Fundamentals of Heart Rate Variability and Respiratory Biofeedback
Donald Moss, PhD
Inna Khazan, PhD
1-day workshop
Date: April 9, 10, 2024
Workshop Title
Fundamentals of Heart Rate Variability and Respiratory Biofeedback
Workshop Description
This workshop is designed to teach BCIA’s 16-hour heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback didactic blueprint. The workshop emphasizes mastery of entry-level knowledge as well as hands-on learning. The workshop will introduce attendees to the medical and psychological significance of low and high HRV and provide a basic understanding of HRV as a physiological process. Day One will include reviews of cardiovascular and respiratory anatomy and physiology, autonomic nervous system anatomy and physiology, and HRV biofeedback instrumentation. Day One will also include detailed discussion of breath training with audience participation in guided paced respiration. The presenters will provide case narratives including breath and HRV training. Day Two will review HRV measurements, introduce the resonance frequency training protocol, and introduce biofeedback training strategies for breath training and HRV training. The presenters will demonstrate the assessment of resonance frequency, respiratory biofeedback training, and HRV training. Day Two will also include review of research supporting the applications of respiratory and HRV biofeedback to medical disorders, psychological disorders, and optimal performance training. Day Two will include discussion of the use of inexpensive consumer grade HRV devices for self-care and as an adjunct to professional treatment. The presenters will provide further case narratives including breath and HRV techniques.
Learning Objectives
1) Attendees will be able to explain the cardiac, respiratory, and autonomic anatomy and physiology that underlies HRV biofeedback.
2) Attendees will be able to discuss the meaning and sources of HRV, and the correlates of low, normal, and high HRV.
3) Attendees will be able to explain how to assess and train clients to increase their HRV time and frequency domain measurements.
4) Attendees will be able to describe the efficacy of major clinical and optimal performance HRV applications.
About Donald Moss
Dr. Donald Moss is Professor and Dean, College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences, at Saybrook University, Pasadena, CA. He is a clinical health psychologist, certified in biofeedback and hypnosis. Moss is the ethics chair for the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. He is the education chair, publications chair, and president-elect for the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH). He previously served as president of SCEH, president of Division 30 (hypnosis) of the American Psychological Association, and president of AAPB.
Moss is co-author with Fredric Shaffer of A Primer of Biofeedback (AAPB, 2022), and co-author with Angele McGrady of Your Pathway through Chronic Illness (Pavilion, in press), Integrative Pathways: Navigating Chronic Illness with a Mind-Body-Spirit Approach (Springer, 2018), and Pathways to Illness, Pathways to Health (Springer, 2013).
Moss is co-editor of several scholarly books, including The Integration of Psychotherapy and Psychophysiology (Oxford University Press, in press), Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback (AAPB, 2023), Mindfulness, Compassion, and Biofeedback Practice (AAPB, 2020), Physiological Recording Technology and Applications in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback (AAPB, 2019), Foundations of Heart Rate Variability (AAPB, 2016), Handbook of Mind Body Medicine for Primary Care (Sage, 2003), and Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology (Greenwood Press, 1999).
About Inna Khazan
Inna Khazan, Ph.D., BCB is a clinical psychologist, and faculty at Harvard Medical School. She maintains a private practice in Boston, working with clients on optimizing their health and performance. Dr. Khazan is recognized as a pioneer in the area of mindfulness and acceptance based biofeedback, and is the author of Clinical Handbook of Biofeedback: A Step-by-Step Guide to Training and Practice with Mindfulness.
