Continuing Education for Psychologists

What is it?

Continuing education in psychology is a process during which psychologists participate in educational programs that are related to the practice of psychology.  It is a way for them to learn about the most up- to-date science on treatment, testing, and learning.  Psychologists can also learn about changes in laws that may affect them.  Just as in most of the professions I can think of, many things change over the years after you complete your schooling and training before starting a career.  Without continuing your education you cannot effectively work as a professional without continuing to learn about how best to perform your job now, not as it would have been done 5, 10, or even 40 years ago.

Requirements:

he number of credits required for psychologists in the USA vary by state and range from 0 – 60.  There are two different terms used for CE (continuing education).  The one used by the APA (American Psychological Association) is credit where a credit is equal to one hour.  The other term is unit where 10 hours is equal to 1 credit.  Each state determines which kind of credits they will accept.  It is important to check with your state licensing board to find out if they will accept the type of continuing education credits offered by the programs you are planning to participate in even if they are APA programs.  The office of CE Sponsor Approval oversees the process of approving programs to qualify.

Types of Programs:

There are several types of programs available from the APA as well as other providers referred to as sponsors. Programs are available via books, articles, webinar, video on demand, and face-to-face seminars or workshops.  The American Psychological Association maintains a list of approved sponsors of continuing professional education on their website apa.org.  There are in-person seminars available throughout the country so you can usually locate one near you.  Many people prefer learning in person.  You can take advantage of one of the other options if you can’t find a local program or if your schedule doesn’t permit attending in person.  The subject matter of the programs varies a great deal so that you should be able to not only meet the requirements but learn about a subject that is interesting to you or that you feel will be important to you and the populations that you serve.  Here is a sample list of some of the topics of the programs that are available; addictions, aging, biofeedback, children and adolescents, ethics, health psychology, neuropsychology, neurofeedback, psychotherapy, race, culture and identity, trauma, and violence.

Whether your state licensing board requires continuing education credits or not, it is extremely important to keep learning.  All psychologists should want to keep their skills up and make sure that they know what the latest science is in the field of psychology.  This is also an opportunity to learn about topics that are of interest to you.  As a psychologist you will feel better and the people you serve will benefit from your increased knowledge.

Harry L. Campbell

For More Info: APA continuing education  | APA continuing training  

How to Choose the Right Professional Biofeedback Equipment

Biofeedback equipment has many applications including stress management, pain management, and peak performance.  When you decide that you want to make a purchase there are several things to consider.
Safety
Some of the sensors make contact with a person’s skin to measure electrical signals.  It is very important that precautions have been taken in the design to protect the person who is connected to the instrument from electrical shock.  The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates professional medical devices and sets rules for safety.  If they registered with the FDA then the manufacturer would have to follow safety rules.  They would be subject to inspections by the FDA which would check to make sure that the company was doing what is required to keep the people using their biofeedback equipment safe from injury.  You must make sure that the instrument you are considering buying is registered with the FDA.

Modalities
There are several different modalities of biofeedback equipment including EMG (Electromyograph) which measures muscle activity, Skin Temperature, Skin Conductance which measures changes in the amount of sweat on the skin, Respiration, and Heart Rate/Heart Rate Variability.  EEG (Electroencephalography) or Brainwave Biofeedback is another modality which is usually dealt with separately and is also referred to as Neurofeedback.
You need to decide which of these modalities you want to work with.  I suggest that you should have the capability of working with all of them especially for performing a psychophysiological stress profile or assessment. This is usually an initial session to get baseline readings on each modality at rest and under stress.  I recommend at least 5 channels so that you can measure 5 different signals at the same time.  You can do with fewer channels if you don’t plan to do stress profiles.  Some systems will allow you to alternate different sensors on a two 2 channel system for example.  You could have all of the modalities and just work with 1 or 2 at a time.  I don’t suggest buying a system that only allows you to do one modality i.e. Temperature unless you have other equipment to do other modalities.
Training, Service, and Support
This may be the most important factor in making your choice.  The equipment will not do anyone any good if you cannot use it.  First you need to make sure that you can learn how to use the instruments that you are planning to purchase.  Find out how you will learn how to use it.  What kind of training manuals are available?  Are there any tutorial videos, software, or workshops available?  What is the process of getting service when you need it?  Who can you call with questions?  What country and time zone are they in?  Some manufacturers are the only source of help and others use distributors who can also be a resource for help.  Get these questions answered before making a biofeedback equipment purchase decision.  If you do, it will help you have a much better experience.

Attention Or Sleep, Problems with Sleep related to ADHD

You wouldn’t want to have to make that choice for children.  Many children diagnosed with ADHD are prescribed medications to help with the symptoms.  Some popular medications in use are Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall.  These medications are helping some people.  The drug companies themselves are listing sleep problems as a possible side effect.

According to a November 23, 2015 online article in Pediatrics, research analysis led by Katherine Kidwell of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that children given stimulants tended to have sleep problems more often.  One of the studies compared the sleep of children given methylphenidate (generic Ritalin) with children given a placebo.  The children who took the generic Ritalin slept an average of 20 minutes less per night.  They also found that taking a stimulant medication more often during the day caused a child to take longer to fall asleep at night.

Dr. Trevor Resnick, who is chief of pediatric neurology at Nicklaus Children’s  Hospital in Miami says that it is extremely important  that all children get a good night’s sleep for healthy brain development.  It is his belief that only a small percentage of children will develop problems related to ADHD medications though.

I believe based on experience and reading that many attention problems may be due to poor sleep.  If the brain is tired it is not going to work as efficiently.  It is harder to learn, focus, and pay attention when you are sleep deprived.  Some problems are due to children not getting enough sleep.  This can be caused by going to bed too late.  As Dr. Michael Thompson of the ADD Centre in Toronto Canada says, another problem is that before many kids go to bed they are watching stimulating TV programs and playing stimulating video games.  When they finally do go to bed their brains are still too stimulated for quality sleep for some time.  Most children also have to wake up very early to get to school on time.  That doesn’t help things either.  Now this research review is showing that the medications intended to improve attention and hyperactivity symptoms may cause sleep problems in some of the children they are intended to help.

Many parents are now seeking alternatives methods of helping their children with ADHD symptoms.  Neurofeedback therapy is one option.   Neurofeedback uses EEG biofeedback instruments that measure and feedback the electrical signals from the brain.  The information is fed back in a way that helps a person learn how to regulate their brain activity.  Some of the brainwaves are slower like the ones that are present more during sleep.  Others are faster like the ones present more while solving a math problem.  The power of these waves are sometimes out of balance in people with ADHD.  Neurofeedback can help a person learn how to rebalance these brainwaves.  This can lead to improvement in symptoms.

For listings of certified neurofeedback providers visit www.bcia.org and click on the consumers tab and select find a practitioner.   If you are interested in becoming a provider you can visit our website and start by taking a free online introduction to neurofeedback course here: http://biofeedbackinternational.com/free

How Biofeedback Training Reduces Stress

The Problem of Stress

Biofeedback training is an effective method for reducing the negative effects of stress. There are many sources of stress including politics, natural disasters, terrorist acts, work, family, and financial problems, and traffic. In this world of 24 hour TV and radio news plus news on our computers, we are constantly bombarded with stressful, negative information. If that wasn’t enough we have smart phones, tablets, and smart watches with us at all times to make sure that we don’t miss anything. Wherever we are we can stay up on what is happening. Besides the information we get from news sources, we also get blogs and podcasts. In addition to these stress sources, the people who we interact with who cause us stress are able to call, text, or email us 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Biofeedback Training Method of Reducing Stress

People need methods of reducing the negative effects of stress. Many of the solutions that are offered are medications. Even when they are effective they often come with unwanted side-effects. Thankfully there are some non-drug methods of reducing stress. Biofeedback training is one such method. Biofeedback instruments measure muscle tension, skin temperature, skin conductance (sweat), breathing, heart rate, and brainwave activity. With biofeedback training people learn to control the way their body reacts to stress by viewing a biofeedback device while they practice relaxation exercises.

Where can you get biofeedback training?

Biofeedback training is available through some healthcare professionals like psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, social workers, physical therapists, and nurses.

You can find a good biofeedback provider by searching the directories of your local regional biofeedback society or association. Go to www.aapb.org which is the website for the Association for Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback. They have a list of biofeedback providers there as well as a list of regional biofeedback societies or chapters. You can also check to see if they are certified by the BCIA (Biofeedback Certification International Alliance) on the www.bcia.org website. Although this certification does not guarantee excellence it does indicate that the provider has met a minimum requirement of education, biofeedback training, experience, mentoring, and that they have passed an exam. I recommend that if a person is interested in doing biofeedback training that they first visit a trained healthcare provider who offers biofeedback training. The professional can perform a proper psychophysiological stress profile assessment to find out which biofeedback modality will be most appropriate for the person. They then can give them professionally supervised biofeedback training in their office. Once they learn the basics and make some progress in learning biofeedback the professional can recommend a home device that the person can use to continue their biofeedback training at home.

Healthcare providers who are not yet using biofeedback training as a method may want to investigate integrating it into their practice. As the public becomes more educated about biofeedback training they may choose to visit providers who offer biofeedback over ones who don’t.

Can I Do Biofeedback Training Without a Professional?

Yes, you can do biofeedback training on your own without a professional. There are many relatively simple devices that you can purchase for home use that work on a computer, tablet, smart phone, or with built-in displays. They can be effective when used properly. Some professionals will consult with you about home biofeedback training even if you don’t sign up to do sessions with them in their office.

Harry L. Campbell

President, Biofeedback Resources International Corp.

Biofeedback Training New York

Author of What Stress Can Do, Available on Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more

For More Info: Biofeedback Training Houston