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2023 Annual International Conference. October 27th & 28, 2023. Register now

48th Annual International Conference

Back to Basics: Getting the most out of Biofeedback and Neurofeedback

Virtual Event with Local Small-In Person “watch parties”

October 27th & 28th, 2023

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DO NOT MISS THE NRBS 2023 CONFERENCE SILENT AUCTION – Many offerings to enhance your education and/or practice. More details coming soon.

Description

The NRBS Annual Conference 2023 will be held virtually, allowing participants worldwide to join us from the comfort of their homes or workplaces.

October 27, 2023 Participate in person (or virtually)

As local small-group “watch parties” will be organized in various locations across the US, allowing attendees to watch the conference together, foster local connections and engage in meaningful discussions. Sign ups will be forthcoming.

October 28, 2023

Continue to enjoy the conference virtually.

Back to Basics: Optimizing Physiological and Brain Functions

At the NRBS Annual Conference 2023, we will delve into the fundamental principles of biofeedback and neurofeedback, highlighting their applicability in a post-COVID world that requires a comprehensive approach. Explore “top-down, bottom-up” strategies that integrate psychological and physiological interventions to foster personal growth, mental health, and overall well-being and how getting back to basics can build resilience and provide valuable insights for optimizing physiological and brain functions in our daily lives.

 

Embracing Neurodiversity: Unique Needs, Strengths, and Weaknesses.

In today’s world, neurodiversity is a common term that emphasizes our unique needs, strengths, and weaknesses. This conference will address how we can harness the power of biofeedback and neurofeedback to support individuals with diverse neurological profiles and optimize their overall well-being.

Networking and Community Building

NRBS 2023 offers networking opportunities, allowing attendees to connect with like-minded individuals and build meaningful professional relationships. Engage in discussions, exchange ideas, and explore collaborations with colleagues who share your passion for advancing the field of biofeedback.

9 CEs (APA and BCIA if attended in its entirety)

Speakers

Ed Hamlin, PhD

Saul Rosenthal

Saul Rosenthal, PhD

Dr. Linda Walker, PhD, LPC

Ronald J. Swatzyna, PhD

Richard Harvey, PhD

Anna Wexler, PhD

Mitchell Sadar, PhD

Friday 27th, 2023

Keynote with Ed Hamlin, PhD 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm ET. Attend a local “watch party” or virtually in the comfort of your home/office.

4:30pm – 6:00pm

Déjà Vu All Over Again: Neurofeedback – Past, Present, and Future

SATURDAY 28th, 2023

Virtual Conference presentations 8am-5pm ET

8:00am – 8:15am

Welcome

8:15am – 9:45am

Biofeedback Basics: Learning Your Way to Health

9:45am – 11:15am

Basic tenets for helping the client make the most of Neurofeedback.
How do I know they’re getting it?!

11:15am – 11:30am

Break

11:30am – 1:00pm

The Efficacy of Psychotherapies and Pharmacotherapies for Mental Disorders in Adults

1:00pm – 2:00pm

Lunch

2:00pm – 3:30pm

How good are the new tools: Off-the-shelf wearables in biofeedback practice.

3:30pm – 3:45pm

Break

3:45pm – 5:15pm

Exploring the Ethics of Neurofeedback: Navigating Challenges and Advancing Responsible Applications

Friday 27th, 2023

4:30pm – 6:00pm

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Déjà Vu All Over Again: Neurofeedback – Past, Present, and Future

1.5 CEs (APA and BCIA)

Neurofeedback developed as a specialized form of biofeedback in the 1960s largely based on the pioneering work of Joe Kamiya and Barry Sterman beginning first in academic laboratories but quickly expanding into clinical settings. For many years neurofeedback protocols used in practice were very similar to those developed from Kamiya’s work with Alpha brainwaves based on findings from studying meditators and Sterman’s work with Beta/SMR brainwaves based on extensions of his initial clinical work with seizure patients. Soon, based on the work of Elmer and Alyce Green at the Menninger Foundation along with Eugene Peniston’s clinical applications, Alpha/Theta training was added to the earlier approaches. As normative databases of EEG activity developed in the 1970s and 1980s and made widely available in the 1990s, many more approaches for conducting neurofeedback developed and proliferated. Currently, there is a wide variety of foundational theories, equipment, and approaches for conducting neurofeedback that are available for both researchers and clinicians to choose between. Development is on-going and the future almost certainly will involve even further expansion.

However, despite its long history, neurofeedback continues to be a poorly recognized and underutilized modality. Several reasons for these deficiencies are often given, but one that isheard from the scientific community involves a lack of sufficiently definitive research. However, an unparalleled opportunity appears to exist due to a combination of factors. First, there are more widely recognized limitations to the efficacy and the safety of commonly used medications for addressing mental health problems, even though their use among the population continues to rise. More people are seeking treatment for emotional and behavioral disorders than has ever been true in the past as some of the stigma for needing help has thankfully reduced.

However, there is often not enough qualified providers to meet the increased demand in a timely manner. It also has to be acknowledged that despite many gains in the treatment of medical disorders over the past several decades, outcomes from mental health treatment have failed to show the same degree of progress. While deaths from strokes, heart disease, HIV, and some cancers have decreased, death from suicide has increased. Practitioners of neurofeedback are convinced that its implementation has improved their outcomes, but have not produced evidence conclusive enough to get adequate third-party reimbursement or even greater professional or public awareness of the contributions it could make. There is a broad acknowledgement that our society is facing a mental health crisis which would seem to provide an opening for increased awareness of treatment techniques offering improved efficacy.

In this talk we will first review the history of neurofeedback’s implementation in clinical practice along with the early evidence frequently cited in support of its efficacy. We will also examine some of the criticisms of the technique which have hampered broader acceptance, as well as, limiting funding necessary for conducting additional research. From here we will be discussing the current status and practice of neurofeedback progressing to some speculations about its future. We will be exploring patterns seen in existing research that may provide information helpful for obtaining greater recognition and acceptance. We will conclude with some speculation about future developments, including ideas for expanding neurofeedback into underserved populations.

  1. Describe two proposed mechanisms underlying changes seen from neurofeedback training.
  2. Identify the primary finding from the ICAN double-blind study of neurofeedback for ADHD.
  3. List the 3 nonspecific targets of neurofeedback training that can be used to enhance outcomes.

TBD

by Ed Hamlin, PhD

Saturday 28th, 2023

8:15am – 9:45am

Lecture 1

Biofeedback Basics: Learning Your Way to Health

1.5 CEs (APA and BCIA)

Biopsychosocial or integrated models of health are now commonly accepted as the best way to guide our understanding and improvement of health. Biofeedback is a treatment approach that integrates biological, cognitive and behavioral aspects of the individual’s experience, and can be presented in ways that optimally integrate a diverse range of health, personality, and cultural factors. It is used both adjunctively and as primary treatment for a variety of physical and mental health conditions. The purpose of this talk is to describe biofeedback and the role it can play in improving health. The talk presents biofeedback’s model of treatment, evidence supporting efficacy, and practical matters for implementation.
  1. Define and understand the difference between positive and negative feedback loops
  2. Describe the five most common biofeedback modalities
  3. Identify the primary professional resources for training, certification, and continuing education.

TBD

by Saul Rosenthal, PhD

9:45am – 11:15am

Lecture 2

Basic tenets for helping the client make the most of Neurofeedback.
How do I know they’re getting it?!

1.5 CEs (APA and BCIA)

Helping clients be successful at neurofeedback therapy necessarily starts with getting the right protocols, but maximizing benefit doesn’t stop there. In session, stepping beyond the movie and the automatic threshold to understand how the client learns, gains a skill and integrates the feedback allows clinicians to provide an extra layer of therapeutic support. This workshop helps clinicians learn to use thresholds, filters and feedback exercises to maximize learning and skill acquisition.

  1. Describe how setting thresholds facilitates learning of the client.
  2. Summarize one method of using video-based feedback to enhance trainee learning.
  3. Name one objective outcome assessment that can help in the evaluation of neurofeedback progress.

TBD

by Dr. Linda Walker, PhD, LPC

11:30am – 1:00pm

Lecture 3

The Efficacy of Psychotherapies and Pharmacotherapies for Mental Disorders in Adults

1.5 CEs (APA and BCIA)

Mental disorders represent a worldwide public health concern. Psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies are recommended as first line treatments.However, evidence has emerged that their efficacy may be overestimated, due to a variety of shortcomings in clinical trials (e.g., publication bias,weak control conditions such as waiting list). We performed an umbrella review of recent meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies for the main mental disorders in adults. We selected meta-analyses that formally assessed risk of bias or quality of studies, excluded weak comparators, and used effect sizes for target symptoms as primary outcome. We searched PubMed and PsycINFO and individual records of the Cochrane Library for meta-analyses published between January 2014 and March 2021 comparing psychotherapies or pharmacotherapies with placebo or treatment-as-usual (TAU), or psychotherapies vs. pharmacotherapies head-to-head, or the combination of psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy to either monotherapy. One hundred and two meta-analyses, encompassing 3,782 RCTs and 650,514 patients, were included, covering depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, somato-form disorders, eating disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, substance use disorders, insomnia, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and bipolar disorder. Across disorders and treatments, the majority of effect sizes for target symptoms were small. A random effect meta-analytic evaluation of the effect sizes reported by the largest meta-analyses per disorder yielded a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.34 (95% CI: 0.26-0.42) for psychotherapies and 0.36 (95% CI: 0.32-0.41) for pharmacotherapies compared with placebo or TAU. The SMD for head-to-head comparisons of psychotherapies vs. pharmacotherapies was 0.11 (95% CI: –0.05 to 0.26). The SMD for the combined treatment compared with either monotherapy was 0.31 (95% CI: 0.19-0.44). Risk of bias was often high. After more than half a century of research, thousands of RCTs and millions of invested funds, the effect sizes of psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies for mental disorders are limited, suggesting a ceiling effect for treatment research as presently conducted. A paradigm shift in research seems to be required to achieve further progress.

TBD

TBD

by Ronald J. Swatzyna, PhD

2:00pm – 3:30pm

Lecture 4

How good are the new tools:
Off-the-shelf wearables in biofeedback practice.

1.5 CEs (APA and BCIA)

Wearables are the next new thing. This brief description of devices presents some recent advances in the art and science of portable and wearable instruments useful in biofeedback practice. Learning outcomes include conceptual considerations describing ‘when, where and for whom’ would wearable devices work best, along with a discussion of practical versions of tools, both worn on the body and/or woven into clothing. The overview concludes with some recommendations for the future of biofeedback training approaches that take advantage of portable pieces of technology.
  1. Identify appropriate applications of wearable devices in biofeedback practice
  2. Recognize limitations of technology
  3. Consider client costs and benefits

TBD

by Richard Harvey, PhD

3:45pm – 5:15pm

Lecture 5

Exploring the Ethics of Neurofeedback:
Navigating Challenges and Advancing Responsible Applications

1.5 CEs (APA and BCIA)

This talk will explore the ethical dimensions of neurofeedback, covering recent conceptual and empirical work from my lab on ethical issues in alternative neurotherapies more generally as well as those specifically related to neurofeedback. Key topics include those related to truthful representation of evidence base, provider competency, vulnerable populations, potential psychological harms, conflicts of interest, and adequate patient understanding. The talk will conclude with practical suggestions for enhancing the ethical provision and responsible application of neurofeedback.
  1. Understand the ethical and legal considerations of providing neurofeedback.
  2. Describe empirical research related to the ethics of neurofeedback.
  3. Identify opportunities for improving the ethical provision of neurofeedback.

TBD

by Anna Wexler, PhD
and Mitchell Sadar, PhD

REGISTER

Non-Member

Regular price: $349

*Registration includes Conference and 1-year Rolling Membership.

Member

Regular price: $250

*Registration includes Conference

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NRBS is delighted to unveil our fee schedule for international applicants. Click here for more details

This is a live online event 

Can’t attend live? Recording available for 30 days.

Please contact [email protected] with questions

NRBS SUPPORTING SPONSORS

Learn more about our supporting sponsors and ways they can help your personal & professional development.

Biofeedback Resources International Corporation
Bio Medical
BrainMaster Technologies
Jeffrey A. Carmen Ph.D.
lenosys
Biosource software
BFSA Biofeedback Association of South Africa
Purple Meadows Behavioral Healthcare
Lief Therapeutics
Sadar Psychological and Sports Center
WellBeing CNY Learning and Collaboration Network

Continuing education Information

CONTINUING EDUCATION

This program is co-sponsored by the Northeast Regional Biofeedback Society and The Institute for Continuing Education. The program offers 5.50 hours on Day One; and 4.50 hrs. on day Two. CE hours awarded are based on actual participation. Full attendance is required for each event in which you participate. The CE processing fee is $35.00 per person and submitted to The Institute for Continuing Education at the time completed CE paperwork is mailed.

Attendees who wish to apply for continuing education credit MUST complete CE forms and comply with attendance monitoring requirements.

NOTE: To receive continuing education credit, applicants must complete all CE forms and comply with attendance monitoring requirements.

NOTE: It is the responsibility of the attendee to determine if CE credit offered by The Institute for Continuing Education and/or The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, meets the regulations of their state licensing/certification board.

Questions: If you have questions regarding continuing education, the program, faculty, learning objectives per event, grievance issues, faculty, please contact The Institute at: 800-557-1950; e-mail: [email protected].

Commercial Support: The Institute for Continuing Education receives no funds from any commercial organization for financial support of its activities in providing continuing education sponsorship of this event.

Psychology: The Institute for Continuing Education is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Institute for Continuing Education maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
New York: The Institute for Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0043.

Counseling: For counselors seeking credit, The Institute for Continuing Education will submit a co-sponsorship application to NBCC.
New York: The Institute for Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. Provider MHC-0016.
Ohio Board Counseling/ Social Work: Ohio Board of Counseling and Social Work Board, Provider RCS 030001.

Social Work: Application for social work continuing education credits has been submitted. This website will be updated regarding approval.
New York: The Institute for Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers. Provider No. SW-0025.
Ohio: Counseling and Social Work Board, Provider RCS 030001.
Florida Dept. Health, Division Social Work, MFT, Counseling, Provider BAP 255, expiration 03/2023.
Illinois Dept. Professional Regulation: The Institute is recognized as a provider of continuing education by the Illinois Dept. of Professional Regulation, Social Work
Division, Provider 159.000606.
New Jersey: this program has NOT been submitted for pre-approval to the New Jersey Board of Social Work.

Marriage/Family Therapy:
New York: The Institute for Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage/family therapists, Provider MHC-0012.
Florida: The Institute for Continuing Education is a recognized provider of continuing education by the Florida Department of Health, Division of Marriage and Family Therapist, BAP 255, expiration 03/2023
California Professionals: The Institute for Continuing Education, Provider 56590, is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs. The Institute for Continuing Education maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This Course meets the qualifications for continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCC, as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Illinois Department MFT: Provider 168-000108.