Biofeedback is the process of becoming aware of our physiological (aka biological) responses and learning how to regulate these processes (such as breathing and heart rate) through the use of machines or people who offer feedback about those responses. Once we learn to regulate these, we can generalize it to our whole life to where it can impact our mood and autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system involves your sympathetic (fight or flight; stress response) and parasympathetic nervous systems (rest and digest; relaxation). Balancing our autonomic nervous system will allow us to better cope with the many stressors of daily living and ultimately improve our health and immune function. There are many various modalities within biofeedback, but I primarily focus on breathwork and meditation to help with emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.
It is recommended to do weekly biofeedback sessions for a minimum of 4-6 weeks for optimal results. This is somewhat of a relaxation training program that will help you respond to stressors in a healthier manner.
It does involve 10-20 minutes of daily practice and exercises, therefore requires a committed individual.
Biofeedback is highly recommended for clients who have difficulty relaxing or reaching the “trance” state in hypnotherapy.
Some condition biofeedback can effectively treat include:
• Relaxation and Stress/Pain Management
• Anxiety and Panic Attacks/Disorders
• Hypertension / Cardiovascular disorders
• Asthma
• Hyperventilation syndrome • Lung function – increase stamina in COPD
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Dr. Alice Fong 