How to Teach Diaphragmatic Breathing

The Program

Duration: 2.5 hours.

Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the most potent and useful stress management strategies. Clients can learn it in a session, practice it on their own over several weeks, and master a skill they can use for a lifetime.

In this course, designed for mental health professionals, you'll learn which clients tend to benefit, how to set the frame for the training, and why breathing can be considered the "handle" of the stress response.

Participants learn experientially, performing exactly the same exercises that they will go on to apply with clients. We’ll review the potential pitfalls, including medical conditions that may make the training more difficult (or ill-advised), and the risk of inadvertently increasing rather than reducing anxiety sensitivity.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, qualified and trained mental health professionals will:

  • Have an understanding of which client groups may benefit from diaphragmatic breathing training.

  • Be able to provide the rationale for diaphragmatic breathing to clients.

  • Be aware of potential contraindications to diaphragmatic breathing training.

  • Be able to train clients in basic in-session diaphragmatic breathing and provide recommendations for home practice.

The Materials

Workshop participants receive:

  • Complete presentation slides

  • A set of five pdf handouts they can provide to clients

Who should attend?

This program is intended for members of registered healthcare professionals with prior experience in providing psychotherapy, and for students in these fields.

  • Psychologists

  • Psychiatrists

  • Clinical counselors

  • Social workers

  • Occupational therapists

  • Physiotherapists

  • Psychiatric nurses

  • and other trained psychotherapists.

The response…

  • "The explanations were very practical and I have already used them in my practice."

  • "I really liked that the rationale behind the steps for practice were made clear and accessible."

  • "I use diaphragmatic breathing often with clients, but found I learned some additional tips and some additional physiological information that will be helpful with clients."