Publications

Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback Journal

(Formerly Biofeedback and Self-Regulation)

Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback Journal is an international, interdisciplinary journal devoted to study of the interrelationship of physiological systems, cognition, social and environmental parameters, and health. Priority is given to original research, basic and applied, which contributes to the theory, practice, and evaluation of applied psychophysiology and biofeedback. Submissions are also welcomed for consideration in several additional sections that appear in the journal. They consist of conceptual and theoretical articles; evaluative reviews; the Clinical Forum, which includes separate categories for innovative case studies, clinical replication series, extended treatment protocols, and clinical notes and observations; the Discussion Forum, which includes a series of papers centered around a topic of importance to the field; Innovations in Instrumentation; Letters to the Editor, commenting on issues raised in articles previously published in the journal, and select book reviews. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback Journal is the official publication of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.

Instructions to Authors and Information about Manuscript Submission. 

Submit A Manuscript Online

Subscription Rates, Orders, Inquiries: [email protected]

Members can access all editions of the Journal online from the Member's Only Area.

Journal Editor 

Patrick Steffen, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University where he has served as the Director of Clinical Training and as an Alcuin Fellow in the Honors Program. He received his PhD in Clinical Health Psychology from the University of Miami and was a post-doctoral fellow in cardiovascular behavioral medicine at Duke University Medical Center. He is a Fellow of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback and is a past president of that organization and serves as Associate Editor for the Journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. His research interests are in behavioral medicine and integrating biofeedback approaches into psychotherapy.  

Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) Recommended Guidelines

Biofeedback is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal devoted to the study of physiological systems, cognition, social and environmental parameters and health. Full-length original research, conceptual and theoretical articles, evaluative reviews, case studies and clinical notes and observations are welcome. Items that qualify for the "Personal Experiences" column, which meet the goal of telling the story of biofeedback/neurofeedback and how it can change lives for the better, are also welcome. We encourage authors of these articles to recruit their healthcare provider(s) to provide insight and/or comments in addition to the story.

Editor in Chief: Leslie Shivers, CAE

Submission guidelines

Books and Webinar Recordings

Visit our Store to purchase Webinar recordings and publications.

A Primer of Biofeedback
Copyright 2020 by Fred Shaffer and Don Moss

"An accessible and current introduction to biofeedback and neurofeedback...Drs. Don Moss and Fred Shaffer have a gift for converting their academic and clinical experience into clear and practical instruction that will benefit those just starting in the field as well as the most experienced practitioner. Much more than a Primer, this book should be on the shelf of anyone interested in biofeedback and self-regulation. Simply excellent!" 
- Eric K. Willmarth, PhD, Chair, Department of Applied Psychophysiology, College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences, Saybrook University

"[A] tremendous gift to any beginning biofeedback practitioner and to those who are interested in deepening their biofeedback practice. Donald Moss and Fredric Shaffer share decades of knowledge and expertise in this clear, practical, scientifically supported volume. An invaluable resource, the Primer provides its readers with historical development of biofeedback as a field and an overview of the biofeedback paradigm, and then walks them through the process of preparing for and implementing the most versatile and widely used biofeedback modalities, including heart rate variability biofeedback, breath training, neurofeedback, and surface electromyography biofeedback...I give it my highest recommendation."
- Inna Z. Khazan, PhD, BCB, Faculty, Harvard Medical School

Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback, 4th Edition

The 4th edition of Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback  has been significantly expanded from the 3rd edition, to over 560 pages, and with the addition of tables that offer quick summaries of the research for each condition evaluated that went into determining the efficacy of biofeedback and neurofeedback interventions.

Here's what readers had to say about the 3rd edition: 

"Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback (3rd ed.) is the most comprehensive review of research in the field of neurofeedback and biofeedback available to clinicians. The diversity of topics will extend the clinicians knowledge. This serves as a vital resource to validate the use of these modalities." 
- Deborah R. Simkin, MD, DFAACAP, Diplomat ABIHM, BCN, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Emory, School of Medicine

"Every clinical condition has been thoroughly reviewed, rigorously revised and updated, and meticulously documented and referenced by respected experts in the field, ensuring that this will be a continually accessed tool for clinicians, researchers, and academicians looking for the most accurate, evidence-based information covering a comprehensive listing of clinical conditions for which ever-accumulating experience and evidence exist."
- Robert P. Turner, MD, MSCR, QEEGD, BCN, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics & Neurology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine & Palmetto Health Richland Children's Hospital

Biofeedback100 - Extensive Review for BCIA Certification

Provides an up-to-date and extensive review of the Blueprint for the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) Exam in General Biofeedback. Biosource Software has developed a professionally-written question pool that exceeds 500 questions and is based on the current BCIA Blueprint of Knowledge and Core Reading List. 

Biofeedback & Neurofeedback Applications In Sport Psychology

by Benjamin W. Strack, PhD; Michael K. Linden, PhD; Vietta "Sue" Wilson, PhD

Written by top sport psychologists and experts in the field of biofeedback and neurofeedback,including case studies as well as illustrations and graphs that highlight the use of the authors'techniques, Biofeedback & Neurofeedback Applications in Sport Psychology is a must-havereference for today's practitioner interested in helping clients reach their maximum potential.

Foundations of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback: A Book of Readings

Research on heart rate variability (HRV) emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, as modern signal processing facilitated measurement and analysis. By the 1980s, it became clear that HRV was a critical indicator of health, resilience, and well-being. One landmark study in 1987 by Robert Kleiger and colleagues found that after a myocardial infarction, patients in the moderate range of heart rate variability had a five times lower risk of mortality than patients in the lowest range of heart rate variability (Kleiger et al., 1987). Lowered HRV was reported in diabetes, coronary disease, anxiety, depression, asthma, and sudden infant death (McCraty & Shaffer, 2015). Lower HRV was conceptualized as an indicator of autonomic dysregulation and the body's general regulatory capacity.

Many of the leading authors in the field of heart rate variability biofeedback have published reports on their work in the Biofeedback magazine. This volume compiles many of those articles published between 2008 and 2015, and sums up what we now know about heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB), which clinical protocols are supported by research, and what therapists actually dohow they train human beings for clinical benefit.

Functional Neuroanatomy

Organized with reference to networks, lobes of the brain,10-20 sites and Brodmann areas, this 137-page monograph features over 100 plates/illustrations and comprises all new information as published in The Neurofeedback Book: 2nd Edition.

Praise for Functional Neuroanatomy:

"This review book on Functional Neuroanatomy is urgently needed and helps educate both qEEG users as well as EEG Neurofeedback practitioners. It advances the ability to link symptoms to dysregulated brain networks resulting in improved clinical outcomes in fewer sessions. Congratulations to the authors for this significant contribution!"
- Robert W. Thatcher, PhD, Applied Neuroscience Inc.

"It is refreshing to experience a neuroanatomy text that links in detail the various and complex functions of each Brodmann area with the anatomy of its connections with other brain areas."
- Joel F. Lubar, PhD, Professor Emeritus, University of Tennessee

Physiological Recording Technology & Applications in Biofeedback & Neurofeedback

The book is divided into eight sections, each with several relevant articles. The focus is on instrumentation and technology, but there is much more to harvest from the wisdom of the authors who have a wealth of clinical experience. Inna Kazan’s introduction to normative values in psycho­physiology is a valuable resource that starts off the book in Section One. Section Two is an in-depth treatment of electromyography (EMG), along with useful fundamentals. In addition, there are articles that delve into all manner of methodological issues in EMG. Section Three on respiration along with several practical articles, reprints the oft-cited article by Chris Gilbert, “Better Chemistry through Breathing.” Section Four has a number of articles on heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback, including a recent very user-friendly paper on metrics and norms by Fredric Shaffer and J. P. Ginsberg. These will be of help for anyone trying to navigate the complicated world of HRV measurement and feedback. Section Five covers electrodermal recordings and feedback, an important but often ignored area of applied psychophysiology. For Section Six, articles produced by Michael and Lynda Thompson, Mari and Paul Swingle, Tom Collura, and Kirtley Thornton are presented. The beginner in neurofeedback would be wise to start with this section. Finally, Sections Seven and Eight approach the areas of ethical standards and practices. Our field has its own unique challenges in this area and it is sometimes difficult to find guidance on tricky issues. Donald Moss, Richard Sherman, David Hagedorn and others have contributed thoughtful commentary for the practitioner. Richard Harvey and Erik Peper finish up with an interesting philosophical approach to biofeedback.

Neurofeedback Book (2nd Edition): An Introduction to Basic Concepts in Applied Psychophysiology 

There have been impressive advancements in the area of applied neuroscience and brain computer interface training since The Neurofeedback Book was published, by AAPB, over a decade ago. Though a number of excellent books have been published in the interim - most of them edited texts with different contributors sharing their expertise in the field - there is still no other text that brings together in one book an overview of all information relevant to the effective practice of neurofeedback.

Praise for The Neurofeedback Book, 2nd edition:

"This new edition of The Neurofeedback Book provides a broad and updated overview of the field of neurofeedback. It includes, for perhaps the first time in this field, comprehensive sections on relevant neuroanatomy, as well as theoretical functional physiology. This is a must-read tome for anyone interested in neurofeedback, and one that objectively and comprehensively addresses some of the inaccurate criticisms of this field."
- M. Barry Sterman, PhD, Professor Emeritus, UCLA

"For beginners, this book has all you need for getting started using evidence based approaches grounded in years of clinical experience. For non-beginners, you will be surprised by how your clinical performance will improve if you utilize the tips and techniques in this book."
- Vietta Wilson, PhD, Senior Scholar, York University

Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Compassion in Biofeedback Practice

Edited by Inna Khazan, PhD, BCB, BCB-HRV, and Donald Moss, PhD, BCB, BCN, BCB-HRV

Mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion are words heard with ever greater frequency in healthcare and behavioral health circles. Originally inspired by Vipassana meditation in Buddhist traditions, mindfulness encourages the practitioner to cultivate a moment-to-moment awareness of present events, characterized by non-judging, non-striving, acceptance, trust, nonattachment, patience, and beginner's mind (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, 2013).  This book proposes a fruitful integration of the mindfulness approach with clinical biofeedback practice. The authors follow the integrative approach initially introduced by Khazan (2013) and  believe when patient and therapist together cultivate an open attitude of acceptance and compassion, during the therapeutic encounter, this facilitates a more successful pursuit of both physiological and psychological self-regulation. It has long been recognized that striving and effort block relaxation and reinforce physiological tensions. In the early days of biofeedback, Herbert Benson (1975) recommended cultivating an attitude of passive attention or passive volition as one of the four components of the relaxation response. Mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion-based approaches take this cultivation of an open and accepting awareness to a new level.