Therapeutic Breathwork and Yoga Somatics for Integrated Care Credential
Connecticut Certification Board specialty certification pathway
Self-paced, on demand workforce training with optional live components and courses eligible for CECs
This Is For You If You:
Work with clients who understand their patterns but still feel physically stuck in anxiety or shutdown
Have had moments when a client escalates and you wish you had more than words
Want practical somatic tools you can use immediately and explain clearly to clients
Need practices that work in offices, hospitals, telehealth, and community settings
Want ways to support your own nervous system in high exposure helping roles
Need the flexibility of online or hybrid learning
Why This Certification Exists
Therapeutic breathwork and yoga somatics are increasingly used across behavioral health, recovery, healthcare, and human services. But in public sector and integrated care environments, the stakes are higher. Staff need practical tools that help without destabilizing clients, creating role confusion, or drifting into treatment claims that fall outside scope.
This program was developed for professionals who want tools that actually help in complex, high-stakes situations without increasing risk or role confusion.
This specialty certification was designed as a workforce ready pathway that prioritizes ethical delivery, and competency-based implementation support rather than personality driven “wellness” training.
What is the Connecticut Certification Board?
The Connecticut Certification Board is an independent, non governmental, 501(c)(3) nonprofit that offers competency-based credentialing and has established specialty certificates for professionals licensed and credentialed in other behavioral healthcare domains. Their stated mission is protecting the public through competency-based credentialing, training, and promotion of ethical practice.
Program and Public Sector Fit
The Therapeutic Breathwork and Yoga Somatics for Integrated Care Program was designed for public sector, nonprofit, and institutional settings where consistency and workforce readiness matter. Its structure integrates into existing supervision, staffing, and risk management frameworks, supporting safer service delivery, improved staff confidence, and consistent implementation across teams and sites.
Applied Skills and Clinical Capabilities:
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Stabilizing dysregulated or escalated clients
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Practical tools clinicians can use immediately
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Clear guidance on when techniques help or harm
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Methods that work in real clinical environments
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Skills that support provider regulation and resilience
Within the curriculum, ClinicAlly Trained™ teaches two established educational frameworks:
- Applied Yoga Somatics™
- Pneumetric Breath Method™
These frameworks provide shared structure and language for safe, consistent application of practices across roles and settings, supporting fidelity and public trust in integrated care environments.
Scope and Professional Use
This certification is designed to strengthen safe, ethical use of therapeutic breathwork and yoga somatics within real-world professional roles. It does not create a new license, authorize independent practice, or replace existing professional standards.
The program is not yoga teacher training, yoga therapy training, or psychotherapy training. Completion of the certification does not qualify participants to represent themselves as yoga therapists, yoga teachers, psychotherapists, or medical providers. Instead, it prepares participants to apply body-based, breathwork, and meditative regulation practices as supportive, adjunctive tools within their existing role, credentials, supervision, and organizational policies.
Participants include licensed clinicians, credentialed professionals, and non-licensed, role-defined staff working within supervised systems. Scope of application is determined by the participant’s role and setting. For some, this may involve direct use of regulation practices as part of an integrated care team. For others, it may involve supporting environments, routines, and engagement without direct instruction. The program emphasizes discernment rather than uniform application.
Throughout the curriculum, strong attention is given to scope clarity, contraindications, risk recognition, referral thresholds, and role differentiation. Participants learn not only what practices may be appropriate, but when not to use them, how to adapt responsibly, and when collaboration or referral is required. This approach protects the public while supporting organizations in meeting workforce, safety, and accountability priorities.
What Makes This Certification Different
This specialty certification was built to meet the realities of integrated care work, where safety, clarity, and consistency matter as much as innovation.
The Therapeutic Breathwork and Yoga Somatics for Integrated Care Program is grounded in the applied science of yoga therapy. Rather than teaching yoga as a lifestyle, tradition, or collection of techniques, the program focuses on how and why specific practices support nervous system regulation, and how to apply them responsibly with real people in real-world settings.
Participants learn practical teaching frameworks and evidence-informed methods alongside clear guidance on implementation. This includes how to introduce practices in trauma-informed ways, what language supports safety and choice, how to adapt practices for different learning styles and capacities, and how to recognize when a practice is not appropriate. Emphasis is placed on selecting a small set of accessible tools and using them well, rather than accumulating techniques without context.
Learning outcomes are mapped to a formal competency framework and verified through documented fulfillment. The result is a certification that emphasizes readiness and discernment, equipping participants not just with tools, but with the ability to evaluate, adapt, and apply somatic practices responsibly across diverse integrated care environments. Graduates learn how to assess suitability, adjust approaches, and reduce risk rather than relying solely on preset protocols.
Built-In Readiness and First-Year Support
Because therapeutic breathwork and yoga somatics are emerging practice areas within integrated care systems, this certification places strong emphasis on implementation readiness.
Baseline competence is established through completion of the curriculum and an observed practicum that evaluates safety, scope adherence, trauma-informed delivery, and applied decision-making. To support confident real-world use, the certification also includes a structured, time-limited consultation requirement during the first year.
This consultation supports refinement and contextual application during early implementation. It is designed as implementation support rather than remediation, reassessment, or clinical supervision.
Trainer Qualifications
All instruction within the certification pathway is delivered by yoga therapists who hold the C-IAYT credential or equivalent qualifications and meet ClinicAlly Trained™ trainer standards.
Teaching is grounded in nervous system science, trauma-informed principles, and real-world integrated care contexts, ensuring participants learn from instructors who understand both the practices and the environments in which they are applied.
Who This Certification Is For
This program is designed for professionals working in integrated care, behavioral health, healthcare, recovery, education, and human service settings, including:
- Licensed clinicians such as social workers, counselors, therapists, and psychologists
- Healthcare professionals such as nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and rehabilitation providers
- Substance use and recovery professionals including addiction counselors, recovery coaches, and peer support specialists
- School-based professionals, such as school social workers, counselors, and psychologists
- Case managers, care coordinators, and community based service providers
- Supervisors, program leads, and administrators supporting integrated care and staff wellbeing
Participants apply what they learn within their existing professional role and organizational scope, with emphasis on ethical use, harm reduction, and real-world applicability.
There are no formal prerequisites to enroll. Certification is awarded upon completion of required coursework and an observed practicum.
Certification Pathway Overview
The Therapeutic Breathwork and Yoga Somatics for Integrated Care Program is structured as a clear, competency-based pathway that combines required core training, elective specialization, and supported implementation.
Certification Requirements Summary
Completion of required core courses in Therapeutic Breathwork and Yoga Somatics (24 hours)
Completion of elective coursework in Integrated Care and Professional Resilience (16 hours)
Completion of an observed practicum (3 hours)
Completion of first-year consultation (7 hours)
Application of all content within existing professional scope and organizational policies
Required Core Courses (24 hrs total)
Participants complete the following foundational courses:
Foundations of Yoga Somatics for Integrated Care: Applied Yoga Somatics™
18 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
When talk-based approaches escalate distress or fail to restore regulation, clinicians need practical alternatives. This course introduces trauma-informed yoga somatics as a scope-appropriate way to help dysregulated individuals settle, orient, and regain stability in real time.
Designed for high stress behavioral health settings, the training focuses on how to introduce, cue, and deliver movement and grounding strategies that support nervous system regulation across offices, hospitals, shelters, mobile response, and telehealth.
Therapeutic Breathwork for Mental Health: The Pneumetric Breath Method™
6 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Breathwork is increasingly used in mental health settings, yet improper selection or pacing can increase risk, especially for trauma-exposed populations. This online course provides an evidence-informed framework for evaluating, selecting, and adapting breathing practices to support nervous system regulation safely. Designed for behavioral health and social service professionals, it teaches a physiology-based decision making model for safe, ethical use in client care and professional regulation.
Together, these courses provide the core frameworks for nervous system regulation and trauma-informed application of somatic and breath-based practices in integrated care contexts.
Elective Coursework (16 hours total)
Participants complete elective hours based on their role, setting, and areas of focus. Electives are drawn from two categories:
Category A Electives: Clinical Applications of Yoga Therapy for Integrated Care
(minimum 3 hours toward the 16-hour elective requirement)
These electives are designed for professionals providing direct client care in behavioral health, healthcare, and integrated service settings, offering trauma-informed approaches to nervous system regulation and support.
Available courses include:
Clinical Applications of Yoga Therapy for Trauma
6 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
This course introduces yoga therapy-informed somatic, breath-based, and awareness practices that support safety, stabilization, and nervous system regulation for trauma-exposed clients. Emphasis is placed on scope-appropriate application, risk identification, and contraindication awareness, particularly for clients experiencing hyperarousal, shutdown, dissociation, or overwhelm.
Participants learn how to adapt foundational practices for use in-office and telehealth settings without engaging in trauma processing, narrative exposure, or re-experiencing. Instruction integrates trauma-informed communication, Polyvagal-informed practice selection, and ethical decision-making so professionals can support regulation while maintaining clear clinical boundaries and referral pathways.
Clinical Applications of Yoga Therapy for Anxiety
3 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
This training focuses on yoga therapy-informed strategies for addressing the nervous system patterns underlying anxiety, including disrupted breathing, autonomic overactivation, and interoceptive sensitivity. Participants learn how to select and adapt movement, breathwork, sound, and meditation practices that reduce overwhelm without triggering panic or shutdown.
Instruction emphasizes evidence-informed practice selection, contraindication awareness, and differentiation between state-based anxiety relief and longer-term nervous system resilience and regulation support. Application is framed within integrated care contexts, supporting ethical use alongside psychotherapy, medication, and other behavioral health interventions.
Clinical Applications of Yoga Therapy for Depression
6 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
This course explores yoga therapy-informed approaches for supporting clients experiencing depressive symptoms such as low energy, withdrawal, fatigue, indecision, and difficulty initiating action. Emphasis is placed on selecting practices that support activation, reconnection, and remission without overwhelming limited capacity or exacerbating fatigue.
Participants learn how nervous system dysregulation, inflammation, and altered brain function contribute to depressive symptoms, and how carefully paced movement, breathwork, chanting, and meditation may support engagement, reduced inflammation, and functional momentum. Instruction prioritizes ethical scope, contraindication recognition, and integration with existing treatment plans rather than replacement of clinical care.
Addressing Racing or Problematic Thoughts with Chanting and Meditation
6 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Racing thoughts, rumination, and persistent worry are common cognitive symptoms that can interfere with sleep, focus, and emotional regulation. Even when clients have insight, many remain stuck in repetitive thought loops.
This training introduces yoga therapy-informed chanting and meditation practices that help shift a client’s relationship to thinking through direct experience rather than analysis alone. These approaches support attention regulation, cognitive flexibility, and the ability to create distance from repetitive thoughts.
Participants learn practical, adaptable techniques that can be integrated into behavioral health settings, with emphasis on trauma-informed delivery, safety, and scope of practice.
Integrating Yoga Therapy Techniques in EMDR: Somatics and Breathwork
3 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
This course introduces EMDR-trained clinicians to scope-appropriate ways yoga therapy-informed somatic and breath-based practices may support preparation, regulation, and stabilization within EMDR-informed care. Emphasis is placed on adjunctive use during early phases of treatment, particularly when clients experience difficulty tolerating activation or early distress.
Participants learn how nervous system-informed and whole person koshic frameworks can guide safe practice selection without interfering with EMDR protocols or trauma processing. Instruction reinforces clear boundaries between somatic support and psychotherapy, with attention to communication, pacing, and ethical integration.
Integrating Yoga Therapy Techniques in EMDR: Meditation
3 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Building on Part 1, this course focuses on adapting meditation and awareness practices for use alongside EMDR therapy, particularly during phases where distress, cognitive fusion, or post-session dysregulation may arise. Instruction draws on neuroscience and whole person models from Koshic Theory to support safe, accessible meditation for trauma-exposed clients.
Participants learn when meditation may be helpful, when it may be contraindicated, and how to introduce practices that support cognitive defusion (thought awareness with detachment) and nervous system stability without intensifying dissociation or overwhelm. Application remains adjunctive and scope-appropriate, supporting EMDR rather than modifying or replacing it.
Category B Electives: Professional Resilience
(applied toward the 16-hour elective requirement)
The Professional Resilience category includes Yoga and Meditation Strategies for Professional Burnout and the When Helping Hurts Stress Management Series. These courses offer practical, self-use strategies for frontline and helping professionals to support whole-person health, reduce burnout, and promote workforce sustainability and retention.
Available courses include:
Yoga Therapy and Meditation Strategies for Professional Burnout
Practical tools for interrupting burnout and restoring capacity in helping professionals
5 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Burnout in helping professions often develops gradually through chronic stress, vicarious trauma, and sustained emotional demand. This course examines the physiological and psychological mechanisms of burnout and offers accessible, evidence-informed strategies for restoring nervous system regulation and functional capacity.
Participants learn short, targeted yoga, breathwork, and yoga nidra practices that support recovery without adding to already full workloads. Emphasis is placed on practical tools that can be used before, during, or after work to reduce exhaustion, improve focus, and support sustainable engagement at work and at home. Instruction is designed for people who do not identify with a yoga lifestyle and prioritizes accessibility, choice, and realistic application.
When Helping Hurts: Chronic Back and Neck Pain
Movement-Based Stress Regulation for Frontline Professionals
3 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Chronic stress frequently manifests as persistent tension and pain in the neck, shoulders, and back that does not resolve with standard treatments or rest. This training focuses on simple, accessible movement and somatic practices that reduce stress-driven muscle holding, and support physical comfort and endurance.
Participants learn practices that can be used during the workday or after shifts without mats, floor work, or strenuous exercise. Instruction emphasizes self assessment, pacing, and nervous system regulation to support reduced pain-related distraction, improved comfort, and greater capacity to remain present and effective at work.
When Helping Hurts: Sleep Disturbances
Restorative and Diurnal Strategies for Stress Recovery
1.5 hours
NASW-CT-approved for 1.5 CECs
Stress commonly disrupts sleep through hyperarousal, irregular rhythms, and difficulty winding down, leaving professionals exhausted even when time in bed is adequate. This training focuses on restoring natural sleep rhythms through gentle movement, breathwork, non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) and restorative practices that support nervous system regulation.
Participants learn practical strategies to improve sleep quality and reduce nighttime activation without relying on willpower, supplements, or sleep aids. Emphasis is placed on diurnal rhythm support and realistic evening and daytime practices that improve recovery and daytime functioning.
When Helping Hurts: Irritability and Reactivity
Nervous System-Based Affective Regulation for High Exposure Roles
2 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Irritability and emotional reactivity often develop in the context of chronic stress and vicarious trauma, showing up as short temper, impatience, or feeling easily overwhelmed. This training focuses on recognizing these nervous system driven patterns and applying simple regulation strategies that support steadiness and emotional control.
Participants learn tools to reduce reactivity in the moment and recover balance after difficult interactions, supporting improved workplace relationships, decision-making, and emotional resilience both at work and at home.
When Helping Hurts: Dysfunctional Breathing
Retraining Stress-Driven Breathing Patterns
3 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Chronic stress often alters breathing patterns in ways that increase anxiety, fatigue, physical discomfort, and cardiovascular strain. Stress-driven breathing habits are commonly associated with symptoms such as persistent neck tension, jaw clenching, frequent sighing or breath holding, “air hunger”, headaches, pelvic floor tension, and generalized fatigue. Over time, these patterns can contribute to increased sympathetic activation, inefficient breathing mechanics, and reduced stress tolerance, which may also play a role in concerns such as persistently elevated blood pressure.
This training focuses on identifying and retraining stress-driven breathing patterns. The course introduces functional, more efficient approaches that support nervous system regulation and overall physiological stability. Participants learn practical breathing strategies that promote long-term respiratory and autonomic health while reducing risks associated with chronic stress-driven breathing habits. Emphasis is placed on safety, accessibility, and self-assessment rather than performance, breath control, or medical treatment, with clear guidance on when medical evaluation or oversight is appropriate.
When Helping Hurts: Gut Disruption
Regulating the Gut-Brain Axis Under Stress
2 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Chronic stress often alters breathing patterns in ways that Chronic stress and vicarious trauma frequently affect digestion, appetite, and gut comfort through disruption of the gut-brain axis. For helping professionals, this can show up as nausea, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal tension, or unpredictable digestive patterns that interfere with comfort, energy, and daily functioning.
This training explores how stress-driven nervous system activation impacts gastrointestinal function and introduces accessible yoga, breathwork, and somatic practices that support downshifting and digestive regulation. Emphasis is placed on practices that are gentle, non-invasive, and appropriate for use during the workday or outside of work without requiring special equipment or physical exertion.
Participants learn self regulation strategies that support digestive comfort and nervous system stability while recognizing when symptoms require medical evaluation. Instruction does not provide medical treatment or dietary prescription, and reinforces the importance of appropriate medical oversight for ongoing or severe gastrointestinal concerns.
When Helping Hurts: Energy Depletion and Fatigue
Protecting Energy and Restoring Capacity at Work
2 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Energy depletion often develops slowly in professionals who continue working through chronic stress and burnout. This training focuses on cultivating awareness of early signs of depletion and using short, targeted resets to restore energy and focus throughout the day.
Participants learn practical strategies to protect capacity during back-to-back meetings, high demand interactions, and long workdays, reducing reliance on extended time off and supporting sustainable performance.
When Helping Hurts: Loss of Meaning and Motivation
Reconnecting to Motivation and Worth in Frontline Work
2 CEC
This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal. Approval also meets the continuing education criteria for CT LMSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, and licensed psychologists.
Prolonged stress and vicarious exposure can lead to disconnection from work that once felt meaningful, often accompanied by emotional blunting, diminished motivation, or a sense of reduced personal worth. This training focuses on restoring engagement and connection through reflection, routine, and somatic practices that support nervous system regulation and emotional presence.
Participants learn approaches that support reconnection without forcing positivity, major career changes, or emotional disclosure. Instruction is culturally responsive and honors individual values, beliefs, and sources of meaning, emphasizing personal belief concordance rather than prescriptive frameworks. Strategies are designed to preserve dignity, respect limits, and support sustainable engagement across diverse professional and cultural contexts.
Observed Practicum and First-Year Consultation
Certification includes an observed practicum and a structured, time-limited consultation designed to support safe, ethical, and confident real-world application.
Participants complete 3 hours of observed practicum demonstrating safe, scope-appropriate use of somatic and breathwork practices. Observation may occur live virtually or in person and focuses on trauma-informed communication, appropriate pacing, safety, and scope adherence.
During the first certification year, participants complete 7 hours of consultation focused on applying skills within their actual work setting. Consultation may be completed individually or in groups, live virtually or in person, and is educational and implementation-focused rather than clinical supervision.
Integrated Care Yoga Somatics Consultation Package
13 hours
ClinicAlly Trained fulfills the requirements for observed practicum and first-year consultation through the Integrated Care Yoga Somatics Consultation Package, which includes case-based discussion, skill refinement, and observation related to yoga somatics, therapeutic breathwork, and scope-appropriate application in behavioral health and integrated care contexts with a C-IAYT yoga therapist.
Together, these courses provide the core frameworks for nervous system regulation and trauma-informed application of somatic and breath-based practices in integrated care contexts.
Timeframe and Completion Expectations
- Coursework may be completed at the participant’s pace
- Practicum and consultation are completed after coursework
- Consultation hours are completed during the first certification year
- Certification is awarded after all requirements are met
Next Steps
For Individual Applicants
Get started right away. Our courses are online and on-demand.
For Organizations and Agencies
Ask us about group rates.