Grof® Breathwork Facilitator Training

 

We are excited to welcome our first groups of participants in the GLT-USA Breathwork Facilitator Training Program. Spaces remain available in the group beginning Unit 1 with Online Module 1 (April 8 - May 5, 2024) and Experiential (In-Person) Module A (June 16 - 23, 2024). Successive starts of the Breathwork Facilitator Program will be offered on a rolling basis as we receive applications. 

Program Overview

Developed under the guidance of Stan and Brigitte Grof, our program combines online and in-person work to offer deep immersion in the theoretical work of Stanislav Grof and the practical techniques for supporting healing and growth in holotropic states of consciousness.

Our program is grounded in the vision of a growing network of Grof Facilitators skilled in supporting a variety of experiences in holotropic states of consciousness. In all of our programs, training in Grof® Breathwork Facilitation serves as an entry point for carrying forward the holotropic paradigm in a variety of settings, including education and leadership as paradigms shift in psychology, healing practices, and science. We hold the intention of welcoming participants into the worldwide community carrying forward the Grof lineage at a time of deep and challenging global transformation. 

Prerequisites

We ask that applicants complete two prerequisites prior to beginning the program. The first prerequisite is an overview course introducing the comprehensive work of Stan Grof. An overview course provides all participants with a basic level of understanding of Grofian psychology prior to immersion in experiential and more focused theoretical work. Click here for additional information on prerequisites, including reference to courses meeting this requirement. 

The second prerequisite involves experience of at least four sessions of "breathing" and four experiences of "sitting" in Grof Breathwork prior to beginning the program. To be confident that application to our program represents a well-informed choice,  we ask that applicants have at least one or two Grof Breathwork sessions before applying to the program. Additional sessions should be completed before final acceptance and the start of the program. 

Breathwork in the Grof lineage is not the same experience as the many other forms of breathwork currently taught and practiced by various groups and programs. Please review our application for details about qualifying experiences and/or contact Jay Dufrechou at [email protected].

Our Calendar of Grof Breathwork Workshops provides information and registration links for upcoming workshops in the Grof Breathwork tradition. Particularly recommended are the retreats in New Mexico hosted by our sister organization, Grof Legacy Project or weekend workshops hosted by our group, Grof Legacy Training USA (see above dropdown GLT-USA Public Workshops).

Our program does not require applicants to have any particular levels of education, licenses or prior credentials. However, it is essential that applicants have developed the capacity for deep self-reflection and possess emotional and psychological maturity and stability. Our program encourages continued personal work but is not designed to support active spiritual emergence/emergency in participants. Prior psychological work in therapy or other programs is recommended. Admission will be based on interviews with program leaders. 

Level I Training

Our program has two levels of training. Level I is comprised of four units, each containing an online module focusing on theory and a weeklong in-person experiential module. The in-person modules are not directly tied to the content of online modules but both follow a progression of learning in theoretical and experiential content. 

Level I is self-paced in that participants can enroll in all four units with the aim of completion of Level I in approximately 16 months or pace enrollment in units as they are offered over the course of several years. This design enables "core groups" of participants to begin together in the first unit of Level I, with the possibility of working together through all four Level I units or making the decision along the way to delay continuation if that becomes appropriate. Admitted applicants ready to join the program before the start of a new "core group" will be invited to join an existing series of Level I units as spaces open from those delaying continuation. 

Successful completion of Level I qualifies participants to enroll in Level II. Click here to read more about Level I, including costs. 

Successful completion of Level I of the Grof Breathwork Facilitator Program will also qualify participants for application to the USA-based Grof Psychedelic Facilitation Program, planned to open in 2025.

Level II Training

Level II continues Grof Breathwork Facilitator Training with a focus on apprenticeship, mentoring, and two additional in-person modules (Holotropic Music and Applied Grofian Psychology). Along with these two additional in-person modules, Level II requires at least six experiences apprenticing in Grof Breathwork sessions under the guidance of a Grof Breathwork certified facilitator and at least four individual mentoring sessions.

Level II will be completed at one's own pace and leads to authorization to conduct Grof Breathwork workshops independently. Click here to read more about Level II. 

Associated Programs

Grof Legacy Training USA works in association with the Grof Studies Graduate Programs, which offers masters and doctoral degrees through Ubiquity University. While our certification programs and the Grof Studies degree programs have separate requirements and curricula, credit may be granted in each program for work in the other. Experiential work under GLT-USA or Grof Legacy Project will typically fulfill experiential requirements in the Grof Studies degree programs. Courses offered by the Grof Studies program typically satisfy the overview course requirement for our certification program. 

For those interested in a masters or doctoral degree, combining our certification program with the Grof Studies program provides a uniquely strong grounding in both experiential and theoretical work in the holotropic lineage, ideal for those who hope to teach in academic settings. Please note that the Grof Studies program does not alone provide authorization to offer Grof Breathwork workshops.  Details about the exchange of credit in the two programs are under construction. 

In the future, GLT-USA anticipates  offering certification programs focusing on spiritual emergence/emergency and supporting the dying process in future years.

(Background photo courtesy of Walter Martin on Unsplash)

Click here for Certification Program Application