Stress and Trauma

Buteyko for Stress and Trauma: Using Embodied Self Presence and Manual Therapy

There is a long history of employing breathing practices in psychological therapy, self-regulation and spiritual practice. Focused attention on the breath is the basis of many meditation and mindfulness practices. However, for people with anxiety or dysfunctional breathing, focused breathing often feels restricted and unpleasant, making such mindfulness practices unproductive, or even counter-productive.

It might be thought that breathing techniques work for individuals with psychological conditions because these techniques can reduce arousal, correct hyperventilation, or provide some sort of distraction. However, recent research shows that breathing oscillations can actually improve core cognitive processes and change how the brain actually functions.

In this class we will touch on definitions of stress and trauma and discuss specific types of trauma that often influence inefficient breathing patterns.  We will also learn how to identify potential difficulty with responsiveness to changing these patterns when using Buteyko based exercises or activities. For example, we can come to understand if or when particular types of trauma become “over coupled” or “under coupled” with breathing. We can learn what to look for and how to help the person feel more in control and supported by the breath through a variety of techniques that facilitate a more balanced nervous system. Some of these techniques include Orienting, Grounding, Tracking and Hands-on techniques.

Course Registration

Please note: Buteyko Level 1 course is a prerequisite to taking the Stress and Trauma course. When you click on the Register button below, you will be redirected to the registration page. At the bottom of the page, you will have two payment options

• Pay for the Stress and Trauma course only - $180
• Pay for Buteyko level-1 + Stress and Trauma package - $580 instead of $665 if purchased separately. If you did take the Buteyko level-1 training in the past, select the Stress and Trauma course option

Course format: On-demand

Course Schedule

Course Instructors

Hadas Golan, M.S., CCC-SLP

Hadas Golan is a licensed speech-language pathologist currently working at Boston University Medical Center in the Department of Otolaryngology, specializing in voice and respiratory disorders and the care of the professional voice. She is a Buteyko educator and trainer and is a founding member of the Buteyko Breathing Educators Association (BBEA). She also runs a private practice working primarily with patients with breathing disorders and offers educator training programs.
She is an active contributor to the research literature on the topics of Buteyko breathing and PVFM and has co-authored a textbook chapter on the speech-language pathologist’s management of chronic cough. Hadas incorporates her broad training background of breathing, voice, and manual techniques into a holistic wellness model for voice and breathing rehabilitation. She continues to lecture nationally and internationally on the topics of breathing and voice.

Michele Fava M.S., CCC-SLP, SEP

Michele is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist in private practice (Clear Voice Therapy LLC) located in Providence RI where she specializes in voice, swallowing and motor speech disorders.  She developed Biodynamic Manual Voice Therapy (BMVT), a gentle and effective type of integrated bodywork used to free restrictions in the vocal mechanism and body-mind. The hands-on component of BMVT addresses the structures and dysfunction related to swallowing, respiration, phonation, resonance, and articulation.  She also is trained in the Somatic Experiencing® method developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, an approach that helps resolve fixated physiological states in order to facilitate healing of trauma and stress. Michele is also a founding member of Voice Body Mind Healing Collaborative which is a group of practitioners who support the voice, body and mind through modalities such as voice therapy, body work, trauma work, psychotherapy and the disciplines of Authentic Movement, Alexander Technique & Contemplative Inquiry