An NYU Counseling student's nonprofit goes beyond the mat

By prioritizing radical inclusivity and social justice, Yoga to Cope provides a unique, judgment-free space where accessible yoga-based tools and mental health advocacy meet to support marginalized communities navigating trauma, grief, and identity.

Yoga to Cope is a 501(c)3 educational nonprofit organization founded by Michaela “Kala” MacDonald, Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness MA student, aiming to provide accessible, completely free yoga-based resources for people coping with various mental health struggles.

MacDonald founded Yoga to Cope in 2018 as a response to the traumatic, unexpected losses of both of her younger brothers in 2013 and 2016, the realization that yoga was supporting her through her grief, and the understanding that yoga was often not accessible or inclusive.

“I hoped to boil down yoga to its most basic and potent forms and share them with anyone in their own grief, trauma, or depression,” MacDonald explains.

As she worked with clients to fill their “wellness toolboxes,” she found herself running up against boundaries that felt ethically irresponsible to cross without deeper psychological knowledge. That is when she decided to pursue a second Master’s degree at NYU Applied Psychology. “I know trauma and healing from a deeply personal place,” she goes on, “but the clinical counseling layer is allowing me to expand beyond my own story and feel better equipped to help others with their own.”

Mel Fielding, a fellow CMHW student, quickly became friends with MacDonald after meeting in their Individual Lab class. Although Fielding does not identify as a yogi, by the end of the year, MacDonald asked them to join the organization’s board to expand their idea of movement, coping, and healing. “As a person in a larger body, as a queer/non-binary/poly person, I often find it hard to feel comfortable in movement spaces,” says Fielding, “and Kala's mission is to make this a place where everyone can find the healing that works for them.”

In the CMHW program, MacDonald has appreciated the reinforcement of a social justice lens. The program has challenged her to zoom outside of herself, to genuinely understand her client’s experiences by taking a more curious approach. “Curiosity about other people creates connection,” she says.

“A lot of the work is done by bearing witness,” Fielding explains. “Connection is finding people who can listen to your story, including the parts that people typically don't want to hear about–– but it's also about being there to listen to others' stories.”

I want people to know yoga isn’t just for the rich white woman with a matching set and high pony. It’s for, and works for, anyone willing to give it a go. We’re here to make it accessible and hand it over; all they have to do is take it.”

Kala MacDonald, YTC President (MA Counseling)

The female-focused podcast extension of YTC, Yoga Therapy, hosted by MacDonald, hopes to bring important and complex issues (such as existentialism and girl friendships) down to Earth, offering insights that marry the science of yoga with counseling applications. Its monthly formatting creates space for deeper dives and intentionality behind each chosen topic, and its informal nature allows for a unique, sarcastic voice.

The YTC blog is another resource for expression and healing. One article written by Fielding, What Does Cheating Mean When Love Isn't Exclusive?, for example, aims to dispel myths about polyamory and encourage folks to think about their own boundaries and what constitutes betrayal on a personal and ongoing basis.

Yoga to Cope continues to grow and expand, with MacDonald currently running a Domestic Violence support group and launching a Mindfulness 101 group. In addition, the organization is working on a new initiative called The Death Club, which will explore mortality, grief, and what makes a “good death.”

For those struggling with grief, trauma, identity, or mental health – MacDonald wants you to know the practices don’t happen on a mat. They happen in the body, mind, and spirit.