Breathwork Clinician Certification FAQs
What type of breathwork are you teaching?
The breath practice we teach is a two-part breath done through the mouth, not dissimilar to CCB, or Rebirthing. It’s origins are currently unknown, but we are working to uncover its roots. We studied for 12 years under David Elliott* until we left for ethical reasons, and no real lineage of this work was ever taught. It most likely is a modified Kriya technique like rebirthing, but we are on the journey to discover its genesis so we can give appropriate credit to this practice.
We'll also be working with a parasympathetic specific breath as well, which we've developed over the years working with clients seeking trauma integration.
What is the application process?
Applications are open and you can fill one out with the button below. If you are accepted, this email will include a direct signup link that will allow you to submit your deposit and save your spot.
Are there any prerequisites?
There are no prerequisites in order to attend this Breathwork Clinician Certification. Prior experience with breathwork is ideal but not required. What matters is that you have a genuine for passion for breathwork and a desire to learn.
What are the deadlines for applications?
January 31, 2025 for scholarship applications and March 15, 2025 for preliminary applications.
How do I apply?
What is the minimum level of education required to apply?
There is no minimum education requirement, and you are not required to be a licensed therapist, clinical social worker, or clinical counselor. This training is open to anyone wanting to deepen their own personal breathwork practice.
What are the requirements to maintain certification after graduation?
40 hours of approved continuing education every two years. Six must be ethics CEs. Six must be anti-racism. Six must be in decolonization, intersectionality, ableism, or LGBTQ+ issues. Graduates must offer sliding scale to BIPOC individuals, and offer some sort of regular pro bono work for the community of their choice. We trust that attendees understand that continued education is an essential part of working in this field and that they will commit to this following graduation.
Does this training include CEs?
Breathwork for Recovery is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs and LCSWs. Breathwork for Recovery maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. The 800-hour Breathwork Clinician Certification qualifies for 800 CE hours and the CEs can be broken down to roughly 33 per month.
Is this training trauma-informed?
At its core, breathwork is a trauma integration technique, much like Somatic Experiencing or EMDR. It is trauma focused so calling it trauma-informed is redundant. Our organization is trauma-informed, our practice is trauma-specific. Additionally, many programs and facilitators are labeling their work and training in this way as a marketing ploy.
How many attendees are in each training?
Maximum capacity for each digital Breathwork for Recovery Breathwork Clinician Certification is 25 people.
What does my tuition go toward?
Your tuition pays for teaching materials, curriculum development, and most importantly fairly compensates a lineup of top-level educators, healers, and clinicians who will be your faculty throughout the program.
How does the 400 hours of yearly training breakdown?
During the two-year certification, each year includes:
(11) 7 hours monthly training module (77 hours)
(12) 1-hour monthly training evaluations (12 hours)
(1) 8-hour presentation days (8 hours)
(1) 4-hour prep for presentation (4 hours)
(50) 1-hour weekly supervision (50 hours)
(50) 1-hour weekly homework assignments (50 hours)
(12) 2-hour monthly trainer led bw (24 hours)
(12) 2-hour monthly peer led bw (24 hours)
(50) 1-hour weekly led bw session (50 hours)
(50) 1-hour weekly received bw session (50 hours)
(50) .25-hour weekly oral or written session notes led/receiving (12.5 hours)
(12) 1.5-hour monthly peer to peer coaching (18 hours)
(15) 1-hour sessions with outside clients (15 hours)
(15) 30-minute oral or written session notes upon administering a session to clients (7.5 hours)
Additionally, we have an optional +200 hours of adjunctive coursework to bring out the very best in our Clinical Breathwork Practitioners:
1 optional in-person hands-on clinic culminating in a graduation ceremony in the second year (20 hours) (West Coast, location TBD)
(11 books) Specialized reading list and writing assignments (90 hours)
For a total of 402 or 502 hours per year.
What are the dates for the training?
Deadline for Scholarship Applications: January 31 2025
Deadline for Regular Applications: March 15, 2025
Opening Ceremony: Sunday, March 23 9 a.m.-noon PT
Day 1 (Online module 1 start date): Sunday, April 13 13 9 a.m.-6 p.m. PT
All following online modules take place on the 2nd Sunday of each month from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. PT (unless otherwise specified)
Monthly 2-hour Trainer led Breathwork occurs every 1st Saturday of the month
Monthly 2-hour Student led Breathwork occurs every 4th Sunday of the month
Weekly 1-hour supervision occurs every Tuesday evening from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm PT Monthly 1.5-hour monthly peer to peer coaching occurs every 2nd Monday following the training module Students are expected to lead roughly 1 session per week with other cohort members Students are expected to receive roughly 1 session per week with other cohort members
Two years is a long time, can I work with clients while I’m enrolled?
Once the faculty feel you are ready, part of your training requires you to start working with clients who have already experienced breathwork with transparency regarding where you are in the learning process. Those session hours count towards the 150 required to become A Certified Breathwork Clinician.
My friends got certified through (insert breathwork training here) and they only had to do a weekend’s (or four) worth of training, why is yours so long?
Client care is why there are training standards (which we feel should be increased) outlined by the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance. In our experience, albeit limited by only 14 years of teaching this work, most folks teaching breathwork who believe it doesn’t take that much training to be a breathwork practitioner, either haven’t done enough breathwork themselves, are unethical and unscrupulous, are looking to make a quick buck, are overconfident in their abilities, or simply don’t have enough experience holding space during a breathwork session. Most is not all, of course. The last few years we have seen an explosion of breathwork practitioners with limited training and we are vehemently opposed to McBreathwork trainings and practitioners which we would define as any training offering less than 200 hours of training and not covering trauma, anatomy, physiology, intersectionality, trauma, colonization, lineage, trauma, counseling skills, intuition, scope of practice, trauma, and a hell of a lot more. Did we mention trauma? Or a “practitioner” or “facilitator” who has been “certified” by one of these “trainers.”
Unskilled, untrained, or unqualified breathwork practitioners can harm clients and we are setting a better standard of care. To become certified as a Somatic Experiencing Professional or a Psychodrama facilitator, it takes 216 hours over three years, and 550 hours respectively. To become EMDR certified, you must already be a licensed therapist and then can be completed in 50 hours. Why should a breathwork practitioner, who is working with someone’s trauma, be trained with any less care.
I can’t make it to one of the days of the training. Can you record it for me?
This is a live training, and we encourage you to attend live. If you suspect you will not be able to attend a day of training, or you learn of a schedule conflict after already securing a seat, please notify your training team immediately. All class sessions will be recorded and made available for a period of time. Supervision, group, and peer work will not be recorded and will need to be made up in order to complete the full 800 hours.
What if I want hands-on support?
BCC attendees have access to discounted private one-on-one training and breathwork sessions with Breathwork for Recovery founder Nathaniel Hodder-Shipp, CADC-II for additional support. BCC attendees pay a student rate of $100/session with packages available upon request, and graduates are welcome to continue to attend supervision as long as they like.
Are there tests or exams?
BCC attendees are required to complete a skill review on an as needed basis to confirm comprehension of the subject matter. Reviews are “graded” on a pass/retake scale, and attendees can take each review a second time if improvements are needed. If so, Breathwork for Recovery founder Nathaniel Hodder-Shipp will provide detailed feedback to assist in the retake. This is a supported process, not a pass/fail unless egregious inability to understand the material presented occurs.
What do I get when I complete the BCC program?
Breathwork Clinician Certification attendees who successfully complete all required coursework will receive a formal certificate of completion emblazoned with the name of their choice in print and high-res digital forms, but there are stages of the certification to identify to the world where you are in your certification process! Much like a licensed therapist, or certified counselor, we want the journey to reflect your hard work.
The stages are as follows:
Registered Breathwork Apprentice- I
Enrolled in the Breathwork Clinician Certification up to Year two of the training and released to work with the public under supervision in a limited capacity for Practicum sessions
Registered Breathwork Apprentice- II
Met all criteria of the Year 1 Breathwork Clinician Certification and working through Practicum sessions
Certified Associate Breathwork Clinician
Has successfully graduated Breathwork Clinician Certification
Certified Breathwork Clinician
Has successfully graduated Breathwork Clinician Certification and completed 150 contact hours via Practicum sessions
Certified Breathwork Trainer
All of the above and has assisted in 800 hours of Breathwork Clinician Certification. Meets the prerequisite to become faculty for Breathwork Clinician Certification
Is the digital training accessible?
Modules will consist of audio and visual content. Slides will feature high-contrast colors, large sans-serif fonts, image descriptions, a live transcript, and AI closed captioning.
Does Breathwork for Recovery offer BCC scholarships?
Breathwork for Recovery offers (4) four $4,750 partial scholarships and (1) one full scholarship to Black, Indigenous, Brown, Asian American Pacific Islander, and People of Color with priority given to those who are queer and transgender. Additionally, any person of Indian descent can pay the amount which they feel the course is worth (minimum of $4,000). This is a lower rate than the scholarship rate and helps make sure our non-breathwork faculty members are compensated fairly for their time. We want to make this course as accessible as possible while being able to have world-class faculty. To apply, please complete this form along with the general application form at the top of this page. Completion of these two forms is required to qualify.
If you qualify for a partial scholarship and are selected, you will have a $500 balance to pay in order to accept it. Please do not submit an application if you are not prepared or able to pay this balance.
If you qualify for this financial aid and are selected, you will receive an email from Breathwork for Recovery with instructions for how to accept and pay your $500 balance. If you do not reply to this email by the specified deadline, the scholarship will be provided to the next qualified candidate. If you do not receive an email from us, you have not been selected, and you are welcome to reapply for a scholarship to the next cohort.
How do I apply for the scholarship?
Please fill out the standard application and after review, faculty will email an invitation to book an interview to make sure we’re the right fit, then follow-up with the scholarship application.
What about payment plans?
Breathwork for Recovery offers 12-month payment plans to help reduce financial stress and students cannot be certified until complete payment is paid. To confirm your payment plan, submit a payment authorization form to info@breathworkforrecovery.com to automate monthly payments via credit card. You must fill out and submit this form via email in order to confirm your payment plan.
Failure to make payments by deadline may result in your payment plan being canceled, and your remaining balance will be due in full. If payment delays are the result of unexpected financial hardship, email us at info@breathworkforrecovery.com so we can explore alternative options.
Are there any special exceptions to this payment structure?
Absolutely. Email us at info@breathworkforrecovery.com to talk about it!
If I don’t need a payment plan or qualify for a scholarship, what are my payment options?
You can pay your tuition in full at signup, or you can reserve your seat with a non-refundable deposit and submission of a payment authorization form, which will automatically withdraw your remaining balance on the 1st of the month that the training begins. You must submit this form in order to confirm your seat. Email us at info@breathworkforrecovery.com if you’d like to pay early.
How do I pay?
Deposits are accepted via credit card (Stripe), and payment plans and remaining balances are paid via a credit card authorization form. Should you require a different payment method, email us at info@breathworkforrecovery.com and we will see if we can accommodate.
Can my employer pay my tuition?
Absolutely. Please note that BCC is open to people, not businesses or non-profits, so communication about the program must come from you, not your supervisor or employer. Please make sure your employer is aware that we do not make special exceptions for our attendance, payment, or refund policies.
Should your employment be suspended or terminated before being able to attend the program, your seat in our program remains yours and is not transferable to another staff member. Unless you tell us otherwise, you will be responsible for your remaining balance and we will expect to see you on Day 1. Should you be unable to attend without your employer’s financial assistance, you must inform us at info@breathworkforrecovery.com immediately so we can replace you with someone on our waitlist.
I’d like to train my staff. Are private certifications available?
Breathwork for Recovery does not offer private versions of the Breathwork Clinician Certification.
I have an issue or complaint to report. What is your grievance policy?
Grievances shall be submitted by email to ethics@breathworkforrecovery.com and acknowledgement of receipt will sent within 72 hours. Breathwork for Recovery's Administrative Support team will respond to the participant within 72 hours. All grievances and related communication must be sent to ethics@breathworkforrecovery.com; anything sent directly to the Program Administrator via email, social media, private messages, or other public commentary will not be responded to.
Why are you not registered with the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance?
We feel that they are doing a bang up job for the community, we also think there needs to be a more robust Code of Ethics, increased hour requirements for certification, and training requirements for diversity and social justice. They are doing incredible work and have set the standards for breathwork globally, we are working with The American Breathwork Association to create standards here in the U.S.
Have a question that hasn’t been answered here? Email us at info@breathworkforrecovery.com.
*In the almost 12 years I spent studying under David Elliott as one of his main teachers, I’ve grown both spiritually and professionally and will always be grateful for the opportunities that working closely with him has afforded me. In Fall 2021, I made the heart-wrenching and difficult decision to leave David's breathwork community, as I could no longer ethically be associated with him or his teachers due to the legacy of harm outlined here by Breathwork for the People.
I was not involved in the letter-writing nor am I affiliated with Breathwork for the People, but what they did was an important step in healing the breathwork community and took a tremendous amount of courage. I remained in David's breathwork community for a year and a half hoping to be a part of the important changes urged by Breathwork for the People and several other community members throughout the years, and to make it a better program and safer, more affirming space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color as well as folks from the LGBTQIA+ community. The issues outlined in the letter were not remedied, however, and the changes were not made. So I left the community in order to build one that represents the values and justice focus that I and so many others hold true.