Dr. Sarah Vose, PT, DPT

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Autism = development of PTSD from mild stressors = worsening symptoms of Autism = more sensitivity = development of PTSD from even milder stressors. It’s a viscous cycle.

This is why most people with ASD also have cPTSD.

PTSD develops when we don’t have the tools on board to process an experience and/or when we feel alone in that experience.
When someone with autism is reacting strongly to something that seems mild to others and are told they are being too sensitive or are making a big deal out of nothing, they don’t receive the validation and co regulation they so desperately need to help their brain and body process the event so it doesn’t result in PTSD.

Try to practice Compassion before Comprehension. Validate emotions even if you don’t understand why someone has them. You can always try to figure it out later but compassion is needed immediately.

The good news is that I’ve experienced first hand myself and with my patients that when you heal the trauma some of the autism symptoms also decrease. The viscous cycle can be reversed into a healing cycle with the right methods. (Highly recommend body based, bottom up methods)

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Love when they figure out something new about the nervous system!!

https://neurosciencenews.com/hybrid-cell-discovery-neuroscience-23883/?fbclid=IwAR3MNIiaEd1WfL2qHKoczEUpBIeQvk8j84-B3FMR1gbvm-80SqvzJChPwtk_aem_AafVyFFk2HSpYtPIBEA7lpFDgwRgTvVXPKrTuq56oA_wfzAkScQlT6L_NEcgep2iteU&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

New Hybrid Cell Discovery Shakes Up Neuroscience - Neuroscience News Neuroscientists have unveiled a new hybrid cell, straddling the line between the well-known neurons and glial cells in the brain.

Interoception. It’s one of our senses yet hardly anyone knows about it, even medical professionals.

I’ve found that precision with interoception is often the key to diminishing or eliminating symptoms when I’m working with someone who has chronic pain, PTSD or both.

Interoception is our brains ability to sense and identify our internal bodily sensations. It goes beyond noticing that we’re hungry, tense, or have a full bladder. It also encompasses our ability to notice the sensations that occur inside our bodies when we experience emotions. A nervous belly, breath holding when scared, chest tightness with anxiety are all things we’ve probably heard of before and examples of interoception awareness.

We all know awareness is the key to creating change.

The more precise you are with your awareness of exactly what organ or tissue is involved with the internal sensation(s) you are experiencing the more potential there is for change. (This is where an anatomy nerd, like a PT, comes in handy 🫀🫁🧠🤓)

You don’t need to see someone else though to start increasing your interoception awareness. Take 2 minutes, find a quite spot, close your eyes, and scan your body. Think about how your body feels from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. Notice any areas of tension, any areas of heat, any areas that feel different from the rest. The important part is to just notice them, NOT judge or change them. Just notice that they’re there and acknowledge their presence ✌️

If you’re a PT or body worker I’d love to know if you work on interoception awareness with your patients. If you do, drop a 🧠in the comments and if you don’t give me an 💪

💆‍♀️🌿💆🏻‍♂️🧠🙏

I’ve gone back and forth about whether to write this post or not for a few months now. I think my fear about sharing this comes from my fear of rejection and my experience with the incredibly ableist society we live in. I’m also afraid that my share here may change the way others see me or value me, especially professionally.

However, not sharing feels like hiding a part of myself and I don’t want to do that anymore. The information I share here hasn’t changed the way I function or the way my mind works. I’m still the same person I’ve always been, I just understand myself better (which means I’m kinder to myself 💖). I’ve always tried to use my experiences to help others so hopefully my own insights here will help someone else that may be struggling.

My whole life I’ve always felt like there was something wrong with me, something that needed to be fixed. Where things came easily to others, I seemed to struggle no matter how hard I tried.

Trigger warning ⛔️ mentions of SA below, stop here if that’s an issue for you

🖤I was too blunt.
🖤I lacked tact.
(Sometime to the point I was considered rude)
🖤I struggled to work with others (I still do, hence my fabulous solo business 💁🏻‍♀️)
🖤I struggle(d) with transitions
🖤Last minute schedule changes were a nightmare for me
🖤I could never just go with the flow
🖤Starting in 6th grade I struggled with creating and maintaining friendships
🖤I never seemed to fit in
🖤I could get along with those older and younger than me but struggled with others in my peer group
🖤When I started dating I had an intensity others thought was crazy
🖤I needed my environment to be/look a certain way in order to function
🖤Clothes had to feel a certain way for me to be able to function
🖤When I was younger, older men repeatedly made inappropriate advances toward me or just straight up SAed me
🖤I was described as an empath and highly sensitive person
🖤I struggled with school (until I hit my PT specific classes in my 3rd year of college, my area of interest)

When I was growing up I was always just told I needed to try harder, do better, push through, change.
As an adult I thought if I could change in the right ways life would be easier. This led to years of therapy which slowly helped to remove all the layers of the onion to discover the truth at the core.

After spending a decade in therapy and the past 2.5 years working with a team of professionals (sensorimotor trauma therapist, a craniosacral therapist, a mindfulness based cognitive therapist, and an Ayurvedic/biomagnetic therapist) I felt like I had resolved most of the trauma I had previously attributed to causing the feeling that there was something fundamentally wrong with me. Even though most of the trauma seemed to be gone (I’m still working through some of the fine details from an early childhood experience), there was still some disconnect between me and those around me.

So for my 40th birthday I decided to gift myself my first ever neuropsych evaluation. (I’m weird, I know 🙃)

It turns out, I’m autistic.

Mine is classified as Level 1 on the autism spectrum (it would have been called Asperger’s years ago but they’ve rightfully cancelled him since he was a horrible n**i)

I also have moderate inattentive ADHD, am clinically brilliant (their words, not mine), and still meet the criteria for PTSD. I have fluency issues with reading and writing so it’s like there’s a traffic jam in my head when reading to learn or when trying to get my thoughts down in writing which is sooo frustrating. (Now I know why I’ve put off a certification that requires 12 essay questions for years despite my desire to complete it and expertise in the area.)

When the evaluator described what people with similar profiles to me report, she described me to a T. It was so incredibly validating.

It’s taken me a few months to process all of this information about myself and I’m sure I have more processing to do but as I work to deconstruct my internalized ableism, value myself as a being, and truly love myself for maybe the first time in my life I now know there’s nothing wrong with me that needs to be fixed.

I’m simply neurodivergent.

It’s our ableist society that is broken. In an effort to be myself and not a version of myself that conforms with an unhealthy society I will be slowly working to unmask more.

If you have questions about something I’ve written here, something I’m doing in person or just questions about neurodivergence in general please always feel free to ask.

If you made it to the end, thanks for being here and I’d love if you could share some ableist view you’ve deconstructed in your own life in the comments. I’ll start…

For a long time I couldn’t pin point what I wanted this account to be. I knew that I was doing things differently than most physical therapists and I wanted to share every aspect of what I was doing. That left things here a little confusing and chaotic so I thought I’d do an introduction and set the expectations for what you’ll be seeing on this account from here on out.

Hi! I’m Dr. Sarah Vose, PT, DPT, MS, CIDN & Trauma Sensitive Certified Practitioner. I’ve been running my own PT business for almost 10 years now and it is more successful than I could have ever imagined. It took me a while to realize what set me apart, the theme of why patients were seeking me out and what I was doing differently.

That difference is trauma informed treatment.

For the past 2 years I’ve been refining my skills in this area and while I will always have more to learn I think it’s so important that other physical therapists, occupational therapists, and health care professionals in general understand the basics of providing trauma informed care. So that’s what you’ll be seeing on this account, information regarding the importance of and how to provide trauma informed & trauma sensitive care.

I can’t wait to connect with you and other providers looking to support their patients on a deeper level. I’m beyond excited to build a network, a community of trauma sensitive providers.

If you choose to follow along please feel free to send me a DM or drop a comment below to let me know you’re here!

The International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism announces that our beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh has passed away peacefully at Từ Hiếu Temple in Huế, Vietnam, at 00:00hrs on 22nd January, 2022, at the age of 95. We invite our global spiritual family to take a few moments to be still, to come back to our mindful breathing, as we together hold Thay in our hearts in peace and loving gratitude for all he has offered the world.
More official news will be coming shortly.
Please sign up for email updates here: https://bit.ly/3fJx7pd

Just because something is common does not mean it’s normal. If someone has a concern or complaint about a symptom, address it! Don’t normalize it.

Booster complete! 💉🙌 Doing my part to keep my patients as safe as I can and limit spread.

Checked out our new local smoothie/tea/juice shop with

The kids Spider-Man with an extra scoop of protein totally revived her after wrestling 🤼‍♀️ so she was ready for horseback riding lessons 🐎

Yummy gummies!

These little chews are filled with some of the most nutritious fruits & veggies there are. Spinach, kale, cabbage, parsley, acerola cherry 🍒 and cranberry to name a few.

I tell every mom I know about this health hack because it’s a simple and convenient way to get more good stuff into growing bodies. Oh, and they are backed by science AND free with an adult order.

If you are interested in a sample for your little ones, let me know. I’m happy to send one out. 😀

I’m good with any and all of the above and just so happy to be able to see these ladies in person again!
is always a gracious host and always has us smiling 😁

Toxic positivity. That phrase has been thrown around a lot in the past year. Here’s what it means to me. It’s denial of your pain, your trauma. Toxic positivity is shoving down your pain and trauma, ignoring it and pushing it aside, pretending it doesn’t exist, that it doesn’t affect you now. It’d be like the first person in the picture pretending that the scribbles didn’t exist, yet the scribbles were always there, just inches away, everywhere they went.

Sometimes reframing and seeing the good in a situation is super healing and helpful and other times it’s just denial of your experience and your internal entropy.

When positivity feels shameful or bad internally usually some acknowledgement and acceptance of your experience and reaction would be more helpful than finding the silver lining.

The first step to being able to process your uncomfortable feelings is to find and feel safety within your own body.

Once internal safety is achieved, feeling the discomfort and finding peace within the scribbles (processing) occurs much easier and quicker, allowing you to experience a feeling of freedom and return to a place where positivity isn’t toxic.

Can you find a place within yourself that feels safe? Do a body scan. Is there an area that feels safe? It can be super small, the size of 1 single cell...

Visualize that area, breath into it, watch it expand, until your whole body feels safe. This is where the healing begins ❤️❤️❤️

Monday morning I found out a friend’s child was in a car accident and suffered similar injuries to the ones I sustained in an MVA years ago. Then, while treating my first patient of the day an elderly couple cut off a dump truck. It couldn’t stop in time and it T-boned them, sending them both to the hospital. This happened right outside my office. The sound of the car crumpling was so awful.

The morning definitely challenged my ability to stay in my resilience zone. I was having trouble focusing on my breathing and anxiety quickly rose. Then, I grabbed a clean hand towel to wipe down my equipment in between patients. It was just the right one to grab! (Thanks )

While I can have compassion for what others experienced that morning I need to remember that it’s This can be particularly hard for highly sensitive people and empaths but is so very important.

We can’t help others when we’re mirroring their crisis. We need to use our resources and tools to maintain our inner balance. I grounded myself in my immediate surroundings by connecting with my 5 senses and identify sights, smells, sounds, etc around me. Once I did that I was able to tune back into my inner world, my breathing, my heart rate, my thoughts, and bring myself right back into resilience, into a balanced and functional state.

Next time you feel yourself getting emotionally wrapped up in someone else’s issues remind yourself that it’s not your crisis. Stay grounded, stay balanced and be a mirror of calm to help them return to that place inside themselves too.

💆‍♀️🌿💆🏻‍♂️🧠🙏

Join my group for the April Shred‼️

Ten days of adding in the good habits 🥑🥦💧😴...and shredding the not-so-good habits 🍭🍩🤯. If you are wanting to go into this Spring🌷 with a little more spring 🤸‍♀️, these 10 days are the perfect jumpstart 🙌

The hardest one for me to change is going to bed early enough to get 8 hours of sleep 🛌 💤 With the kids back in school full time and no remote days for sleeping in I’m so ready to prioritize sleep.

Drop me a note ⬇️ if you’re in 👍 or if you’d like more info 🤔

Sitting in judgment free observation of symptoms is probably both the most healing and the most challenging thing to do when dealing with chronic pain or chronic health issues.

When you decide to stop trying to control your symptoms, your thoughts, your breath, you offer yourself support by indicating that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes. Giving yourself space to be flawed and still offering yourself some love opens up space for healing.

I challenge you to sit in quiet observation of the sensations and symptoms in your body for just 4 min every day for the next week and notice them and how they change🧘‍♀️🧘🧘‍♂️

Contrast or resistance can help us tune into the feelings, sensations, emotions, we otherwise might not have noticed.

The contrast of the ground makes feeling the sole and the pressure of the foot that much easier.

Where is there contrast in your life that helps you tune in to the sensations within??

🌱 Green Smoothie Challenge🌱

March 15-21st!

Ready to up your smoothie game? 🙌 Join us for a 10 day challenge and get 10 new green smoothie recipes! 🥒

There’s nothing to purchase to participate. We’ll give you a shopping list 🛒and post a new recipe each day. 🥬

Let me know if you want IN and I’ll be sure to invite you to the group! 😊

Remembering this as I get ready to step out of my comfort zone and put myself out there...

This. Everyday I work to become more inquisitive. The more questions I ask the more knowledge I’ll gain and the more answers I find.

My knowledge base isn’t my biggest asset when it comes to helping my patients. My curiosity and questions are.

Keep asking questions ❓❔❓❔❓

I’m loving the trauma sensitive program I’m currently working through with institute. It helps to sync the neurological function of the heart with the neurological function of the brain heart during breathing exercises🫀🧠🫁 Can’t wait to finish the course and offer these skills to my patients.

Self care is so different for everyone. I always think the best self care is something that helps your feel more safe and secure in your body.

That can be different for everyone and even different on different days for the same person.

The hardest and most effective self care I’ve ever done was seeking trauma treatment. Sensorimotor psychotherapy was the type that worked best for me 💗

Making my body a safe and secure place to be in after years of anxiety, health issues, surgeries, and low level fear made all the difference in my state of being.

Patients often ask why treatment with me is so much more effective that treatment with other providers who have similar skills. I think it’s because my goal is to help everyone feel safe and secure in their body; not just to make the body feel better without considering how the mental/emotional components contribute.

🎁 𝐻𝑜𝓁𝒾𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝒮𝒽𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓃𝓉 🎁

Our Healthy Life Project FB page is hosting the biggest shake event of the year starting Monday! If you want some holiday 🎄 inspired shake ideas (think eggnog, gingerbread and candy cane!) for you and your family, please join us!

We have a shopping list ready to go for you! 😊

Comment below with your favorite holiday flavor to be added to the group!

Did you know bisexual people experience higher rates of depression and anxiety than both heterosexual and gay/lesbian people do? Affirming and accepting all of me has been so freeing as I have delt with a ton of anxiety and depression for the majority of my life. I’m so lucky to have an amazing husband that loves and accepts all of me and an awesome group of friends that do the same.
It’s really about hearts and souls, not parts, for me.

To my bi friends hiding out there, don’t let get to you, embrace yourself. Don’t let the people get to you either. Remind yourself every day that you’re special because your heart is open to give and receive love from all sides. I celebrate you. 💗💜💙🏳️‍🌈

Facing your traumas can be scary and painful. Before we are ready to process them we store them in our physical body. Stored for too long, physical symptoms with start to arise.


Feeling the pain can be scary so build your safe place in your mind. Visualize a place when you felt really loved and safe. Remember what it felt like to be in that safe place. What do you see, what do you feel, what do you smell. Get a very clear picture in your mind. Feel the love and security you always felt in that place.


Once you’ve practiced going to your safe place, start to let the hurt come back. Sit with the pain and feel it. Allow your body and your mind to start to experience and process the pain. Let the healing process start.


When it’s enough go back to your safe place and end there in love and comfort. It’s not an easy to a fast process but it’s so worth it in the end.

Loving my new earrings 💎 They jingle like chimes and it makes me happy 😊

Last night self care meant walking in the door from work at 7 PM and going straight to bed 🛌 Tonight it means enjoying a mimosa in crystal at 6 PM while tackling all of the dishes from yesterday.

🍽🍽🍽

Today it also meant a last minute therapy visit even though I haven’t needed to go in almost 2 years and both focused attention and open heart meditation sessions. The combination above made all the difference.