Applicants Start Here for Biofeedback and Neurofeedback Certification

This tutorial will help you decide which BCIA certification is right for you in three steps:
Step 1: select your biofeedback area (Biofeedback, Neurofeedback, or Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback)
Step 2: select your certification program (Clinical, Academic, or Technician)
Step 3: select your level of experience (Entry Level or Certification By Prior Experience)

Step 1: Select Your Biofeedback Area

BCIA offers certification in Biofeedback, Neurofeedback, and Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback.

Biofeedback teaches clients to change their physiological activity to improve health and performance by displaying it to them. Applicants who are certified in biofeedback may use brainwave, breathing, heart rate, muscle, sweat gland, and temperature biofeedback in their practice.

For specific biofeedback certification information, please refer to our brochure.

Neurofeedback trains clients using brainwave biofeedback. This process may involve quantitative EEG, which measures electrical patterns at the surface of the scalp through the use of digital technology which primarily reflect cortical electrical activity. Applicants who are certified in neurofeedback may use brainwave biofeedback in their practice.

For specific neurofeedback certification information, please refer to our brochure.

Pelvic muscle dysfunction biofeedback utilizes EMG, pressure, and urodynamic sensors to treat diverse disorders like fecal and urinary continence and pelvic pain.

For specific Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback certification information, please refer to our brochure.

Step 2: Select Your Certification Program

BCIA offers Clinical, Academic, and Technician certifications.

Clinical certification is designed for professionals who work in a health care area, have at least a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution in a BCIA-approved area, and plan to treat medical or psychological disorders under their own license or their supervisors' license. BCIA offers clinical certification in biofeedback, neurofeedback, and pelvic muscle dysfunction biofeedback.

Academic certification is designed for professionals who have at least an MA/MS from a regionally-accredited institution, plan to use biofeedback in academic, research, or supervisory settings, and will not treat medical or psychological disorders. BCIA does not offer Academic certification outside of the United States and Canada. BCIA offers academic certification in biofeedback and neurofeedback.

Technician certification is designed for individuals who already have a biofeedback technician job and an appropriately BCIA-certified, licensed supervisor who will guide and take responsibility for their work in accordance with state law. These individuals will not provide services outside of their supervisors' scope of practice. BCIA offers technician certification for biofeedback and neurofeedback within the United States and Canada.

Step 3: Select Your Level of Experience

BCIA recognizes two levels of biofeedback experience: Entry-Level Certification and Certification by Prior Experience (CPE).

Entry-Level Certification is intended for individuals who want to add biofeedback skills to their toolbox or the person with some basic training and experience in the field who has elected to follow the standards of education and training to gain board certification.

The requirements for Biofeedback are:

1. minimum BA/BS degree in a BCIA-approved health care field from a regionally-accredited university
2. BCIA approved didactic education course that covered the 48 hours of the BCIA Blueprint of Knowledge
3. human anatomy/physiology or biology course from a regionally-accredited university or a BCIA-accredited program
4. 20 contact hours with a BCIA-approved mentor to review 10 sessions of personal biofeedback demonstrating self-regulation and 50 sessions of patient/client treatment, and 10 hours of case conference presentations
5. passing the BCIA written examination
6. health care license in a BCIA-approved health care field or supervision by an appropriately-credentialed health care professional

The requirements for Neurofeedback are:

1. minimum BA/BS degree in a BCIA-approved health care field from a regionally-accredited university
2. BCIA approved didactic education course that covered the 36 hours of the BCIA Blueprint of Knowledge
3. human anatomy/physiology or biology course from a regionally-accredited university or a BCIA-accredited program
4. 25 contact hours with a BCIA-approved mentor to review 10 sessions of personal biofeedback demonstrating self-regulation and 100 sessions of patient/client treatment, and 10 hours of case conference presentations
5. passing the BCIA written examination
6. health care license in a BCIA-approved health care field or supervision by an appropriately-credentialed health care professional

The requirements for Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback are:

1. minimum BA/BS degree in a BCIA-approved health care field from a regionally-accredited university
2. health care license in a BCIA-approved health care field, including medicine, nursing (including 2-year licensed RNs), physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physician's assistant (with certification or license)
3. BCIA approved didactic education course that covered the 24 hours of the BCIA Blueprint of Knowledge
4. human anatomy/physiology or biology course from a regionally-accredited university or a BCIA-accredited program
5. 4-hour Practicum/Lab in which candidates conduct and personally undergo a surface EMG pelvic floor muscle assessment, surface EMG pelvic floor biofeedback training, and a relaxation exercise under on-site supervision
6. 18 contact hours of mentored biofeedback training: 12 contact hours are used to review a minimum of 30 patient/client sessions using biofeedback-assisted behavioral interventions with five patients and 6 contact hours are used to review additional case studies
7. passing the BCIA written examination

Certification by Prior Experience (CPE) is reserved for a select group of licensed professionals who can demonstrate extensive education and experience and have been leaders through their various contributions to the field. We recognize that these professionals have training that goes beyond entry level and should be expected to fulfill requirements that go far beyond our traditional certification process.

The requirements for Biofeedback are:

1. current license/credential in a BCIA-approved health care field issued by the state in which you practice
2. at least 100 hours of accredited post-professional education that covered the 48 hours of the BCIA Blueprint of Knowledge
3. 3,000 patient hours over at least 5 years using biofeedback modalities like EMG, heart rate variability, respiration, skin conductance, and temperature
4. human anatomy/physiology course or its equivalent from a regionally-accredited university or a BCIA-accredited program
5. at least 25 contact hours of mentoring with another professional
6. completion of the written certification exam for validation purposes

The requirements for Neurofeedback are:

1. current license/credential in a BCIA-approved health care field issued by the state in which you practice
2. at least 100 hours of accredited post-professional education that covered the 36 hours of the BCIA Blueprint of Knowledge
3. 3,000 patient hours over at least 5 years using neurofeedback
4. human anatomy/physiology course or its equivalent from a regionally-accredited university or a BCIA-accredited program
5. at least 25 contact hours of mentoring with another professional
6. completion of the written certification exam for validation purposes

The requirements for Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback are:

1. current license/credential in a BCIA-approved health care field issued by the state in which you practice
2. relevant didactic education/training: 72 hours of post-professional education
3. clinical practice of at least 3,000 hours of direct patient care using biofeedback-assisted behavioral interventions to treat pelvic muscle dysfunction across a minimum of 5 years
4. human anatomy/physiology course or its equivalent from a regionally-accredited university or a BCIA-accredited program
5. formal mentoring of a minimum of 15 contact hours where a more senior clinician gave formal instruction on the application of clinical skills
6. attestation of practical skills
7. validation exam

How to Navigate Through This Menu

By this point, you may have selected your biofeedback area, your certification program, and your level of experience. When you are ready, you can quickly navigate through this Become Board Certified menu by choosing a biofeedback area and then a certification program within that area. Then, you can learn about valuable resources (Didactic Training and Mentoring) and start your application (Common Documents). We encourage you to join an elite group of professionals who are "More the qualified, BCIA Board certified!"