.
You'll generally have practices or tools to explore between consultations. At follow-up sessions, we will re-evaluate. With discussions on what's working, what isn't, what's changed and adapt your therapeutic plan accordingly.
What might your yoga therapy practice include?
Yoga Therapy can draw on a broad range of practices from the yoga tradition. What we use will depend on you — there isn't a standard set of techniques that everyone receives.
Your practice may include:
accessible yoga postures and movement (asana)
breathing practices (pranayama)
relaxation and restorative practices
meditation and mindfulness
guided imagery or visualisation
mantra, sound or other contemplative practices
yoga philosophy and self-reflection
lifestyle practices drawn from the yoga tradition, where appropriate.
You won't necessarily use all of these. The practices we explore are selected and adapted according to your individual needs, circumstances, preferences and goals.
Your Yoga Therapy practice is developed with you, not planned as a one-size-fits-all program.
Yoga therapy is a collaborative process. I can provide guidance, education and practices tailored to you, but meaningful change usually takes time, curiosity and participation.
Yoga therapy may not be the right fit for you if you:
are looking for a quick fix, miracle cure or guaranteed outcome;
expect me to “fix” you without actively participating in the process;
are looking for yoga therapy to diagnose, treat or cure a medical or mental health condition;
want to use yoga therapy as a replacement for medical, psychological or other professional care when that care is needed;
aren't currently willing or able to explore practices or strategies between our sessions;
are experiencing an acute mental health crisis that requires crisis or specialist mental health support.
You don't need to practise perfectly, have endless motivation or commit hours every day. Life happens and a therapeutic practice needs to work within your actual life.
What I do ask for is a willingness to participate, communicate openly about what's working (and what isn't), and approach the process with curiosity.
Yoga therapy is about developing tools and practices that support you. Not chasing perfection.
Not sure if it's right for you?
Book a free 15-minute discovery call and we can talk about what you're looking for and whether my approach is an appropriate fit.
Yoga therapy may not be the right fit if….
Is yoga therapy right for me?
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Private yoga therapy may suit you if you're looking for a complementary approach while navigating an injury, illness or health challenge; you're returning to movement and don't feel comfortable jumping straight into a general class; stress or trauma makes a conventional yoga environment difficult; you'd like a more accessible or individual approach; you've been given generic yoga advice that doesn't work for your body; or you'd simply like professional guidance to develop a sustainable personal practice. You don't need to be flexible, experienced at yoga or able to perform particular postures.
And you don't have to walk into a hot room and become a human pretzel. I tried that approach in 2011. My understanding of yoga has changed considerably since then.
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1. We start with you
Your initial consultation gives us time to discuss why you've come, your goals, relevant health history and what you would like from yoga therapy.
Where appropriate, I may recommend that you speak with your healthcare professional before beginning particular practices.
2. We explore
Depending on your individual needs, sessions may draw from accessible yoga and movement, breathing practices, meditation, relaxation, mindfulness, self-inquiry and other appropriate yogic practices.
Your plan isn't pulled from a generic template.
3. We create your personal practice
We'll develop a manageable practice you can continue between sessions.
I'm interested in what you'll actually do, not giving you an impressive 90-minute routine that sits untouched on your kitchen bench.
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Registered Yoga Therapist
Qualified through a 650-hour Master of Biomedical Yoga Therapy, Meditation & Allied Health.Senior Yoga Teacher
Registered Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Australia, teaching yoga since 2012.Yoga Therapy Committee Member
Currently contributing to Yoga Australia's Yoga Therapy Committee.Trauma-informed focus
A longstanding professional and personal interest in yoga, mental health and trauma-informed practice.Yoga + Pilates experience
More than 1,000 yoga classes taught, alongside Pilates teaching experience dating from 2015.A broad approach to movement
Training spanning yoga therapy, Yin Yoga, restorative yoga, meditation, myofascial release, Pilates, fitness and allied health assistance. -
Yoga Therapy Canberra
Face-to-face private yoga therapy sessions are available on the Northside of Canberra.
Online Yoga Therapy
Can't see me in Canberra? Private sessions are also available online, allowing us to work together from your own space.
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A private yoga class is usually individual yoga instruction tailored to your level or goals.
Yoga therapy takes a broader and more therapeutic approach. We begin by exploring what has brought you to yoga therapy, your health history, goals and individual circumstances. From there, we develop practices specifically for you rather than simply creating a personalised exercise sequence.
Your yoga therapy might involve movement, but it doesn't necessarily have to look like a conventional yoga class.
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Absolutely not.
You don't need to be flexible, fit or experienced at yoga—and you don't need to be able to get up and down from the floor easily.
One of the reasons I work individually with clients is so that practices can be adapted to the person rather than expecting the person to adapt to a predetermined version of yoga.
Yoga isn't about how your pose looks. It's about finding a practice that works for you.
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Trauma-informed yoga recognises that people's experiences can influence how they experience their bodies, movement, language, environments and relationships.
My approach places particular emphasis on choice, autonomy and individual experience. Rather than assuming there is one “correct” way for everybody to practise, I offer options and encourage you to notice what feels appropriate for you.
You remain an active participant in the process.
I bring both professional training and lived experience to this area, and trauma-informed practice is a particular focus of my work.
You don't need to disclose the details of traumatic experiences in order to work with me.
I'm a Yoga Therapist, not a psychologist, and our sessions aren't talk therapy. You are always in control of what you choose to share.
If you're also working with a psychologist, doctor or other health professional, yoga therapy may form one part of your broader support team where appropriate.
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Ideally, yes—but we're aiming for consistency rather than perfection.
The practices we explore together are intended to become tools you can draw upon outside our sessions. How that looks will depend on you, your circumstances and your capacity.
Some people may have more time and energy than others. We work with the life and body you actually have—not the imaginary one with unlimited spare time.
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There isn't a set number because yoga therapy is individualised.
Some people may come with a specific goal and need only a small number of sessions. Others may benefit from working together over a longer period as their practice develops or their circumstances change.
We'll discuss what makes sense for you rather than locking you into unnecessary appointments.
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Mental health and trauma-informed yoga are particular areas of interest in my work, and I have facilitated yoga workshops exploring depression, anxiety and better sleep.
However, yoga therapy is not psychotherapy, psychological treatment or crisis mental health care.
If you're experiencing an acute mental health crisis, please seek appropriate specialist or emergency support rather than booking yoga therapy as your primary source of care.
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No. Depending on why a person is seeking yoga therapy will dictate if I’m able to assist or not. I will only not offer my services online if I don’t believe it will be beneficial for a potential client. I have my client’s interests in mind as a top priority.
How much do you charge?
90 minutes initial consultation $180 & 60 minutes follow up consultation $110
Because yoga therapy is individualised, the number and frequency of consultations will vary. I won't ask you to commit to a long program before we've established what's appropriate for you.
Longer-term packages may be recommended where appropriate, but there is no requirement to purchase a package to begin.
Please note: prices are in Australian dollars and are not subject to GST. Please refer to terms and conditions for more information..