Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback is a growing field, which is why professionals pursue their BCIA HRV Certification.
HRV biofeedback is a type of biofeedback that uses heart rate variability to help individuals learn to control their autonomic nervous system. This can be done through various techniques, including:
Slow-paced breathing or muscle contraction
Breathing or contracting your muscles at your unique resonance frequency
Mindfulness exercises
For licensed healthcare professionals, HRV biofeedback is easily integrated into your existing clinical practice, for example, psychotherapy, addiction treatment, and health psychology.
Clients can reduce stress, improve health, and enhance their performance by learning to increase parasympathetic activity. HRV biofeedback is an effective treatment for anxiety, asthma, depression, heart disease, glycemic control, hypertension, and preeclampsia.
Although entry-level HRV Biofeedback Certification requires at least a bachelor's degree in a healthcare-related or optimal performance field, technicians have no educational prerequisites. Approved healthcare fields include psychology, medicine, counseling, and nursing. Performance fields include sport psychology and exercise physiology.
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The Steps for Earning Your BCIA HRV Biofeedback Certification
Visit BCIA's website and select the HRV Biofeedback Entry Level or HRV Biofeedback Certificate of Completion 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 or Neuroanatomy course any time before you file to take the BCIA Certification Exam. BCIA encourages you to take your A&P or Neuroanatomy course before your didactic workshop to help you better understand the new terms you will encounter. BCIA compared these two credentials in the following table. The timeline refers to the HRV Biofeedback Entry-Level Certification.
Didactic Training
Entry-Level and Certificate of Completion applicants must complete a BCIA-Accredited Training Program. BCIA-Approved HRV Biofeedback Training Programs are available through universities and vendors like BioSource Software. If this is a realistic option for you, we recommend an in-person or hybrid course that includes some portion of the course in person over virtual instruction. Virtual courses can be a good option for many, especially if one can access equipment and guidance from a seasoned professional. If you choose a virtual course, our $275 BCIA-accredited HRV Biofeedback Tutor is one of your most affordable options and one of the few designed by full-time university educators.
Anatomy & Physiology or Neuroanatomy
Candidates with a Biofeedback background 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. Candidates with a Neurofeedback background can satisfy BCIA's Neuroanatomy requirement with BCIA-approved courses in Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroanatomy, Neurophysiology, or Physiological Psychology. BCIA accredits our $150 Physiological Psychology course to teach Neuroanatomy.
Mentoring
BCIA only requires mentoring for Entry-Level applicants. BCIA requires 10 mentoring contact hours to review: (1) 10 sessions of personal HRV biofeedback training demonstrating self-regulation (2) 20 sessions of patient/client treatment using HRV biofeedback, including BVP or ECG training and respirometer (respiratory biofeedback) training (3) five case studies We encourage you to download BCIA's HRV Biofeedback Mentoring Handbook. You negotiate the price with BCIA-accredited mentors listed on BCIA's Find a Mentor page. You may select more than one mentor. BCIA's HRV Biofeedback Mentoring Handbook contains logs for documenting these three activities. You will submit your logs when you file your Application for HRV Biofeedback Certification.
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.
Certificate of Completion
Filing Fee
$50 for all students enrolled in a health care degree program at a regionally accredited academic institution according to BCIA certification standards $50 for all BCIA certificants – BCB, BCN, BCB-PMD $100 for all other applicants
Exam Fee
You will need to pay an exam proctor $20 directly.
BCIA Exam
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 computer, without requiring travel.
Equipment
Don't overlook used equipment when you search for biofeedback systems. You will want to monitor HR, HRV (ECG or PPG sensors), and Respiration. Although we recommend EMG to detect breathing effort and skin conductance for autonomic activity, BCIA does not require these modalities. Consider BrainMaster Technologies, Mind Media (NeXus), Thought Technology Ltd. (Infiniti), and their dedicated vendors, including Biofeedback Resources International (BRI) and Bio-Medical Instruments (BMI).
Entry-Level System
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).
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.
The Benefits of a BCIA HRV Biofeedback Credential
When you earn your BCIA HRV biofeedback credential, you can find jobs in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, the Veterans Administration system, private practices, and research centers. Although entry-level HRV biofeedback Certification requires at least a bachelor's degree in a healthcare-related field, the HRV Certificate of Completion has no educational prerequisites. HRV biofeedback jobs offer several benefits, including the opportunity to help people improve their lives and the potential to earn a good salary. If you're looking for a rewarding career that offers the chance to make a difference in people's lives, get your BCIA HRV Biofeedback credential. Contact BioSource Software today if you are interested in obtaining your BCIA HRV Biofeedback Certification or Certificate of Completion.
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