Many things have changed since the standard mode of psychotherapy consisted of the verbal healing that was proposed from Freudian psychoanalysis.

One of these things has to do with the loss of popularity of psychoanalysis, yes, but there is also another factor at play: today the development of technology allows proposals for therapy 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 several physiological parameters that describe the functioning of his body.

Biofeedback creates a feedback loop that makes it easier for the person to learn how to achieve optimal functional levels in areas 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 body functions.

Thus, biofeedback makes it easier to consciously control (and for our good) body processes that might 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 separated from the bodily functions that ensure our survival, such as heart rate, sweating, etc. The idea was basically that both processes ran in parallel, or more specifically that the conscious mind is mounted on the basic physiology of our organism just as a peripheral device is coupled to a computer or a mobile phone.

However, the implementation of biofeedback implies 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 us to learn very effectively methods of relaxation, coping with anxiety and even more effective ways of breathing.

At first, the use of biofeedback is a challenge where we have to pay attention both to the sensations we experience and to the information provided by the sensors, but little by little the progress made can be made easier until it is almost automatically present in our lives.

In addition, 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 of very recent appearance, and its usefulness and guarantees of effectiveness are still a subject of discussion in the scientific communities, depending on the type of treatment to which it is 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 used with a wide variety of sensors , machines and software.

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 is activated in certain situations. This makes it possible for the patient to relate subjective experiences about what he feels and thinks to the feedback provided by the machines, thus having a reference about when progress is made and when it is not.

Neurofeedback is the most obvious link between the application of biofeedback and psychology , since the measurements provide information on the state of the brain. However, there are also two other types of biofeedback.

2. Somatic nervous system register

This is the type of biofeedback in which sensors collect information about the somatic nervous system , which is the system that transmits voluntary commands from the brain to the muscles. Thus, this method makes it possible to record information relating to muscle tone, mainly through a method called electromyogram.

3. Autonomic nervous system record

The somatic nervous system is the one that transmits orders regarding involuntary actions, such as the regulation of heart rate, body temperature or the type of substances secreted in the digestive system, among others. Therefore, the use of sensors on it allows to better control these processes and to 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 goal setting to the course of each session (which lasts less than an hour).

At the beginning, the physiological function to be intervened on is chosen, how it reacts before the sessions is measured, and the objectives are set . Then, the biofeedback sessions are carried out, which are usually planned as if they were part of a training session in which the patient has the most clearly active role. Finally, the results obtained are compared with the objectives set.

Sometimes, the patient can continue to use the biofeedback technique outside the office once he has been provided with the necessary instruments and has learned to use them without asking for help. However, even if the therapist is not present in these cases, he or she can consult the records obtained by the sensors to see the progress that has been made.