BIOFEEDBACK

The biofeedback program helps students to recognize early signs of distress and utilize feedback from the program to create relaxation. This feedback includes heart rate and breathing variability, and has been shown effective for reducing stress and improving intellectual, emotional and physical functioning.

WHAT IS BIOFEEDBACK?

Biofeedback is the process of becoming aware of various physiological functions, such as your heart rate, with the goal of being able to manipulate them or control them at will with your mind.  In essence, biofeedback gives you the power to use your thoughts to control your body and its responses in order to relax more deeply and develop healthier coping styles. Each practice includes effective breathing and meditation techniques to induce relaxation and reduce stress.

HOW DOES BIOFEEDBACK WORK?

Biofeedback involves being connected to electronic sensors that monitor specific, often unconscious, physiological activities. Precise instruments measure physiological activity such as heart function, breathing, and skin temperature.  As you receive and follow verbal instructions through the program to breathe deeply, think more positively, or clear your mind of worries; these instruments will rapidly and accurately "feed back" information to you in a variety of forms. The biofeedback sensors teach you how to make subtle changes in your body, such as relaxing certain muscles, to achieve the results you want. Once you are aware of what your body is doing, you can learn to change those patterns to reduce stress, anxiety, or related physical symptoms. Over sessions, you will grow to understand and work with your mind-body connection in order to quickly and effectively move into deeper levels of calm and relaxation.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

Before you begin biofeedback, you will need to talk with a counselor who will complete a biofeedback screening and schedule (or conduct) your orientation to biofeedback session.