Many things have changed since the standard mode of psychotherapy consisted of the verbal healing proposed by Freudian psychoanalysis.
One of those things has to do with the loss of popularity of psychoanalysis, yes, but there is also another factor at play: Nowadays, the development of technology allows us to propose therapy proposals that were inconceivable decades ago The use of a technique called biofeedback is an example of this.
Biofeedback: sensor technology applied to psychotherapy
Biofeedback is, in short, a technique based on a system of sensors thanks to which the patient is aware in real time of various physiological parameters that describe how your body works.
Thanks to biofeedback, a feedback loop is created thanks to which the person has an easier time learning to reach optimal functional levels in aspects such as blood pulse, body temperature, etc. In other words, as the individual is informed in real time about what is happening in various parts of his body, he learns to associate these phenomena with certain sensations and, with a little practice, he becomes better able to regulate certain bodily functions.
Thus, biofeedback makes the process of consciously (and for our own good) controlling bodily processes easier that could otherwise get out of control in certain situations, negatively affecting our quality of life.
The usefulness of biofeedback
Decades ago it was believed that mental processes, everything that has normally been called “the conscious mind”, was separate from the bodily functions that ensure our survival, such as our heart rate, our sweating, etc. The idea was, basically, that both processes ran along parallel paths, or more specifically that the conscious mind is mounted on the basic physiology of our organism just as a peripheral device is attached to a computer or a mobile phone.
However, The implementation of biofeedback represents a break with this belief , and has allowed the emergence of a new horizon of possibilities in therapy and learning in general. Thus, for example, biofeedback allows you to very effectively learn relaxation methods, cope with anxiety and even more effective ways of breathing.
At first, the use of biofeedback is still a challenge in which we must pay attention to both the sensations we experience and the information that the sensors give us, but little by little the progress that is made can become more easy until they are present in our lives almost automatically.
Additionally, biofeedback has shown scientifically proven effectiveness in the treatment of insomnia, ADHD, chronic pain, anxiety disorders and phobias, and many others. Despite this, this technique is still very recent, and its usefulness and guarantees of effectiveness continue to be a topic that is discussed in scientific communities, depending on the type of treatment to which it is intended to be applied.
Types of biofeedback
The defining idea of ​​biofeedback is what we have seen, and Precisely because it is so simple, it can be applied to many cases and be used with a wide variety of sensors machines and computer programs.
This means that the biofeedback technique can have several uses depending on the form it takes. These are its different types.
1. Neurofeedback
Thanks to neurofeedback Patients are informed about the way their brain activates in certain situations. This makes it possible for the patient to relate subjective experiences about what he feels and thinks with the feedback that the machines provide, thus having a reference about when and when progress is made and when not.
neurofeedback It is the most obvious link between the application of biofeedback and psychology , since the measurements provide information about the state of the brain. However, there are also two other types of biofeedback.
2. Registration of the somatic nervous system
This is the type of biofeedback in which sensors collect information about the somatic nervous system , which is what transmits voluntary orders from the brain to the muscles. Thus, this method allows information related to muscle tone to be recorded, mainly through a method called electromyogram.
3. Recording of the autonomic nervous system
The somatic nervous system is what transmits orders related to involuntary actions, such as the regulation of heart rate, body temperature or the type of substances secreted in the digestive system, among others. That’s why, Using sensors on it allows you to better control these processes and correct them when there are imbalances
How is biofeedback used?
Biofeedback sessions are always supervised by a therapist who will guide the entire process, from setting goals to the course of each of the sessions (which last less than an hour).
At the beginning, you choose the physiological function on which you want to intervene, measure how it reacts before the sessions, and set the objectives Then, biofeedback sessions are carried out, which are usually presented as if they were part of a training in which the most clearly active role is played by the patient. Finally, the results obtained are compared with the objectives set.
Sometimes, the patient can continue using the biofeedback technique outside the office once they have been provided with the necessary instruments and have learned to use them without asking for help. However, even if the therapist is not present in these cases, he will be able to consult the records obtained by the sensors to see the progress that has been made.
