IART's Dr. Natae Feenstra on Running as Therapy for Trauma

Running as a Therapy for Trauma, with Dr. Natae Feenstra

Dr. Natae Feenstra, "Therapy Steps" Counseling Founder

In this episode of the Running Anthropologist podcast, our conversation explores how running can become a powerful ally in healing from trauma with Natae Feenstra, PhD, LPC, NCC—school counselor, counselor educator, and Certified Run Walk Talk® therapist. She shares her movement origins, how she found running as part of her therapeutic toolkit, and why her original research suggests that simply running regularly—at any pace or distance—may significantly reduce trauma symptoms.

The episode also explores more of the emerging field of running therapy, the legacy of Dr. Thaddeus Kostrubala’s work, and the role of the International Association of Running Therapists in advancing movement-based mental health practice.

Meet Dr. Natae Feenstra

Dr. Natae Feenstra is a licensed professional counselor and nationally certified counselor who has worked across school, community, and clinical settings. Her professional background includes school counseling, counselor education, and movement-informed therapeutic practice.

She is also a Certified Run Walk Talk® therapist, integrating walking and running intervals with counseling conversations in a trauma-informed framework.

In the conversation, Natae reflects on how movement became central to both her life and her clinical imagination. Her own experience of running as a source of clarity, regulation, and emotional processing helped shape the questions she later brought into counseling and research.

Running Mothers Group founded by Dr. Natae Feenstra

Running Therapy and IART- That path led her to the writings of Dr. Thaddeus Kostrubala, whose work proposed that sustained running can alter consciousness, open access to intuition and memory, and function as a meaningful adjunct to psychotherapy. This framework helped her see running not only as exercise, but as a relational and therapeutic space.

As she explored this work further, Natae connected with the broader field of running therapy, an approach that combines movement and psychotherapy under the care of trained mental health professionals. This also led recently to the renewed International Association of Running Therapists, or IART, which serves as a professional community for education, collaboration, and the development of running-informed clinical and therapeutic practice.

IART presents running therapy as more than fitness or coaching alone; it is a therapeutic modality that integrates psychological support with embodied movement. Its mission includes promoting training, ethical practice, and research for clinicians who use running and walking as part of mental health treatment.

Why Running Matters for Trauma- Evidence and EMDR

Feenstra’s study begins from the understanding that trauma affects both mind and body, with consequences that can extend into physical health, emotional regulation, and daily functioning. Her literature review argues that trauma treatment should therefore include a psychophysiological lens rather than relying only on cognitive or verbal processing, including the powerful effect of bilateral stimulation of all kinds.

A key concept in the study is bilateral stimulation, the alternating left-right sensory activation used in approaches such as EMDR. Because body movement naturally produces bilateral stimulation, running may offer a built-in physiological rhythm that supports trauma processing and symptom reduction.

Study Summary & Results

To test these ideas, Feenstra conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study examining whether trauma symptoms among runners were comparable to those of people who had completed EMDR or had received no psychotherapy and no regular exercise. All 265 participants were adults who had experienced trauma at least one year before the study.

The sample included 92 runners, 81 people who had completed EMDR, and 92 comparison participants with trauma histories but no psychotherapy or exercise regimen. Trauma experience was confirmed using the Trauma History Questionnaire, and trauma symptoms were measured with the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40.

The overall results are striking. Across all three groups, the runners reported the lowest trauma symptom scores, with a mean TSC-40 score of 36.043, compared with 44.609 for the comparison group and 53.914 for the EMDR group. Statistical testing showed that these differences were significant, and the study found no homogeneity violation despite the EMDR group’s smaller sample size, allowing the analysis to move forward with confidence.

More specifically, post hoc analysis showed that the runner group scored significantly lower than both of the other groups. Compared with the comparison group, the effect size was medium, and compared with the EMDR group, the effect size was large. In practical terms, this means that in this sample, runners who had experienced trauma reported fewer symptoms than participants who had neither exercised nor received therapy, and also fewer symptoms than those who had recently completed EMDR.

At the same time, Feenstra is careful not to overstate the findings. The EMDR results were unexpected, and she notes that participants who sought EMDR may have been dealing with more severe trauma, something the screening measure did not fully capture. She also points to limitations such as lack of random assignment, unequal group size, and a participant pool that was predominantly female and white.

Another important result is what did not matter statistically within the runner group. Feenstra tested whether outdoor versus indoor running, weekly mileage, number of days running per week, and years of running experience predicted lower trauma symptoms, and none of these variables reached significance. That finding suggests the benefit may not depend on hitting a certain mileage threshold or training at a particular intensity, but may be tied more fundamentally to the repeated, bilateral movement of running itself.

Outdoor running deserves special mention because the article also reviews literature on ecotherapy and nature exposure. While outdoor running was not a unique predictor of lower trauma symptoms in this study, Feenstra notes that time in nature is often associated with calmer emotions, improved mental health, and accessible therapeutic benefit. In other words, the study does not prove that running outside is better than running indoors for trauma recovery, but it leaves room for the possibility that natural settings may still support healing in ways this design could not isolate.

Taken together, the study supports running as a promising therapeutic treatment for trauma, while also suggesting that the simplest interpretation may be the most important one: regular running itself appears to matter more than specialized training variables. Feenstra even suggests that the innate bilateral stimulation of running may help explain why trauma symptoms were lower among runners regardless of setting, mileage, years, or weekly frequency beyond the study minimums.

Why This Matters: What You Can Do

For listeners, counselors, educators, and anyone interested in embodied healing, this conversation offers a practical takeaway: movement can be part of recovery, and it does not have to begin with performance goals. The study points toward the value of consistent running itself rather than elite mileage, speed, or a perfect training environment.

What can be done with that insight is simple and accessible. A person recovering from trauma might begin with a gentle run-walk routine, focus on rhythm rather than pace, and pay attention to what kinds of movement feel grounding and sustainable. Clinicians and school counselors may also consider how movement-based approaches, when used ethically and within proper training, can complement more traditional forms of care. Published article link in peer reviewed Counseling journal will be placed here June 2026.

Links to Discover More:

Therapy Steps Counseling: www.therapy-steps.com

International Association of Running Therapists (IART): www.sites.google.com/view/iartusa/

Coach Jeff Galloway: The Enduring Gift of Run-Walk-Run

Jeff Galloway and the Enduring Gift of Run-Walk-Run

One of many RunDisney Expos with Coach Jeff

It has taken me some time to write this, as we accept the loss of "Coach Jeff", who has meant so much to do many. The end of this 2025-26 RunDisney season feels bittersweet, as we celebrate the joy of his spirit, try to continue passing it on (as he would certainly have us do) as we mourn and feel the weight of this loss of our running coach, mentor, and friend Jeff Galloway. He has left an amazing legacy with us that I would be grateful to pass forward just a fraction of; Coach Jeff was the reason many people kept running for decades, and for me personally, he helped shape a path that I could not have imagined when I first joined Galloway Training to get back to marathon running, and then years later the Galloway Pacing Team, which has carried me to countless 26.2 and 13.1, as well as a few Ultras. Over time, that inspiration and recognition of what was possible led me to want to share this magic with others, and become a Program Director for the Galloway Training Program. I now feel connected to groups across the country and around the world thanks to Jeff, and experience the joy of running in ways that makes every race weekend and neighborhood run feel more accessible and more meaningful.

Jeff’s impact was never only about miles, finish times, or race medals. He reminded everyone that they were an athlete and a runner - their identity as "you belong here", even if just running a few steps. He changed the culture of distance running forever by making it more humane, more welcoming, and more sustainable for ordinary people. His signature run-walk-run method, developed in the 1970s, has since opened the door for millions of runners and walkers to participate in the sport with less fear, less injury, and more confidence. I see it at every Disney race, every NYC marathon, every new runner I work with. In a world that often celebrates pushing harder at all costs and is ego-driven, Jeff offered a different vision: one that treated rest, rhythm, and adaptation as strengths rather than weaknesses.  He also always saw you as the most important person in the room, and focused 100% on your concerns, every time he spoke to you. This was uncanny, and everyone I have met has agreed on this single "superpower" he held at expos with hundreds of people and on the road. 

That vision mattered most I think because it helped redefine who gets to call themselves a runner. There was a time in my life (early 30s) when recovering from a health crisis that I could barely walk for a year, and I struggled to get back into my love of running over the coming decade. I gradually found my way back to distance racing and marathons because I gave myself permission to run-walk-run and be kind to my body, believing in myself. Jeff understood that many people do not begin with elite backgrounds or natural speed, and many of us come back from harrowing journeys. Some start later in life, some return after injury, and some need a more forgiving structure to stay in the sport. The genius of the Galloway method was not just its simplicity, but its generosity and unconditional acceptance. It makes running feel possible for beginners to crusty veterans, and especially people who had long believed the sport was not for them.

One of the things I value most about Jeff’s life story is how clearly he combined achievement with humility. Here was an Olympian, an innovator, an author, a coach, and a tireless educator, but he never built his legacy by standing above the people he helped or gave unsolicited advice. I ever heard him utter a negative word about anyone, and is wife Barb recently recounted to us that she had never heard him raise his voice to anyone, across decades of marriage and frustrating situations. What a mentor for our times, and one that I know I direly needed to see. Instead, he stood beside us That posture of encouragement is part of why so many runners describe him not only as a coach but as a friend, even if they only saw him once a year at an expo. He had a way of making people feel seen and then the gift of remembering them, and that may be one of the greatest gifts any teacher can offer.  

He was also a student of the history of the sport, and one of my favorite "running experiences alongside Jeff" was during the pandemic when he and Dean Karnazes teamed up to take us on a 300+ mile challenge across ancient Greece (virtual, in my ears) as we learned about the culture and beginnings of the marathon. This New York Times profile from early 2026 captured something especially moving about Jeff’s outlook in his later years, how he passed on a legacy of knowledge and enthusiasm that was almost ineffable. Even while facing serious heart issues, he remained attached to the dream of one more marathon, not as a vanity project but as an expression of purpose and joy. That determination says a great deal about him: he was not simply teaching people how to run farther or faster, but how to keep moving toward life with hope, discipline, and gratitude. His story reminds us that running can be both practical and spiritual, both disciplined and deeply personal.

For my wife and I (indirectly how we met by the way) Jeff’s legacy is inseparable from community; Through RunDisney and the Galloway Training Program, he built spaces where people could show up as they were and still belong. The pacing groups, the training teams, the repeat seasons, and the shared race weekends created a kind of informal fellowship that went beyond training plans. We are not just improving fitness, we're forming lifelong relationships and habits, building confidence, and becoming part of a wider global running family. It is a wonderful family to be a part of, imperfect and full of diversity like any family. Coach Jeff was definitely the grandfather figure we all looked to in difficult times. That is a rare achievement, and it helps explain why his influence continues to resonate so widely.

To come to a close, I would add that what I admire most is that Jeff never treated the run-walk-run method as a "compromise". He presented it as a wise, legitimate, and effective way to run well and stay healthy, playing the long run game. That idea has only grown more relevant over time, especially as more runners look for ways to sustain their practice across decades rather than seasons, and it becomes less about PRs (note that many PRs are set and even sub-3 hour marathoners that swear by the Galloway method). However, in that sense, Jeff’s work aligns beautifully with a broader anthropology of running: the understanding that running is not just about performance, but about identity, adaptation, belonging, and meaning. There are so many tributes one could write about Jeff Galloway, but the best one may be the simplest: He changed lives by helping and genuinely caring about people. He gave permission to slow down without giving up. He created a method, but he also created a culture of encouragement and positivity around all body types and abilities. And perhaps the best tribute we can offer now is exactly the one he would recognize: keep moving, share the love, and remind one another, “You can do it.”

Twiggs Family in Ukraine: Humanitarian Relief and Kyiv Marathon

Episode 78 is available nearly anywhere podcasts are heard, including Apple and Spotify... Please share this with a friend who might enjoy learning about the culture of running with inspiring stories from across the globe!

Chris, Brendan and Diana Twiggs in Ukraine

This episode features the inspiring story of Chris Twiggs, Diana Twiggs, and their son Brendan Twiggs, who relentlessly dedicate their time to relief work in Ukraine and perhaps more importantly build friendships of solidarity.

Diana Twiggs, a practicing physician, started volunteering with International Medical Relief, providing essential medical care and support in urgent regions. The organization’s initiatives are focused especially now on Ukrainian refugees at border areas and the internally displaced, helping where it’s needed most.

Chris & Diana post-Kyiv Marathon, with Medals!

Through Diana’s example, Chris and Brendan have joined the cause. Chris, well known in the running community as the National Training Director for the Galloway Run-Walk-Run program, partners with Diana on trips to Ukraine, bringing medical supplies and supporting humanitarian efforts, and spreading the word. Their latest visit included both Lviv—a vital base for relief work close to the Polish border—and the capital Kyiv, where they participated in the Kyiv Marathon, standing in solidarity with Ukraine’s resilient spirit and thousands of fellow runners. They also brought medical relief supplies most recently to Traveling Colonels, a group of military veterans providing critical medical relief to the front lines where  through dedicated people across the country.  

Brendan Twiggs stands out for his ongoing commitment, joining us from the streets of Lviv as we hear the sounds of everyday life in his daily commute. He is now living in Lviv and working primarily at the Lviv Volunteer Kitchen—founded in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea by caring individuals; created from the community itself, rather than an NGO or large international relief effort. It serves as a voice and a hub for internally displaced people and place to connect relief workers to needs on the ground. 

The Twiggs' reflections in this episode emphasize how showing up for others can bridge divides and demonstrate in person that Ukrainians are not forgotten, underscoring the meaningful impact of personal diplomacy by also sharing the realities of war with friends and family back home in the United States. They also emphasize the harrowing actions that everyday Ukrainians are taking to support their neighbors and countrymen as they fight to regain peace while striving to live a meaningful life each day.

***Get Involved, Advocate, Give or Learn More***

• International Medical Relief: https://internationalmedicalrelief.org/
  Medical supplies were also brought to Kyiv through Traveling Colonels:  https://thetravelingcolonels.com/
• Lviv Volunteer Kitchen Charity: Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lvivkitchen/ or through local Ukrainian relief networks.
• Kyiv Marathon:
  Event info at https://kyivmarathon.org/ and through charity run directories.

***Take Action: Contact Your Representatives***

Your voice matters. Get informed and then urge continued support for Ukraine by contacting your US representatives:

• Find Your Elected Officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
  Direct link for Senate and House contacts.

• 

  Lviv Volunteer Kitchen in Action!

  
  

  

  Family Affair: Arriving With Supplies in Tow from USA Donations 

As fellow Galloway run-walk-runners, it’s an honor to witness Brendan, Chris and Diana’s commitment—on running courses and in humanitarian work. Their story is a testament to how each person, by showing up and sharing, can contribute to hope and resilience in meaningful ways. Small actions—being informed, making contact, sharing stories—add up to remarkable collective impact. 

-Post by Mark Lane-Holbert

Talking Running Therapy with Sepideh Saremi, and Mini Handbook Launch!

 

Moving Forward: Run Walk Talk® Therapy with Sepideh Saremi & Launching the "Mini Handbook of Running Therapy" - available nearly anywhere podcasts are found!

In this very special episode, we sit down with Sepideh Saremi, founder of Run Walk Talk® Therapy—a trailblazer whose approach brings movement and therapy together in the most accessible way possible. Sepideh’s Run Walk Talk® method invites people to experience the power of therapy while moving side-by-side, turning a walk or run into a safe space for honest conversation, healing, and personal growth.

Whether you’re a seasoned runner, a total beginner, or simply curious about how our bodies and minds are connected, this episode will inspire and equip you. Sepideh shares how running therapy breaks down barriers, supports mental health, and welcomes all bodies and ability levels—with no performance pressure and every pace celebrated. You’ll also discover the research behind why walking (or running) while talking can unlock insight, reduce anxiety, and build deeper connections.

And that’s not all! We’re thrilled to announce the e-publication of the Mini Handbook of Running Therapy: How Movement Becomes Medicine for the Mind. Drawing from the latest science, real stories of healing, and practical tools, this concise guide is for anyone seeking hope, motivation, or new ways to cope with our modern life and mental health issues. Whether you’re a runner, walker, therapist, coach, or just looking for a fresh start, the handbook meets you right where you are.

The Mini Handbook of Running Therapy is now available on Kindle / Amazon, or you can download a PDF of linked resources for free.

Tune in, download the handbook, and join us as we explore Running Therapy and the movement for mental health—with Sepideh Saremi. Let’s move minds, together.

Download to read on Kindle/Amazon for $1.99

TB Training & Running Logotherapy/Coaching

I. Join for a "Run Walk Talk" Logotherapy Session or a Local Galloway Run-Walk-Run Training Program

Whether you’re aiming for your first half marathon or your next marathon PR, you’ll receive expert run-walk-run training with a unique focus on meaning, mindset, and motivation!

• Tampa Bay- Group run sessions for all levels and paces (beginner to advanced)

• Holistic support: training, purpose-building, and community

• Info Session to be held at "The Running Center of TB", or join virtually

• Olympian Coach Jeff Galloway hosted a mini-clinic on Saturday, Sept. 20th in Tampa Bay!

• + Opportunities for one-on-one Running Logotherapy, see below:

Ready to Find Your Purpose—On and Off the Road?

Discover Running Logotherapy: Finding Meaning, Motivation, and Purpose

Have you ever wondered how running can not only strengthen your body, but also help you discover deeper meaning and purpose in your life? As a certified USATF running coach and logotherapist—a purpose-based approach to positive psychology—I am excited to offer Running Logotherapy to local runners seeking more than just miles or medals.

What Is Run-Walk-Talk Therapy and Running Logotherapy?

Run Walk Talk (read more) is a method developed by mental health professionals that combines movement with traditional modalities of therapy. In my case, I have been certified in both Run-Walk-Talk and Logotherapy to practice my own Running Logotherapy, which combines purpose-driven coaching with the proven psychological benefits of movement. This is pastoral (non-clinical) therapy, inspired by Viktor Frankl’s work in Logotherapy, this approach helps individuals:

• - Clarify personal values and find meaning, even in the midst of challenges and suffering

• - Translate everyday movement into purposeful, emotionally fulfilling action

• - Builds resilience, optimism, and a sense of agency both on and off the road

Whether you’re beginning your journey or training for a big race, every step can become an opportunity to engage with, and “run towards,” what matters most to you.

Who Can Benefit?

• Individuals navigating transitions, recovery, or loss: Harness running as a gentle tool for rediscovering hope, strength, and direction.

• Runners losing motivation or feeling stuck: Reconnect with the deeper “why” behind your goals.

• Anyone longing for community and authentic connection: Experience supportive, reflective group or one-on-one sessions in a welcoming environment.

How It Works

• Purpose Conversations: Start each session with a brief check-in on values and intentions, shaping each intervention and run around what truly motivates you.

• Guided Runs and Reflections: Experience running with prompts to encourage self-discovery.

• Goal Support: Personalized plans align your physical training with your broader life goals—because crossing a finish line means even more when it’s tied to your purpose.

Contact: tampagalloway@gmail.com  or  Instagram DM: RunningAnthropologist

Happy running, and may you find faith, hope, and love along the way!

For more information and weekly updates, visit me at RunningAnthropologist.com, or RunningAnthropologist on IG or Facebook, or your favorite podcast platform where you can also listen to interviews and insights from many of the athletes featured.