CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”-Winston Churchill
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) has been defined as ‘the process through which an individual maintains and extends the knowledge and skills necessary for lifelong professional competence.’
The crucial importance of keeping up to date is especially necessary in today’s demanding society, which expects high standards from all professionals. CPD is a useful tool for achieving and demonstrating such ability and competence. As an international group/community of Buteyko professionals, BPI recognises that a diverse range of knowledge, skills, and attributes are required by Buteyko professionals.
CPD involves the participation in a range of learning activities that are relevant to a Buteyko professional’s current or future practice. CPD is a continuous reflective process that encourages a Buteyko professional to learn from their experiences and to implement this learning in their Buteyko practice. Ideally, CPD experiences should be recorded in a professional portfolio for the Buteyko professional’s own use and/or be used to share with a mentor or colleagues.
Regular participation in CPD activities enables Buteyko professionals to continually learn and develop their professional knowledge and skills. This is essential in order to further enhance a Buteyko professional’s high level of competence in delivering their services to clients.
A Buteyko professional’s CPD should consist of a range of learning activities that are relevant to their current or future Buteyko practice, whether that be teaching groups of clients or ‘one to one’ consultations. CPD could include, but is not limited to the following activities:
- Attendance on a pertinent course e.g. relaxation skills, mindfulness, physiology, presentation skills, etc
- Reading about a Buteyko relevant topic in a book or medical/healthcare publication
- Writing an article for the BPI’s quarterly newsletter or another health related publication
- Preparing and giving a presentation or leading a discussion at a BPI meeting
- Receiving coaching or mentoring from others
- Case studies
- Discussions with colleagues
- Keeping abreast of newly published clinical studies related to breathing re-training
- Engaging in distance/online learning on a subject that is relevant to the Buteyko Breathing Method
Providing a Buteyko professional can reflect upon such activities and experiences, and implement any new learning in their practice, they can consider them to be a part of their CPD.
CPD can consist of planned events such as those listed above. However, it can also occur by way of unplanned work based learning experiences. As a planned event CPD will involve the identification of learning needs, the setting of learning objectives and the formulation of an action plan to achieve these objectives. Unplanned experiences will occur naturally during practice. Where these result in reflection and learning, a Buteyko professional can also consider them as a valuable part of their CPD. Essentially, CPD is about capturing useful experiences and assessing the practical benefits of what you have learned. There is one decisive question that you should ask yourself to evaluate every piece of learning: what can you do now that you couldn’t do before?
Buteyko Professionals International recommends that once a year, members review their learning over the previous 12 months and set themselves development objectives for the coming year. Buteyko Professionals International has a strong interest in members professional growth. The credibility of Buteyko professionals is very much based on the commitment of individual members to a process of continuing self-improvement. This is why Buteyko Professionals International is committed to provide tools and resources that help members build purposeful learning into the routine of their professional life. Members will be given ongoing guidance and direction, in relation to possible CPD activities, by the Director of Training & Development of Buteyko Clinic International.
CPD is an investment you make in yourself. It’s a way of planning your development that links your learning directly to your work. CPD can help you keep your skills up to date, boost your confidence, and strengthen your professional credibility.
“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.”
You may access the Buteyko Professionals International Guide to Continuing Professional Development by clicking HERE