Breathwork is everywhere, but without clinical understanding, it can do more harm than good.
Popular techniques like 4-7-8 breathing or box breathing may seem harmless, yet in practice they can sometimes increase anxiety or trigger distress in clients with trauma histories. The difference between healing and risk of harm lies in knowing how breathwork affects the nervous system and how to use it responsibly in a therapeutic context.
The Pneumetric Breath Method™ was designed to close that gap. This six-hour, self-paced continuing education course gives mental health professionals a clear, evidence-based framework for evaluating the potential effects of any breathwork technique on the nervous system so you can decide what to use, why, and when—and most importantly, how to apply it safely and effectively with real clients.
Developed by C-IAYT yoga therapists and adapted for clinical application, this course goes beyond teaching specific techniques. You will learn how to think clinically about breathwork, how to adapt practices for individual nervous system and psychological states, obtain consent, introduce breath-based interventions with clarity, and pivot when something is not working. You will also learn what to say, what not to say, and how to guide clients in developing out-of-session practices for both short-term relief and long-term regulation.
By the end, you will understand how to:
- Assess whether breathwork is appropriate for your client and how to begin safely
- Adapt techniques for anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress-related dysregulation
- Introduce and cue practices using trauma-sensitive, client-centered communication
- Respond to feedback and modify techniques as needed
- Use breathwork as both a short-term regulation tool and a pathway for long-term nervous system change
This course provides the knowledge, structure, and language needed to professionalize the use of breathwork in mental health care. It gives you the confidence to integrate these tools ethically, effectively, and within your clinical scope.
Course Format:
Self-paced online learning with approximately six hours of video instruction, demonstrations, and guided practices.
CE Credit:
Approved for 6 NASW-CT Continuing Education Credits.
Tuition:
$199
Instructor:
Christine Saari, MA, C-IAYT, with contributions from Sara Merrick-Albano, C-IAYT
About Your Instructors
Christine Saari, MA, C-IAYT
Director, ClinicAlly Trained™ | Co-Founder, Yoga Therapy Associates
Christine Saari, MA, C-IAYT, is an author, educator, and yoga therapist dedicated to bridging yoga therapy and mental health care. As Director of ClinicAlly Trained™, she develops specialized continuing education and yoga teacher training programs for clinicians who want to integrate evidence-based somatic and breath-based interventions into therapy practice.
Christine’s clinical background centers on supporting individuals living with anxiety, trauma, depression, and cancer. As a breast cancer survivor, she brings lived experience and clinical expertise together with genuine compassion, recognizing both the depth of suffering people carry and the practical tools that support real healing.
As co-founder of Yoga Therapy Associates and ClinicAlly Trained, Christine envisions a professional platform where yoga therapy and behavioral health meet. Her work emphasizes elevating best practices, strengthening ethical standards, and ensuring that yoga therapy is represented with the same rigor and accountability expected in clinical disciplines.
Through a partnership between Yoga Therapy Associates and the Held Center for Healing, Christine helped develop the EMbody Trauma Recovery Program, an IOP alternative for individuals recovering from addiction and trauma that combines EMDR and yoga therapy. She has also presented multiple times at Smilow Cancer Center at Yale New Haven Hospital on yoga therapy for emotional and physical recovery. In addition, she provides continuing education for DMHAS, the Connecticut Women’s Consortium, and EMDRIA’s national webinar catalog, teaching clinicians how to integrate yoga therapy and breathwork into trauma treatment.
Christine’s writing and teaching reflect a deep commitment to professionalizing yoga therapy, making it accessible, research-informed, and relevant to the realities of modern clinical practice.
Learn more about Christine’s work at www.yogatherapyassociates.com/about/christine-yoga-therapist and explore her specialized programs for therapists at www.clinicallytrained.com.
Guest Instructor
Sara Merrick-Albano, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT
Co-Founder, Yoga Therapy Associates & ClinicAlly Trained™
Sara Merrick-Albano, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, is a yoga therapist specializing in trauma recovery, pelvic health, chronic pain, and autoimmune conditions. She integrates functional movement, breathwork, and meditation to support symptom management and long-term regulation.
As co-founder of Yoga Therapy Associates and ClinicAlly Trained™, Sara provides continuing education for DMHAS and the Connecticut Women’s Consortium on the clinical use of yoga, breathwork, and somatic awareness. She is also a contributing expert for Roon, where she offers guidance on yoga therapy for pelvic health concerns including endometriosis, menopause, and chronic pelvic pain.
Sara has been featured at the Neuroscience & Yoga Conference Community Showcase, presenting Taking the Indirect Route to Chronic Pain Relief, and frequently teaches on pelvic health through national webinars such as The Pelvis: From Anatomy to Awareness with beYogi.
In this course, Sara offers her clinical expertise on anatomy and physiology as well as clinical insights drawn from her work in trauma recovery and chronic pain management.