BIOFEEDBACK FOR SELF-REGULATION AND STRESS RESILIENCY

Health is more than the elimination of disease or symptoms. Many studies have shown that mental/emotional stress causes physical changes in the body, which can lead to health problems. The body heals faster, and the immune system operates better when the body is in a state of balance. Because emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and behavioral factors can directly affect your health, Bastyr Clinics offers biofeedback to focus on helping you create a sense of balance, peace, and resiliency. Finding your inner resources and strength and cultivating a sense of meaning and purpose in life are at the heart of this approach, as our clinicians help you train to live in a way that would most benefit your whole-person well-being.

At Bastyr, our biofeedback protocol focuses on mindfulness, breathing, and biofeedback. Biofeedback is a self-regulation technique that helps you learn how to use your bodily signals to improve your health and well-being. By monitoring bodily signals, you can gain insight and control over physiological reactions that were previously considered unconscious or automatic.

CONDITIONS DEMONSTRATED TO BENEFIT FROM BIOFEEDBACK TRAINING

While mind-body medicine treats the whole person rather than focusing on a diagnosis or disease, using your current symptoms as a guide for treatment success is beneficial. Conditions for which mind-body medicine techniques can be helpful include addictions, anxiety, asthma, ADD/ADHD, chronic insomnia, chronic pain, depression, fatigue, headaches, hypertension, IBS, PMS, TMJ, poor muscle control, Raynaud’s disease, and PTSD.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT ON A BIOFEEDBACK SHIFT

Bastyr Clinics offers a heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback program grounded in research that shows HRV training provides patients with skills to improve psycho- physiological resiliency, increase optimal performance, and reduce stress. The training is a collaborative process between you and your clinician. Together, we identify and clarify concrete goals, assessment strategies, and home practices to help you move toward resiliency.

Because the first step of the process involves self-awareness, you will be asked to monitor your physical sensations, moods and emotions, thought patterns, and habitual behaviors. To receive maximum benefit, you are asked to engage in home practices that mirror and reinforce the training you practice in session. Research has shown that daily home practice (20 minutes twice a day) between sessions is required to rewire the nervous system and create more neurological resiliency. The more you practice, the greater your chances of reaching your goals becomes.

SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS

New patients receive a first-time naturopathic intake and evaluation during the initial visit to establish care at our clinics. Seven weekly 60-minute biofeedback training sessions follow the initial evaluation. To reap the most benefit from this training, we request a commitment of seven sessions in a row. We ask you to attend each of the seven sessions, and to schedule for the same time each week. Bastyr requires a minimum of 24 hours notice if you need to cancel your scheduled appointment, and we would greatly appreciate as much advance notice as possible if you cannot make it to your session. The initial evaluation costs $85, and follow-up stress management sessions are $35 per visit.

If you have additional questions or a request for an appointment, please call your local clinic, Bastyr University Clinic (858) 246-9730 or Bastyr Center for Natural Health (206) 834-4100. Our patient service representatives would be happy to assist you in establishing care with Bastyr Biofeedback providers. To learn more, go to Bastyrclinics.org.