A Practitioner’s Guide to Breathwork in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Babatunde Aideyan, Gina Martin, Eric T. Beeson
Journal of Mental Health Counseling 2020 DOI: 10.17744/mehc.42.1.06 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Breathwork techniques |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation Breathwork |
| Keywords | Mental health Psychological intervention Guided imagery Clinical psychology Psychotherapist Distress |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key findings | Breathwork may be efficacious for treating anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. |
Abstract
Breathwork techniques and therapies offer a set of practical interventions for clinical mental health counselors (CMHCs) and are viable methods for integrating physiological sensitivities in treatment by way of the relaxation response. We discuss an organizing framework of breathwork practices and identify three broad categories of breathwork within the field: deep relaxation breathing, mindfulness breathwork, and yogic breathing. Each style is distinct in how it is applied and in the specific respiratory patterns that users are instructed to use. We also aim to elaborate the physiological effects, clinical research outcomes, and applicability of breathwork for treating mental illness. Overall, research findings indicate that breathwork may be efficacious for treating anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite preliminary evidence for breathwork’s efficacy for treating common psychological distress, more research is needed to evaluate its utility for treating a wider range of mental illness. CMHCs are encouraged to incorporate breathwork techniques in their clinical treatment programs but must appraise the value of each technique individually.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on breathwork, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coupling of respiration and attention via the locus coeruleus: Effects of meditation and pranayama | 2018 | Review with original findings | |
| High ventilation breathwork practices: An overview of their effects, mechanisms, and considerations for clinical applications. | 2023 | Review | |
| Breathwork in body psychotherapy: Towards a more unified theory and practice | 2011 | Review | |
| Bhramari Pranayama as an aid to meditation: A review of classical yoga texts | 2020 | Review | |
| A literature review of Breathworks and mindfulness intervention People with long-term conditions and chronic pain | 2018 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Conscious connected breathing with breath retention intervention in adults with chronic low back pain: protocol for a randomized controlled pilot study Pilot and Feasibility Studies January 24, 2023
- A mechanism-driven real-time respiratory modulation framework for rapid affective regulation via prefrontal EEG computational phenotyping Frontiers in Psychiatry June 29, 2026
- Single-Session Group Breathwork Intervention for Chronic Pain: A Proof-of-Concept Study of Guided Respiration Mindfulness Therapy. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2026
- Effect of a Virtual Breathwork Program on Wellness of Counselors‐in‐Training Counselor Education and Supervision March 1, 2026
- Efficacy of online conscious connected breathwork in reducing symptoms of anxiety: A randomized waitlist control trial. Journal of Affective Disorders February 1, 2026
and 4 more in the library
Cites 10
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine August 1, 2005
- Yoga Breathing, Meditation, and Longevity Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences August 1, 2009
- Breathing‐Based Meditation Decreases Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in U.S. Military Veterans: A Randomized Controlled Longitudinal Study Journal of Traumatic Stress August 1, 2014
- Evaluation of the breathworks mindfulness‐based pain management programme: effects on well‐being and multiple measures of mindfulness Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy November 13, 2009
and 5 more in the library