BIOFEEDBACK

Biofeedback can reduce symptoms associated with:

• Headaches

• Anxiety

• PTSD (trauma)

• Back Pain

• General Pain

• ADHD

When you raise your hand to wave hello to a friend, or lift your knee to exercise, you control these actions. Other body functions, like heart rate, skin temperature, and breathing are controlled involuntarily by your nervous system. You don't think about making your heart beat faster, it just happens in response to your environment (ex. when you are nervous).

Biofeedback is a technique that can help you gain more control over these "involuntary functions". Biofeedback is a type of therapy used to help prevent or relieve symptoms from conditions such as; Stress, migraine headaches, chronic pain, anxiety or ADHD/ADD.  There are more conditions that have been researched and rated based on findings of efficacy.  I am happy to speak with you or your provider on what conditions these are, how to find proof, and why being trained to appropriately facilitate biofeedback is important for success.

The idea behind biofeedback is that, by harnessing the power of your mind and becoming aware of what's going on inside your body, you can gain more control over your health. 

I often use biofeedback as an adjunct therapy along with traditional talk therapy.  To learn more about my theoretical approach to therapy, click on the page called "therapy" on this website or call/contact me using the information below. 

I am happy to speak with anyone who wants to know more about biofeedback for FREE.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Biofeedback:

What is Biofeedback? Biofeedback is a treatment technique whereby people learn to balance their nervous system by using signals from their own bodies. Therapists using biofeedback as a treatment tool can train people to alter brain activity, blood pressure, heart rate, and other body functions that are often thought to be involuntary. As an example, Recreational Therapists can use biofeedback to help tense and anxious clients learn how to relax.

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Why am I called a Clinical Psychophysiologist and not a Counselor?   I am a licensed clinical provider that has gone to school or obtained a certification in biofeedback.  So, I have a license to be a professional counselor and I went back to school to learn about applied psychophysiology.  

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Click here to learn about where I went to school to learn about applied psychophysiology: ​https://hhp.ecu.edu/rcls/biofeedback-lab/

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Do you have to do biofeedback if you come to see me? No! We can do traditional talk therapy or figure out what best fits your needs once we create a treatment plan.  I believe that therapy is a journey that looks different with everyone so what fits one person will never fit all! I am open to working together to find what fits you best!

How long do I need to come to Biofeedback? Typically people come to learn tools weekly or bi-weekly but it is not necessary and mostly depends upon what you are seeking biofeedback for.  Again, everyone is different!  Biofeedback training with people who are seeking a way to monitor and/or alter something.  Biofeedback does not require the use of drugs or surgery to alter the body, but teaches your body to alter itself. Once a biofeedback skill has been acquired, the patient usually then has no need for further use of training equipment, and may use feedback only to occasionally tune or validate the utilization of their skill.

Does biofeedback hurt? No, it is non-invasive equipment that uses electrodes to measure physiological responses to stress.  I use video games and movies to provide feedback of different responses that assist us in changes those responses.

For example, skin temperature biofeedback measures vasodilation and vasoconstriction using a thermistor to measure temperature.  The basic theory behind hand-warming stems from our understanding of the fight-flight response. The fight-flight response is an automatic change of physiological markers that take place when a person suddenly perceives danger or stress. Blood flow is significantly decreased in the extremities while being increased to the vital organs of the body. This enables a person to react physically to danger. This physiological change was very favorable and served as an automatic protection device, in primitive society. Although the fight-flight response has been beneficial and necessary for survival, it can also be harmful. If we overuse this natural response by constantly interpreting things as being stressful or dangerous, that really are not, we are chronically sending this response to the body. 

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Biofeedback therapists may use temperature biofeedback when working with such conditions as anxiety, chronic pain, edema, migraine and tension headache, essential hypertension, Raynaud’s disease, anxiety, and stress. Skin temperature biofeedback can be very useful in the treatment of problems that may be based on poor circulatory blood flow.

The instrumentation that is used for biofeedback is often very sophisticated and takes someone who knows what they are looking at to provide accurate biofeedback.  

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BIOFEEDBACK

Biofeedback assessment and training may be applied to a multitude of physical, emotional, and psychological problems. It may also be utilized to enhance performance and quality

of life.

Biofeedback requires specialized training and knowledge of anatomy and physiology.

Professions using biofeedback include

physicians, nurses, social workers,

counselors, psychologists, physiologists, coaches, educators, and many others.

The instrumentation that is used for biofeedback is often very sophisticated and takes someone who knows what they are looking at to provide accurate biofeedback.  

How to check to see if provider is certified?  www.bcia.org 

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