Dr. Rosalba Courtney DO, PhD

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Avalon, NSW
Dr. Rosalba Courtney DO, PhD

osteopath, breathing therapist and Integrative health practitioner, researcher, practitioner trainer

23/02/2026

Join me for an hour as I explore the surprising truth about breath holding – it’s not just about oxygen and CO2, but a window into your body’s complex respiratory control mechanisms.

🫁 MASTERING BREATH-HOLD ASSESSMENT
Breath-hold assessments are widely used in breathing retraining, but their interpretation is often oversimplified.

This workshop explores:
- The mechanisms behind breath holding
- Why time alone doesn’t reflect the whole picture
- How to assess breath holds meaningfully and clinically

🎓 Suitable for health professionals and practitioners interested in breathing function and dysfunction.
🖥️ Watch on demand, at your own pace

Includes PDF of slide presentation

Learn more at integrativebreathingtherapy.com/workshop-events

04/01/2026

🆕 New Article: Breathing retraining and manual therapy for long COVID – A literature review
Can breathing and hands-on therapies help with Long COVID symptoms like fatigue, breathlessness and pain? This new review explores the evidence and clinical potential.
📖 Read more at https://integrativebreathingtherapy.com/professional-and-practitioner-resources/covid-lit-review/

15/09/2025

😴 This September 23rd, join us for “Breathing for Sleep” — part of the Healing with the Breath Workshop Series at GenBiome.

You’ll learn gentle, sleep-inducing breathing patterns that help calm your nervous system and support deep, restorative sleep.

We’re pleased to have this session guided by Gabrielle Coffey , an experienced Integrative Breathing Therapy practitioner passionate about helping others improve their sleep and wellbeing.

🗓️ 5-7 pm, Tuesday 23 September
🎟️ Limited spots available | $80 per person
📍 Hosted at GenBiome

Reserve your place now and start your journey towards better sleep.
https://rosalbacourtney.com/workshops-events/breathing-for-sleep-september-23rd/

12/08/2025

Did you know that your ability to hold your breath isn't just about and levels?
Accumulating research shows that the complex interplay between your diaphragm, respiratory muscles, and stretch receptors in your lungs plays a crucial role in determining how long you can hold your breath.
This new understanding challenges traditional views and could have implications for everything from free diving to managing respiratory conditions.
👉 Curious to go deeper? Explore our recorded webinar and gain a richer understanding of how breath holding reveals the intricacies of respiratory control. Only $20 USD.
🔗 https://integrativebreathingtherapy.com/workshops-events/mastering-breath-hold-assessment-online-webinar-8am-12-feb-sydney-time/

07/08/2025

Interested in hearing how to use your breath to optimise your health, listen to Rosalba’s conversation with Galen Wetzell, physical therapist and IBT practitioner on the ‘Better With Age’ podcast. 🎙️

In this episode, we explored how to harness the power of breathing to enhance well-being and performance, and uncovered the science behind effective breathing patterns.

🎧 Listen now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_PjdLbpCqA&t=1374s

05/08/2025

Breath-holding: It's not just about hashtag , CO2 or chemoreceptors as previously thought.

Recent research reveals the crucial role of neuromuscular feedback in determining breath-hold duration.

Here's what we've learned:
1. The diaphragm and respiratory muscles actively maintain chest volume during breath-holding.
2. Central respiratory rhythm continues, with increasing motor impulses to respiratory muscles.
3. Diaphragm fatigue and sensory input significantly influence the breaking point.
4. Slight diaphragm relaxation and nerve blocks significantly delay the urge to breathe.
5. Pulmonary stretch receptors contribute to the drive to inhale as lung volume decreases.

This new understanding challenges traditional views and opens up exciting possibilities for respiratory physiology and performance optimization.

04/08/2025

If you or someone you care about feels overwhelmed, anxious, or under pressure, I invite you to join the upcoming online course: BREATHING FOR CALM.
This course is designed to help you learn how to use your breath—backed by science and grounded in practice—to navigate stress with greater ease.
Join us tonight!
🗓️ Monday 4th
🕒 5 to 7 pm, Sydney time
🔗 Book your spot: www.rosalbacourtney.com
See you there

30/07/2025

A significant number of patients experience (DB), which can worsen symptoms and reduce quality of life, often without responding well to traditional treatments.
This article shows that breathing retraining combined with manual therapy may offer a powerful complementary approach, helping to normalize breathing patterns, reduce symptoms, and improve asthma control.

📄 Courtney, R., G. Biland, A. Ryan, R. Gordge and S. Grace (2019). "Improvements in multi-dimensional measures of dysfunctional breathing in asthma patients after a combined manual therapy and breathing retraining protocol: a case series report."

29/07/2025

Feeling anxious? Your breath might hold the key.
This post explores the calming power of slow, diaphragmatic breathing—a simple yet scientifically supported way to regulate your nervous system and restore CO₂ balance.
Evidence shows that regularly practising reduced, relaxed breathing can lower anxiety, ease panic symptoms and enhance vagal tone.
📝 Based on insights from the article: “Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review” (Banushi et al., 2023)
💻 Read the full article on our website.

24/07/2025

There are various methods to evaluate and quantify breathing patterns—one of them is the Manual Assessment of Respiratory Motion (MARM).
If you’d like to learn how to integrate into your clinical practice, join us in the Netherlands this November for our workshop: “An Integrative Breathing Therapy Approach to Comprehensive Assessment and Treatment of Breathing Dysfunction. Part 1-Breathing Patterns and the Biomechanical Dimension”.
Book your spot: https://integrativebreathingtherapy.com/workshops-events/ibt-assess-treat-db-netherlands/
Source: “Evaluation of breathing pattern: comparison of a Manual Assessment of Respiratory Motion (MARM) and respiratory induction plethysmography.”

23/07/2025

Your breath shouldn’t be a source of stress—it can be your way out of it.
CO2 and habitual stress feedback loops can perpetuate stress, anxiousness or overwhelm.
Join us for Breathing for Calm - online on 4 August - to help you reset your nervous system and breathe with more ease.
🔗www.rosalbacourtney.com

16/07/2025

Master the art of using your breath to find inner peace and manage stress.
Explore calming techniques that activate your body's relaxation response, promoting emotional balance and mental clarity.
Breathing for Calm is a two hour workshop designed to help participants understand and harness the power of breathing techniques to reduce stress and achieve more calm.
Join me on live in Sydney on Tuesday 22 July or online Monday 4 August for “Breathing for Calm”, a workshop in the Healing with the Breath series.
This session is designed for anyone feeling stressed, anxious, or run down.
Reserve your spot today and discover how changing your breath can change how you feel.
🔗https://rosalbacourtney.com/workshops-events/breathing-for-calm-july-22nd/

Address

Avalon, NSW
2107

Telephone

+61299183460

Website

http://www.rosalbacourtney.com/

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