Preventing and Treating Pain, Particularly in Pediatric Patients Using Biofeedback
Katie Fleischman, PhD
Richard Harvey, PhD
1-day workshop
Date: March 23, 2026
Workshop Title
Preventing and Treating Pain, Particularly in Pediatric Patients Using Biofeedback
Workshop Description
Bio- and neurofeedback approaches can reveal the ‘frequency, intensity and time/duration’ of pain reactions. Guiding and shaping awareness and control of body responses to painful circumstances allows clients and patients to influence their bodily (external/physical) and mental (internal/emotional) experiences.
This workshop will focus on building skills for helping people with regulating pain processes. Examples will start with children’s experiences of pain which are influenced at various stages of cognitive and emotional development. Additionally, because younger children may use fewer words and more non-verbal cues, practitioners, adults or parents may underestimate the degree of discomfort experienced by children.
The workshop will cover topics such as:
(a) developing metaphors, analogies, layman terms for explaining pain to children and grandparents alike;
(b) the complex science of pain processes;
(c) common chronic pain conditions such as migraine headaches, muscle backache and internal aches like stomachache for which bio-neurofeedback is found efficacious; and,
(d) adapting protocols to the person in the office. Bring equipment you are familiar with for some hands-on demonstrations.
Learning Objectives
- 1) Introduce skills of explaining the complex science of pain processes to each other and to clients or patients at all developmental levels;
- 2) Reinforce applications of bio-neurofeedback approaches for addressing pain complaints, particularly in children.
About Katie Fleischman
Katie Fleischman, Ph.D., is a pediatric psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, Balance and Vestibular Program, and an Instructor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Fleischman specializes in vestibular and pain research, and in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with acute and chronic medical conditions. Currently, she is conducting research, teaching, and providing consultation, psychotherapy, and biofeedback to youth with PPPD (Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness), BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal positional vertigo), tinnitus, vestibular migraines, headaches, and post-concussive syndrome. Dr. Fleischman has presented on the topics of vestibular disorders, pediatric pain, concussions, and migraines at numerous institutions and conferences.
About Richard Harvey
Richard Harvey, PhD is a faculty member of the Department of Health Education and Holistic Health at San Francisco State University. Before joining the faculty at San Francisco State University, prior experience included working as an Epidemiologist in Orange County, California; as a University of California, Irvine Tobacco-Use Research Center Fellow; and, as a University of California, Irvine Counseling Center Biofeedback and Stress Management Program Director. Research interests currently include developing holistic stress-reduction interventions that promote personal courage using biofeedback, and have included federally funded research related to tobacco use and cessation. Professional association experience includes serving on the Board of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) as the Treasurer and as President as well as on the Board of the Western Association of Biofeedback and Neuroscience — formerly the Biofeedback Society of California– in many roles including President. Professional association presentations, workshops and invited keynote addresses have covered themes linking biofeedback with other areas such as psychoneuroimmunology, ergonomics, resiliency and, stress profiling.
