A Trauma Informed Body-Based Approach to Healing
How We Heal CIC is a Community Interest Company established as a new organisation in July 2025 to make specialist, body-led trauma recovery accessible to women who may otherwise face barriers to accessing private support. Based in the East Midlands, we provide trauma-informed programmes that combine therapeutic yoga, somatic practices, breathwork, nervous system education and psychoeducation to support healing from trauma. Through workshops, community programmes and collaborative partnerships, we help women reconnect with themselves, build resilience and move towards lasting recovery with compassion.
About How We Heal CIC
Trauma Recovery & Wellbeing in the East Midlands
Our Mission: Supporting the Nervous System in Recovery
Our Mission
We believe that healing is possible.
How We Heal CIC was founded to make specialist, body-led trauma recovery accessible to women who may otherwise face barriers to receiving support. Our mission is to create safe, compassionate and trauma-informed spaces where women can reconnect with themselves, restore a sense of safety within their bodies and build lasting resilience.
Through therapeutic yoga, somatic practices, breathwork, nervous system education and psychoeducation, we support recovery from the lasting effects of trauma while empowering women with knowledge, practical tools and a supportive community.
Although we have particular expertise in supporting survivors of domestic abuse and complex trauma, we recognise that trauma can arise from many different life experiences. We are committed to providing accessible, evidence-informed programmes that honour each person's unique journey towards healing.
About our Founder
Our founder, Donna Navarro, brings a wealth of professional expertise and lived commitment to supporting recovery from trauma. A trained trauma-informed Yoga Teacher, a Somatic Coach and a qualified Yoga Therapist specialising in PTSD, C-PTSD and anxiety, she has dedicated her career to creating safe, evidence-informed pathways to healing.
Donna is the founder of the Solace Yoga & Wellness programme, designed specifically for survivors of domestic abuse, and has delivered trauma-informed yoga programmes in diverse and challenging settings including prisons. With a professional background as a Probation Officer, she holds deep insight into the complexities of trauma, recovery, and rehabilitation and brings a rare ability to connect with people wherever they are on their healing journey.
Her unique blend of frontline experience, therapeutic skill, and innovative programme development underpins the vision and mission of How We Heal CIC, ensuring that every initiative is grounded in compassion, expertise and real-world impact
Blending Expertise With Empathy
Our Team: Rooted in Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicester and Derby
How We Heal CIC is guided by a dedicated board of supportive directors each with their own professional experience and knowledge in the fields of trauma and wellbeing. They both bring valuable expertise to our mission. Collectively, they provide governance, strategic oversight, and specialist knowledge that strengthens our work.
One of our supporting directors has a professional background in trauma and education, offering insight into the challenges and impact of childhood trauma and the generational effects of this.
Our second supporting director is a highly experienced yoga teacher and holistic practitioner, contributing a vast wealth of knowledge and expertise in body-based healing practices and holistic wellbeing, with a particular interest in working with women's wellness.
Our
Approach
A Compassionate Trauma-informed Approach to Healing in the East Midlands
At How We Heal CIC, our mission is to empower individuals recovering from trauma through a bottom-up approach, offering a compassionate, trauma-informed blend of yoga, somatic practices, and community support.
We partner with charities, NHS services, and local organisations to provide accessible, evidence-backed wellbeing programmes—fostering resilience, groundedness, and long-term mental wellness. We measure success not only in numbers but in the renewed sense of safety and strength our participants gain.
Our work is guided by three principles:
Trauma-informed: everything we offer is grounded in safety, choice, and empowerment.
Body-based: we use practices such as yoga and somatic coaching to support nervous system regulation and reconnection with the body.
Community-focused: as a Community Interest Company, we reinvest into the people and places we serve, ensuring that our impact reaches far beyond individual sessions.
Our Values
Compassion - creating spaces where people feel respected and safe.
Accessibility - reducing barriers so that everyone has the chance to heal.
Collaboration - working with funders, organisations, and local groups to create meaningful change.
Impact - measuring outcomes in wellbeing, resilience, and community connection.
Our Commitment
As a Community Interest Company, our priority is social value, not profit. Every programme we deliver, every partnership we form, and every pound we reinvest is focused on creating safe spaces for trauma recovery and long-term community wellbeing.
Together, we are building a future where recovery, resilience, and wellbeing are possible for all.