Bread Therapy &
Bakers Without Borders

The Bread Therapy Method was created by Nadezhda Savova-Grigorova, PhD, Doctor of Cultural Anthropology, in community baking with people with various disabilities. It later evolved as a proven art therapy method in her work with social workers and other mental health professionals around the world.

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Bread therapy is not counseling or psychotherapy but a form of expressive group art therapy which takes the participants on a journey of self-reflection through story telling in flour and bread. It is suitable for mixed groups of all ages, special needs, and varied socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.  It has helped people with trauma, depression, and special needs come together — sharing bread and dreams, tears and laughter.

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Bread Therapy is a wellness workshop. Participants are invited to experience the process of bread making in a new light through story telling in flour, including mixing the ingredients in a mindful and intentional way, engaging in self-exploration and sharing the joy of baking together.

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At Bread Encounters, both Charles and Sibyl are trained practitioners and official Crumbassadors of the Bread Therapy Network. They even had the rare opportunity to participate in a session at the Day Center for people with special needs in the town of Sandanski, Bulgaria, led by Dr. Savova herself — and although they didn't speak the same language as the participants, it was an amazingly uplifting experience, as everyone communicated through bread.

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Our BREAD Encounters founder Sibyl Leon and Charles Lamica of Boulder Creek Rustics are official "Crumbassadors" and certified bread therapy practitioners.  In 2024 we were featured on the Bread Therapy web page.

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Watch the inspiring bread related TEDx talk by Bread Houses Network founder Dr. Nadezhda Savova, inspiration, friend and mentor to BREAD Encounters founder Sibyl Leon-Lamica.

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