Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein

Job title

• Professor of Social Work
  Social Work (M.S.W.), Graduate School

Highlight

Dr. Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein has been in social work education for 18 years. She identifies as a teacher-scholar-activist operating from an ecosocial work and ecocentric approach to practice and education informed by her understanding of the interconnectedness of all life and echoes the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer who says, "All flourishing is mutual." Dr. Bretzlaff-Holstein is a fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics at Oxford University, Oxford, England.

Started at Bethel

2026

Education

• Olivet Nazarene University - B.S. in Family & Consumer Sciences, 2002
• Baylor University - M.S.W., 2006
• University of St. Thomas - D.S.W., 2017

Biography

Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein, DSW, LSW is Professor of Social Work in the Department of Social Work at Bethel University. Before joining the social work faculty at Bethel in August 2026, Dr. Bretzlaff-Holstein was a Professor of Social Work and served as the Director of the Online BSW Program at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL teaching in both the traditional undergraduate and online adult undergraduate BSW programs. Her prior departmental administrative role at Trinity was as the BSW Program Director and Department Chair of the Social Work Department from August 2014-December 2021. Dr. Bretzlaff-Holstein first began her social work education journey in 2008 when she first started teaching at Trinity as an adjunct social work faculty. Dr. Bretzlaff-Holstein also teaches occasionally for the online Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program for the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Bretzlaff-Holstein identifies as a teacher-scholar-activist operating from an ecosocial work and ecocentric approach to practice and education informed by her understanding of the interconnectedness of all life and echoes the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer who says, "All flourishing is mutual."

Dr. Bretzlaff-Holstein completed her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at Baylor University Diana R. Garland School of Social Work in Waco, TX in 2006, and her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree at St. Catherine University-University of St. Thomas School of Social Work in St. Paul, MN in 2017. She is a licensed social worker in the state of Illinois. Before concentrating her career on social work education, she spent six years working in the field of social work in a variety of areas, such as child welfare, residential youth services, community development, and program development. Her scholarly interests include food justice, environmental & ecological justice, social work education & humane education, the human-animal bond in social work and vegan studies. Dr. Bretzlaff-Holstein has been a fellow of The Ferrater Mora Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics since 2018. She currently lives in Kankakee, IL (1 hour south of Chicago) with her husband, her 7-year-old and 3-year-old daughters, and 2 furry children (1 rescue dog & 1 rescue cat).

Courses taught

SOWK 420: Social Work Field Instruction I (BSW)

SOWK 425: Social Work Field Instruction II (BSW)

SOWK 499: BSW Capstone Seminar (BSW- Online & Hybrid)

SOWK 610: Social Welfare History and Policy Practice (MSW)

SOWK 630: Advanced Social Work Practice II: Groups & Communities (MSW)

SOWK 733: The Centrality of Social Policy in Advancing Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice (MSW)

Awards

National Association of Social Workers-Illinois Chapter 2013 Social Worker of the Year

Publications

Bretzlaff-Holstein, C. (2025). Mary Ellen Wilson and Henry Bergh: Social work and animal protection. Accepted for the book entitled Animal Thinkers for Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics through Palgrave Macmillan.

Bretzlaff-Holstein, C. (2023). [Review of book Antiracism in animal advocacy: Igniting cultural transformation, edited by Singer, J.]. Journal of Animal Ethics.

Bretzlaff-Holstein, C. (2020). Social work education & humane education: Opportunities for incorporation. In Itle-Clarke, S. & Coamskey, E.M. (Eds.) Humane education in a university context: Advancing inclusive social justice studies in a postsecondary environment. WCY Humane Press.

Bretzlaff-Holstein, C. (2020). [Review of book Animal rights education, by Horsthemke, K.]. Journal of Animal Ethics.

Bretzlaff-Holstein, C. (2018). The case for humane education in social work education. Social Work Education, doi: 10.1080/02615479.2018.1468428

Bretzlaff-Holstein, C. (2017). The case for humane education in social work education (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://sophia.stkate.edu/dsw/3/

Presentations

Presentation on Ecosocial Work Education: Pedagogical Examples. Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 2026.

Co-presentation on The Value and Innovation of “Double Dipping” Across the BSW Curriculum: Cross-Course Collaborations. Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 2026.

Presentation on Mary Ellen Wilson and Henry Bergh: Social Work and Animal Protection. The Ferrater Mora Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics Ninth Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School, Oxford, England, August 2024.

Co-Presentation on Interdisciplinary Simulation as a Means to Foster Confidence and Professional Competence. International Community of Christian Teacher Education Conference, Wenham, MA, May 2024.

Co-Presentation on Interdisciplinary Simulation-Based Learning Experiences for Increasing Student Competencies. Council on Social Work Education, Atlanta, GA, October 2023.

Co-presentation on Celebrating & Supporting BSW-Level Adjunct Faculty in the Development of Their Pedagogical Identity. Council on Social Work Education, Atlanta, GA, October 2023.

Presentation on Environmental Justice and the Social Work Pedagogical Toolkit. North American Association of Christians in Social Work Annual Convention, Oak Brook, IL, November 2022.

Presentation on Animals in Social Work Practice and Education: Moving Toward Inclusivity & Normalization versus Specialization. Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics Summer School, Oxford, England, August 2022.

Co-presentation on STAT: The Effect of an Interdisciplinary Simulation Training and Teamwork Day on College Students in Education, Social Work, Nursing, and Psychology. International Community of Christian Teacher Education Conference, Newberg OR, May 2022.

Presentation on Celebrating & Supporting Adjunct Faculty: A Programmatic Cultural Norm. Social Work Distance Education Virtual Conference, April 2022.

Presentation on Pedagogical Strategies for Incorporating Environmental Justice into the Social Work Classroom. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Virtual Conference, November 2020.

Co-presentation on The Recruitment and Teaching of Gen Z Students: Challenges and Opportunities in Faith-Based Social Work Education. North American Association of Christians in Social Work Annual Convention, Virtual Conference, November 2020.

Co-presentation on Cross-Curricular Collaboration in Social Work Classes. North American Association of Christians in Social Work Annual Convention, Indianapolis, IN, November 2019.

Co-presentation on Cross-Curricular Collaboration in Social Work Classes. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO, October 2019.

Presentation on Humane Education, Social Work, Social Work Education: A Potential Collaborative Partner? Humane Education Coalition’s Humane Summit, February 2019.

Presentation on Humane Education, Social Work, Social Work Education: A Potential Collaborative Partner? The Association of Professional Humane Educators Conference, Phoenix, AZ, January 2019.

Co-presentation on Using Case Studies in Teaching Values & Ethics to BSW Students. North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Annual Conference, Hartford, CT, October 2018.

Co-presentation on The Macro 3: A Unique Model for BSW Senior Year. The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, March 2018.

Poster-Session Presentation on The Human-Animal Relationship in Social Work Practice. North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Annual Conference, Charlotte, NC, November 2017.

Co-presentation on Songs as Social Commentary. Co-presented at the North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Annual Conference, Charlotte, NC, November 2017.

Presentation on The Case for Humane Education in Social Work Education at the North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Annual Conference, Cincinnati, OH, November 2016.

Co-presentation on Upholding Our Commitment in the Midst of Economic Adversity. Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Diversity Conference, New York, New York, September 2016.

Co-presentation on Students’ Professional Development Journey. North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Annual Conference, Grand Rapids, MI, November 2015.

Co-presentation on Cultivating Student Professional Development. The Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO, October 2015 and at The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Annual Conference, Kansas City, MO, March 2015.

Co-presentation on Good Health for All: Closing the Food Gap. North American Association of Christians in Social Work Annual Conference, Annapolis, MD, November 2014.

Co-presentation on Grow One Another: A Church Bridging the Food Gap. Christian Community Development Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, 2013.

Social Work, the Food Movement, and Food Justice. North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, October 2013.

Food Citizenship and Our Local Communities. Co-presented at Christian Community Development Annual Confernece, Minneapolis, MN, 2012.

Social Service Provision in Congregations: Part 2 Leadership and Affiliation with Other Agenices. Baylor University School of Social Work Capstone Colloqium, Waco, TX, 2006.

Family Literacy Ministry: An Emerging Model Ilustrated by LEAF. Conference for International and Literacy Ministry, Waco, TX, 2005.

The Changing Role of Religiously-Affiliated Child and Family Serving Agencies. National Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW) Hand-in-Hand Conference, Dallas, TX, 2005.

Certificates and licenses

State of Illinois Licensed Social Worker, Master’s level

Trained Facilitator, Reflective Structured Dialogue (RSD), Essential Partners, Inc.

Professional organizations, committees, and boards

Fellow of The Ferrater Mora Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, Oxford University, Oxford, England

Phi Alpha Honor Society

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)