Dr. Catherine Justice is an integrative physical therapist, an IAYT-certified yoga therapist, and the program manager for the Division of Integrative Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, Minn. She is also associate editor of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy (IJYT), which publishes peer-reviewed scholarship related to a wide range of yoga practices and traditions. (Read more about yoga research in our recent post on the yogatherapy.health blog.)

Dr. Justice began teaching yoga in 2004. Like many yoga professionals, a desire to deepen her knowledge of the use of the practices for healing prompted her to further study and eventually to become a yoga therapist. She has conducted research on yoga for arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and lower-back pain.

Furthering the research supporting yoga therapy to advance the profession, improve quality of care, and increase access for historically unserved populations and everyone in need are all passions for Catherine. In addition to showcasing research with IJYT, one of the ways she works to advance yoga therapy is by presenting at integrative conferences like these:

• Integrative Medicine for the Underserved Making Integrative Care Standard for All, where she will present “From Acorn to Oak Tree: The Evolution of Integrative Health at a Safety Net Hospital” and “Integrative Physical Therapy—Paving a Pathway to Expanded Integrative Healthcare Access” on August 16
• Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity Summit, where she will present “Heals on Wheels (HoW), A Community Focused Case Study: Addressing SDOH and Health Equity in Patients with Chronic Pain” on September 30, 2023.
• Symposium on Yoga Research, where she will present during the preconference and lead a special-interest group on October 14 and 15
• Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine Whole Health Conference, where she will present “Bridging the Integrative Pain Care Gap from Healthcare to Community Spaces” on October 24 and “Transforming in Fellowship: Perspectives on Self, Practice, and Systems” on October 26

Podcast appearances help to spread the word about the emerging integrative health profession of yoga therapy, too. Here are a few that have recently featured Catherine:

• Healthy Matters with Dr. David Hilden, Beyond Medication—Effective Strategies for Pain Management
• George Washington Integrative Medicine, Polyvagal Theory, Nutrition, Sleep & Embodiment for Trauma
• Yoga Therapy Hour with Amy Wheeler, Navigating Wellness and Healing Through Integrative Physical Therapy and Yoga Therapy (coming soon)