Courses meet the qualifications for the noted number of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
The Breema Center is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (#128568) to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs. The Breema Center maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.
This page has information on:
- CAMFT Audience
- Courses Offered for CE
- Course Content and Educational Objectives
- Intensive and Workshop Course Schedules
- Instructor Credentials
- Registering for an Intensive or Workshop
- Cancellation and Refund Policy
- Requesting a Continuing Education Transcript
- Breema Center Complaint Process and Grievance Procedure
- Breema Media Resources for CAMFT members
CAMFT Audience
This course supports the professional scope of practice for LMFT’s, LPCC’s, LCSW’s and LEP’s by offering an integrative somatic approach for educating both clinicians and clients on how to relate to mental health from a perspective of wholeness: accepting and inclusive of fragmentation and imbalance, with practical philosophy, principles, and practice for doing so. By offering instruction in simple, relational somatic exercises and core principles that address the essence of relationship beginning with oneself, these classes give clinicians and clients foundational support and approachable techniques for engaging and transforming relational issues, resolving intra-personal conflict, reducing stress, and understanding what is needed to restore mental/emotional balance. The curriculum offers methods for self-assessment, self-regulation, skill building resilience, stress reduction, self-reflection and relational presence.
Courses Offered for CE
The Breema Center offers Intensives three times a year (in February, July, and October), and workshops throughout the year. The Intensive courses meet the qualifications for up to 40 hours of continuing education credit, and each workshop meets the qualifications for up to 12 hours of continuing education credit, for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs, as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Course Content and Educational Objectives
Emphasis in these courses is on the experiences of students as they practice a series of individual and partner movement, meditation, and mindfulness exercises, and their ability to distinguish between direct experience and conceptual experience. Students are asked to reflect on their experiences after each exercise and to articulate their experiences to a class partner or to the group. Additional emphasis is placed on applying the underlying Breema principles (such as No Judgment, Body Comfortable, Mutual Support, No Force, Single Moment/Single Activity) to the individual and partner moving/mindfulness exercises, as well as to the verbal experience exchange.
All Breema courses focus on the inclusion of the body as ground for the application of mindfulness in the clinical setting, as a support for being present. Breema, a body-based practice of moving meditation and mindfulness will be used as a framework for the experience and consideration of the connection between body and mind with the underlying understanding that a functional coherence exists between the two. This body-mind connection when practiced in the context of the therapeutic relationship provides tremendous support for the therapist’s presence (mitigating potential issues of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, stress and burnout), while also supporting an inclusive atmosphere of empathy, acceptance, and non-judgment, in relation with client(s).
The standard format of each Intensive class or workshop includes the following components:
Introduction: Class overview, Instructor/student introductions.
Body-centered meditation
- Instruction and practice in bringing the attention of the mind to the experience of the body’s weight and breath.
Self-Breema movement exercises
- Instruction and practice in keeping the attention of the mind with the movement of the body to establish a body-mind connection. These exercises are practiced individually.
Breema partner exercises
- Instructors demonstrate interactive movement sequences that students practice with each other in pairs. Students are instructed to “learn with the body” rather than trying to memorize the sequences.
- Students practice partner exercises. The emphasis of the partner exchange is to remain connected with oneself while in relationship with another person. Students are supported to apply the Breema principles (for example, No Judgment, No Force, Body Comfortable, Single Moment/Single Activity), and to use the manifestations of their own bodies (breath, weight, movement, posture, facial expression, and tone of voice) as support to remain present.
Experience Exchange
- Students exchange verbally with each other their experiences of practicing the partner exercises. The emphasis in this exchange is on learning to speak in a way that retains the aliveness of the actual experience and the body-mind connection, rather than “about” the experience. In this way, students begin to translate their practice of Breema principles from the physical interactions of the exercises to verbal interactions.
Class Discussion/Q&A
- Instructors facilitate an open discussion where students share their experiences at group level, ask questions, and get clarification.
Closing: Closing meditation, announcements, optional homework, distribution of handouts, partner sequence and Self-Breema notes, and support materials.
At the end of an Intensive course or workshop, students will be able to:
- Participants will be able to state how three of the Nine Principles of Harmony can enhance the clinician-client relationship.
- Participants will be able to perform four Self-Breema exercises to increase energy and become more balanced.
- Participants will be able to practice two partner Breema exercises to support remaining connected to oneself while interacting with another.
- Participants will be able to identify six manifestations that can support body-mind connection in the clinical setting.
- Participants will be able to describe two methods for practicing body-centered meditation (registering inhalation and exhalation and experiencing the weight of the body) to mitigate stress.
- Participants will be able to identify two ways in which practicing Breema or Self-Breema exercises supports freedom from identification for both clinician and client.
Intensive and Workshop Course Schedules
The Intensive course schedule is the same for each of the three Intensives offered each year, although it is updated from time to time. Workshops are typically three hours long, and can be combined to create day-long or weekend events. Below are sample schedules for Intensive Beginning Weekends and 3-hour workshops that include detailed content breakdowns.
Intensives
This is a sample schedule that details the content for the Beginning Weekend segment, which is the same for each Breema Intensive Beginning Weekend. 15-minute breaks will be given midway at an appropriate time between activities at the Instructors’ discretion.
Saturday: Breema Intensive Weekend
9:30-12:30pm
- Introductions and overview; body-centered meditation; class guidelines; introduction to body-mind connection; Self-Breema exercises; introduction to the Nine Principles of Harmony.
- Breema partner exercise demo by Instructor; practice by participants; exchange of experience in pairs or in group.
- Class discussion of experiences with the bodywork and application of Nine Principles; Q&A.
- Optional Self-Breema exercises.
- Second practice of partner exercise; exchange of experience in pairs or group.
- Class discussion of experiences with the bodywork and application of Nine Principles; Q&A.
- Body-centered meditation.
12:30-2pm
- Lunch (no CE credit given for the lunch break)
2-5:30pm
- Receive a Breema mini-session from an Instructor.
- Body-centered meditation; Self-Breema exercises.
- Breema partner exercise demo by Instructor; practice by participants; exchange of experience in pairs or in group.
- Class discussion of experiences with the body work and application of Nine Principles; Q&A.
- Optional Self-Breema exercises.
- Breema partner exercise demo by Instructor; practice by participants; exchange of experience in pairs or group.
- Class discussion of experiences with the bodywork and application of Nine Principles; Q&A.
- Body-centered meditation; announcements.
- Distribution of sequence notes and support materials.
Sunday: Breema Intensive Weekend
9:30-12:30pm
- Body-centered meditation, Self-Breema exercises.
- Breema partner exercise demo by Instructor; practice by participants; exchange of experience in pairs or in group.
- Small group breakout exercises followed by group discussion; Q&A.
- Optional Self-Breema exercises.
- Second practice of partner exercise; exchange of experience in pairs or in group.
- Body-centered meditation.
12:30-2pm
- Lunch (no CE credit given for the lunch break)
2-5pm
- Body-centered meditation; Self-Breema exercises.
- Breema partner exercise demo by Instructor; practice by participants; exchange of experience in pairs or in group.
- Class discussion of experiences with the body work and application of Nine Principles; Q&A.
- Optional Self-Breema exercises.
- Breema partner exercise demo by Instructor; practice by participants; exchange of experience in pairs or group.
- Class discussion of experiences with the bodywork and application of Nine Principles; Q&A.
- Body-centered meditation; announcements.
5-7pm
- Dinner (no CE credit given for the dinner break)
7-8:30pm
- Body-centered meditation, Self-Breema exercises.
- Small group breakout exercises followed by group discussion; Q&A.
- Breema partner exercise demo by Instructor; practice by participants; exchange of experience in pairs or in group.
- Optional Self-Breema exercises.
- Discussion: Breema principles in daily life: practical philosophy and application, practicing body-mind connection and using the Principles outside the classroom.
- Body-centered meditation; announcements.
- Distribution of sequence notes and support materials.
Workshops
This is a sample schedule for an individual workshop, which is basically the same for each workshop or segment of a longer workshop. A 15-minute break is given midway at an appropriate time between activities at the Instructors’ discretion.
3-Hour Breema workshop
9:30-10am
- Introductions and overview; body-centered meditation; class guidelines; introduction to body-mind connection; Self-Breema exercises; introduction to the Nine Principles of Harmony.
10-10:30am
- Breema partner exercise demo by Instructor; practice by participants; exchange of experience in pairs or in group.
10:30-11:15am
- Class discussion of experiences with the bodywork and application of Nine Principles; Q&A.
- Second practice of partner exercise; exchange of experience in pairs or group.
11:15-12:15pm
- Breema partner exercise demo by Instructor; practice by participants; exchange of experience in pairs or in group.
- Class discussion of experiences with the bodywork and application of Nine Principles; Q&A.
- Optional Self-Breema exercises.
12:15-12:30pm
- Class discussion about Breema principles in daily life: practical philosophy and application, practicing body-mind connection outside the classroom.
- Body-centered meditation; announcements.
- Distribution of sequence notes and support materials.
Instructor Credentials
Breema Center Intensives are taught by Breema Center Staff Instructors and an international team of Certified Breema Instructors with extensive teaching experience. All Instructors who teach at Intensives have been trained at and certified by the Breema Center. The Staff Instructors are:
- Jon Schreiber, DC, Director of the Breema Center and the Breema Clinic
- Gretchen Brandt, BA, CMT Assistant Director of the Breema Center,
- Denise Berezonsky, BA, CMT Associate Director of the Breema Clinic
- Roxanne Caswell, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Jean Haseltine, AAS, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Ann Hudson, MA, LCSW, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Birthe Kaarsholm, BA, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Susan Mankowski, BA, LMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Arlie Mischeaux, BA, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Elaine Pendergrast, BA, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Angela Porter, LMFT, CATC, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Laura Rawson, MA, LAc, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Heimo Staud, MA, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Alexandra Johnson, MD, Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Ariadne Thompson, LMFT, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
- Luna Lacey, BS, CMT Breema Center Staff Instructor
Registering for an Intensive or Workshop
Students can register for any course by calling the Breema Center or by going to our website and completing an online registration form. Both the printed and online forms allow the student to include information about any health concerns that may affect their ability to participate in an Intensive. If a student requires accommodation for any type of disability, they need to contact our Registrar by phone or email to discuss the matter.
Each Intensive is organized into three overlapping segments: Beginning Weekend (Saturday and Sunday), 3-Day Course (Saturday, Sunday and Monday), and 7-Day Course (Saturday through Friday morning). These segments consist of a series of individual classes, with clearly indicated breaks in between. For students who have previously studied Breema for 50 hours or more, one 3-hour post-Intensive workshop can be taken separately on Friday afternoon. Breaks are not included in hours available for continuing education.
Tuition for each segment is as follows:
- Beginning Weekend: $170, or $140 for first-time Intensive students (14 hours)
- 3-Day Course: $235, or $195 for first-time Intensive students (19.5 hours)
- 7-Day Course: $480, or $400 for first-time Intensive students (40 hours)
- Post-Intensive Workshop: $30 (3 hours)
Discounts for early registration are available for a specified period before each Intensive, as clearly indicated on promotional material and registration forms.
Breema workshops vary in their length, from 2 hours for one entire workshop to 12 hours for a two-day workshop. For workshops that have more than one segment, clearly indicated breaks between them that are not eligible for CE are indicated. Prices also vary for individual workshops, depending on their length.
Our Registrar keeps a record of payment for each student. A student who registers for any Intensive class or workshop is required to attend for the entire class in order to be eligible for continuing education credit.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
A written copy of our cancellation and refund policy is available to students who need or wish to withdraw from a course for which they have registered and paid. This document is provided by the Registrar when requested either in person or by mail or email. If the student withdraws before taking any of the course, the full amount minus a small administrative fee is reimbursed. If the student withdraws after completing part of the course, the amount to be reimbursed is computed on a pro rata basis, plus the aforementioned administrative fee. Details are available in the cancellation and refund policy document. After reimbursement, a record of the withdrawal and the reimbursement made is kept in the student’s file.
Requesting a Continuing Education Transcript
Attendance is taken for each class by a staff person who records each student’s attendance or absence on an attendance form. The attendance hours and the title and date of the course are transferred to the attendance record kept in the student’s individual file, and the hours are added to the previous total to maintain a running grand total.
Upon registration or shortly after, the Registrar will contact the student to inquire if the student wishes to receive continuing education credit for the course they are taking. Students can also indicate this to the Breema Center at the time of registration.
When a student requests continuing education credit for completing a course, they are given a written evaluation form to complete. There is a $10 administrative fee for verification of the hours attended, processing the form and generating a transcript. Upon return of the evaluation form, our Continuing Education Administrator issues an Official Transcript (Certificate of Completion), which is sent to the student. A copy of the Official Transcript, and the completed Evaluation Form, are kept for our records.
Breema Center Complaint Process and Grievance Procedure
Breema® Center policy is that open lines of communication are key in all professional relationships, that there are two points of view in every conflict, and that there is great value in approaching any conflict with an open mind and a willing heart to find resolution. A student or anyone with a complaint about the content of or their experience in a course they registered for, or the professional or ethical conduct of a Breema Instructor or staff member, should make a good faith effort to resolve that complaint by first contacting the Registrar directly to discuss the problem and find a resolution.
If the problem is not satisfactorily resolved by direct or written communication with the Registrar, the complaint should be stated in a clear and detailed manner in writing (including the name, phone number, and contact information for the student) and submitted to:
Jon Schreiber, Director
The Breema Center
6076 Claremont Ave
Oakland CA 94618
The complaint may also be emailed with “Attn: Jon Schreiber” in the Subject line to: center@breema.com and must be followed up with a written copy sent by mail.
Upon receiving the written complaint, the Breema Center office will respond within 2 working days to let the student know that the complaint has been received and that it will be acted upon within 2 weeks.
For additional information about the complaint process and grievance procedure, please contact the Breema Center.
Breema Media Resources for CAMFT members
Emphasis Is On the Practitioner by Angela Porter
Including the Body in Psychotherapy Practice by Angela Porter
How Breema Helps My Therapy Practice by Denise Berezonsky