Why Therapists Need to Pay Attention to Their Own Breathing Too

As therapists, we regularly encourage clients to become aware of their breathing patterns and stress responses. But how often do we bring that same awareness to ourselves?

This interactive presentation focuses on the importance of understanding and improving our own breathing pattern as a foundation for health, wellbeing, and pain management. Rachel will explore how breathing influences the nervous system, pain perception, physical tension, stress, energy levels, and recovery, and why these factors matter not only for our clients but also for us as practitioners.

Participants will learn practical, evidence-informed tools to assess and improve their breathing pattern, reduce unnecessary tension, regulate stress responses, and use breathing as a strategy for self-management of pain. They will leave with a greater understanding of their own breathing, practical skills they can immediately apply in their personal and professional lives, and a renewed appreciation for the role breathing can play in supporting wellbeing, resilience, and caring for both self and others.

Rachel Jansen

Rachel is a BradCliff Breathing Practitioner and has postgraduate training in Mindful Somatic Approaches to Trauma Therapy (Dr Paris Williams) and Whole Person Healthcare

Rachel is a musculoskeletal physiotherapist with over 25 years of experience helping people recover from injury, persistent pain, and stress-related conditions. She is passionate about mind–body healthcare and supporting people to reconnect with their bodies when healing feels complex or overwhelming. Rachel is a BradCliff Breathing Practitioner and has postgraduate training in Mindful Somatic Approaches to Trauma Therapy (Dr Paris Williams) and Whole Person Healthcare. Her clinical approach integrates breathing retraining, pain education, mindfulness, myofascial release, movement therapy, and whole-person healthcare principles. Rachel's work focuses on helping people understand the relationship between breathing, the nervous system, pain, stress, and recovery to support wellbeing and sustainable health.