College students are looking for new ways to cope with high levels of anxiety and stress, and biofeedback training offered by TCU’s Counseling and Mental Health Center could be the answer.
Biofeedback training states that biofeedback training is “a mind-body technique in which individuals learn how to modify their own physiology for the purpose of improving physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.” I am. National Library of Medicine.
Through this process, students receive feedback about what is happening inside their bodies. Feedback allows students to evaluate with staff therapists on how to address specific concerns.
Dr. Eric Wood, a psychologist and director of the Counseling Center, said, “When we talk about anxiety, a lot of people worry about the mental and emotional parts of anxiety, but what biofeedback actually does is “It’s about showing how it affects you.” Physically. ”
TCU’s biofeedback training is used in resident assistant training, one-on-one therapy sessions, and in the classroom to show students how to manage stress and physically depict how stress affects the body. Masu.
When participating in a training session, a sensor is attached to the student’s middle finger to measure their heart rate and assess their state of relaxation.
Information is displayed on television screens in the room, showing the different levels of relaxation that participants can be in. The screen also directs participants to their breathing levels, helping students even out their breathing to reach a more calm state.
Once participants reach a relaxed state, they will participate in various “games” that test their anxiety levels and ability to react to situations and maintain calm and stable thinking levels.
“When you’re feeling anxious, it’s giving you the name for the different physical conditions you’re in and actually reducing or lowering those physical conditions,” Wood said. he said.
Through this training, students can work with a qualified therapist to assess their fight-or-flight response and work toward the larger goal of maintaining peace in stressful situations.
Marco Alvarez, a second-year education major who has been doing biofeedback training for the past year, said: , tests, etc. ”
“More people should be able to participate in this activity, learn more and see how far they can progress in such a short period of time,” Alvarez said.
is housed in counseling centeris located on the second floor of Jarvis Hall, and TCU students can attend at their convenience every Thursday from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.
