An important purpose of the GPBA ethics and principles is to provide an instructive, life-enhancing, and healing framework for the entire field of breathwork, including practitioners, facilitators, teachers/trainers, workshops, programmes, and schools; their relationships with clients and students; and their relationships with each other. While it is impossible to specifically address every situation or give exhaustive guidelines for all behaviors, these ethics and principles are intended to provide guidance towards the highest ideals.

In the process of making decisions regarding professional behavior, all GPBA certified members (including breathwork practitioners, facilitators, teachers/trainers, programmes, schools, and alliance partners) should be constantly mindful of the GPBA ethics and principles, in addition to any applicable laws and regulations of their country or specific professional associations with which they are affiliated. Every GPBA certified member has undergone a certification process, fulfilling the GPBA training and ethical standards. If the GPBA standards are higher than those required by law, all GPBA certified members should meet the higher standard of the GPBA.

Recognising the humanity of all people, there may be times when a GPBA certified member breaches an ethical principle, knowingly or unknowingly. That GPBA certified member may become self-aware of the breach or may be made aware of this breach by a client/student or another practitioner.

The guidance put forth by the GPBA promotes restorative, constructive, compassionate, and regulatory action, rather than punitive action. We recommend that as individuals and organisations use this process, all parties commit to learn, heal, evolve, and consider their own responsibility in the situation. As stated in the GPBA ethics and principles, the GPBA does not condone any sexual violations or criminal behavior. Our aim is for this process of learning to benefit the well-being of all participants and influence professional guidelines, making future breathwork practice safer and more transformational for everyone.

The Process

The process has five possible steps, with the recommendation to move to the next step only if healing and restoration cannot be achieved:

• Self Awareness
• Colleague Awareness and Support
• Community Awareness and Support
• GPBA Ethics Committee Awareness and Support
• Third Party Professional Awareness and Support

Step 1 – Self Awareness

Knowingly or unknowingly, a GPBA certified member may behave in such a way that violates the ethics and principles of the GPBA. They may have an independent realization of this or come to self-awareness because a client, student, or colleague has shared concerns or confronted them. They may then choose to correct the inner or outer situation that fostered this breach. In such a case, the GPBA recommends:

• Setting aside some time for inner reflection and exploration, looking for internal attitudes, beliefs, or wounds which created the possibility, and external structures (or lack thereof) which created the possibility.
• Seeking appropriate personal, professional, or supervisory support to create transformative action that prevents a similar breach from occurring again.
• Making appropriate acknowledgements and/or amends to those who have been impacted by the behavior.

If the GPBA certified member becomes aware that they have violated ethics because a client, student, or colleague has shared concerns or confronted them, it is strongly recommended that steps 2 and 3 be taken consciously.

Step 2 – Colleague Awareness and Support

It is the responsibility of all breathwork practitioners and organizations to be receptive and willing to give and receive constructive feedback when a breach of ethics has been perceived. If any breathwork practitioner believes another practitioner has failed to follow one or more of the ethical principles, the GPBA recommends:

• Setting aside some time for inner reflection to get clear about the issue and how to communicate it so that it can be well received.
• Talking to the practitioner or organization who you believe has violated the ethics, and making suggestions for taking appropriate actions to restore a healthy situation such as:
  • Inner work on their own and with a competent practitioner
  • Making amends to clients/students through acknowledgment and conversation
  • Financial restitution
  • Referral to another professional breathworker
  • Creating ongoing ways to support healthy behaviors
• If you believe that the practitioner/organization in question has restored a healthy situation for all parties involved, then support them.
• If you believe the practitioner/organization in question has not restored a healthy situation, consult with other breathwork practitioners in your community using step 3.

Step 3 – Community Awareness and Support

A community of breathworkers has an opportunity to use the diversity of their experience and wisdom to create a safe and nurturing container for a practitioner or organization to be supported in looking at unethical behavior. If a community wishes to address an ethical concern, the GPBA recommends:

• Ask the practitioner or organization who has failed to follow the ethics to meet with you, suggesting an environment of trust, truth-telling, unconditional positive regard and love, and wisdom, so that a healthy breathwork community can be supported and maintained.
• Begin the meeting with some silence for meditation, prayer, contemplation, or spiritual practice of each individual’s choice.
• At the meeting, let everyone, beginning with the practitioner(s) and any other organizational staff in question, share the information they have, their concerns, and their ideas for restoration, including making amends to all parties involved where appropriate.
• Keep going around the circle, with pauses for conscious breathing, reflection, contemplation, meditation, or prayer, until consensus is reached.
• If consensus is reached, including the practitioner/organization of the concern, create an agreed plan of action, assigning responsibilities and including follow-up and support.
• If consensus is not reached, especially if the practitioner(s)/organization of the concern does/do not assume responsibility for the breach, then use step 4.

Step 4 – GPBA Ethics Committee Awareness and Support

If the first three steps have not brought healing to the situation, any individual, practitioner, or community may make a request for guidance through the GPBA Ethics Committee.

If the subject(s) of the complaint is a GPBA Certified Professional Breathwork Practitioner or School, GPBA Ethically Compliant Breathwork Facilitator or Programme, or GPBA Alliance Partner, the GPBA Ethics Committee may initiate a formal process on receipt of a complaint.

If the subject(s) of the complaint relates to a practitioner, facilitator, programme, or school that is not GPBA certified, the GPBA Ethics Committee may still offer counsel and recommendations.

The GPBA Ethics Committee will use the wisdom of the current members of the GPBA Board of Directors to make suggestions and recommendations, within the parameters of:

• The GPBA Ethical Guidelines
• Relevant therapeutic, and professional standards in the helping professions
• Abiding within the legal framework of the country where the subject of the complaint resides

Step 5 – Third Party Professional Support

The GPBA Ethics Committee will offer education and information regarding qualified Third Party Professionals to be used as a mediator or facilitator, as in Restorative Justice.

Outcomes

In the case of either step 4 or step 5 being employed to address an ethical violation:

• If the subject(s) of the complaint agrees to and fulfills the determined recommendations, it may be possible for them to retain their status as a GPBA certified member.
• If the subject(s) of the complaint does not agree to follow the recommendations, their GPBA certified membership will be either rescinded (pending fulfillment of the recommendations) or revoked permanently.
• The GPBA may determine it is necessary to disclose the nature of the complaint and the GPBA Ethics Committee’s recommendations to the director or board of the subject’s certifying school(s), or accrediting organization(s).

This process of ethical discernment is dedicated to, and in service of, wholeness, growth, and the ethical practice of Breathwork. We ask all parties involved in this process to commit to creating a safe, compassionate, responsive, open, and respectful environment, for the well-being of all involved. We invite everyone to hold the intention to learn from the situation, achieve personal and professional growth and resolution, and to contribute to continually evolving guidelines and standards for the field of professional Breathwork.