BCIA Biofeedback Certification

​Visit BCIA's website and select the Biofeedback Entry Level or Biofeedback Technician pages. Be sure to carefully review the prerequisites, certification requirements, and how each step will be completed. This will give you a better idea of the costs and the time it takes for completion.

Submit your Application, all Documents, and Filing Fee simultaneously, not in installments. You may take a BCIA-approved A&P course any time before you file to take the BCIA Certification Exam. BCIA encourages you to take A&P before your didactic workshop to help you better understand the new terms you will encounter.

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Didactic Training
 

You will need to complete a BCIA-Accredited Training Program. BCIA-Approved Biofeedback Training Programs are available through universities and vendors like BioSource Software. We recommend an in-person or hybrid course that includes some portion of the course in person over virtual instruction if this is a realistic option for you. Virtual courses can be a good option for many, especially if one has access to equipment and guidance from a seasoned professional. If  you choose a virtual course, our $275 BCIA-accredited Biofeedback Tutor is one of your most affordable options and one of the few designed by full-time university educators.

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Anatomy & Physiology

You can satisfy BCIA's A&P requirement by completing a comprehensive course in Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, or Human Biology covering the organization of the human body and all 11 systems, taken from a regionally accredited academic institution or a BCIA-approved provider. Candidates should complete a course that best supports their biofeedback practice. BCIA accredits our $150 Human Physiology course to teach A&P.

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Mentoring
 

BCIA requires 20 mentoring contact hours (2 must be face-to-face) for Entry-Level applicants and 10 mentoring contact hours for Technician applicants. Face-to-face hours can be virtual, using platforms like Zoom. We encourage you to download BCIA's Biofeedback Mentoring Handbook.

 

You negotiate that price with BCIA-accredited mentors listed on BCIA's Find a Mentor page. You may select more than one mentor. 

Entry-Level

Entry-Level mentoring reviews the following:

(1) 10 Sessions of Self-Regulation where you are the patient/client.
 

(2) 50 Patient/client sessions as follows:  10 sessions each of Thermal, EMG, and HRV.  The remaining 20 sessions are to include any combination of EMG, Thermal, GSR, HRV, and respiration training.
 

(3) 10 Case Studies which are fully detailed patient/client stories from intake and protocol selection/adjustment through discharge. These cases may be presented to you by your mentor, or they may be a client you have not yet reviewed with your mentor. This is the only mentoring that can easily be done in an online group setting. Candidates may use up to 5 BCIA Biofeedback Mentoring webinars to complete 5 contact hours and 10 case studies.

BCIA's Biofeedback Mentoring Handbook contains logs for documenting these three activities. You will submit your logs when you file your Application for Biofeedback Certification. 

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Technician
 

Technician mentoring reviews 10 hours spent to review 20 patient sessions and to learn basic equipment, electrode placements, and personal self-regulation skills. 

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BCIA Fees

 

Entry-Level  

 

You must submit a completed BCIA Application for Certification and the required fees. BCIA charges Filing ($150) and Certification ($300) fees. All exams are taken using an online proctoring service, and you have to pay $20 for their services. Upon final certification, no additional fees are paid until recertification occurs 4 years later.

 

BCIA reduces the Filing fee to $50 for applicants who can document current enrollment in an advanced degree program at a regionally accredited academic institution in a BCIA-approved healthcare field. BCIA lowers the Certification fee to $100 if this is your second BCIA certification.

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Technician  

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BCIA charges Filing ($150) and Certification ($100) for Technician applicants.

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Once your application has been reviewed and approved and you have passed the BCIA exam, BCIA will award your Certification in Biofeedback.

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BCIA Exam

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Your exam application and all fees must be paid at least 1 week before your preferred exam date. File your Exam Registration Form and BCIA will connect you with an online proctor to register in their system. This service allows you to take your exam from anywhere, including your own computer with no travel required.

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Equipment

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Don't overlook used equipment when you search for biofeedback systems. You will want to monitor EMG, HRV (ECG or PPG sensor), and Temperature. We also recommend a respirometer for breathing and skin conductance for autonomic activity.

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Consider BrainMaster Technologies, Mind Media (NeXus), Thought Technology Ltd. (Infiniti), and their dedicated vendors, including Biofeedback Resources International (BRI) and Bio-Medical Instruments (BMI).

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Entry-Level System

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Thought Technology ProComp2 with v6.0 Infiniti Software ($1850) provides two channels of biofeedback or neurofeedback. Blood volume pulse, EMG, respiration, skin conductance, and temperature sensors ($1490).

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Clinical Systems

BrainMaster Technologies Biofeedback Suite Device, 6 channels with pre-release beta software and sensors ($1095).

Mind Media NeXus-10 MKII with software ($4995). Blood volume pulse, EMG, respiration, skin conductance, and temperature sensors ($2120).

Thought Technology ProComp 5 System with software ($3150). Blood volume pulse, EMG, respiration, skin conductance, and temperature sensors ($1490). Thought Technology ProComp 8 System Package with software and sensors ($6799).

 

The annual meetings of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB),  the International Society for Neuroregulation & Research (ISNR), the Mid-Atlantic Biofeedback Society (MABS), and the Northeast Regional Biofeedback Society (NRBS) provide great opportunities to discuss your needs with vendors and take a test drive.

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The Benefits of BCIA Biofeedback Certification

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When you earn your BCIA Biofeedback Certification, you can find biofeedback jobs in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, the Veterans Administration system, private practices, and research centers. Although Entry-Level Biofeedback Certification requires at least a bachelor's degree in a healthcare-related field, technicians have no educational prerequisites.​

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Biofeedback jobs offer several benefits, including the opportunity to help people improve their lives and the potential to earn a good salary. 

 

If you are interested in a rewarding career as a biofeedback practitioner, contact BioSource Software. Here at BioSource Software, we offer courses to help you get your BCIA Biofeedback Certification. We are a leading international provider of BCIA-accredited educational resources for biofeedback, HRV biofeedback, neurofeedback, and qEEG professionals.

 

Contact BioSource Software today if you are interested in obtaining your BCIA Biofeedback Certification.

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