What is Biofeedback?

Biofeedback is a well-researched, evidence-based method that helps improve many areas of health and performance. It works by increasing your awareness of your body’s natural signals, such as breathing, heart rate, muscle tension, temperature, and sweat activity so you can learn to influence these responses in healthier, more adaptive ways.

For individuals experiencing anxiety, trauma, chronic pain, concussion, or other forms of nervous system dysregulation, biofeedback provides insight into how the body is functioning under stress. When the nervous system shifts into a “fight, flight, or freeze” response, it can leave you feeling overwhelmed, tense, or disconnected. Through guided training, biofeedback helps your system relearn how to access the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state, the place where calm, regulation, and healing occur.

Over time, biofeedback teaches your body how to shift into this regulated state more easily. Clients often describe feeling more grounded, more present in their bodies, and more empowered to manage their internal state in daily life.

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How It Works

During a session, sensors are placed on your hand and a belt around the lower ribs.

These sensors track:

Heart rate

Heart rate variability (HRV)

Breathing speed and quality

Skin temperature

Sweat response (skin conductance)

Breathing + HRV Training

Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects how flexible and resilient your nervous system is. Low HRV often means your system is stressed; higher HRV signals balance and adaptability.

Using a belly band and other techniques, we teach you how to breathe efficiently, slowly, and deeply so your body can finally relax.

Reducing Muscle Tension

Biofeedback helps reduce muscle tension by showing you in real time how your muscles are responding to stress. With sensors that measure subtle tension patterns, you learn how to relax specific muscle groups, release chronic holding, and retrain your body to stay in a calmer, more comfortable state. This can ease headaches, jaw tension, neck and shoulder pain, and other stress-related symptoms.

Temperature + Sweat Training

You’ll also learn how to:

  • Increase hand temperature (a sign of parasympathetic activation)

  • Decrease sweat response (a sign of calming the stress system)

This information is displayed in real time as simple, easy-to-read graphs. Together, we review these patterns and build a personalized plan to help you retrain your body out of stress states and into regulation.

Our Approach

Many individuals benefit from biofeedback as a standalone modality, and we often combine it with neurofeedback for even more effective results. Together, these approaches create a powerful, integrated way to support both the body and the brain, enhancing regulation, resilience, and overall well-being.

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Who Can Benefit from Biofeedback

Biofeedback is helpful for anyone looking to better understand and regulate their body’s stress response, whether you're dealing with physical tension, emotional overwhelm, or simply wanting greater mind–body balance.

Scientific evidence has shown biofeedback can help with many conditions:

People with Anxiety or Stress

Biofeedback helps individuals learn to calm their nervous system, reduce physical tension, and shift out of “fight-or-flight.”

Individuals with Trauma Histories

Those with trauma often experience heightened arousal or dysregulation. Biofeedback can support grounding, stabilization, and body-based regulation skills.

Chronic Pain

By reducing muscle tension, improves relaxation, and helps individuals better understand and influence the body’s pain response.

Head Injuries or Concussions

Biofeedback may support improved autonomic regulation, emotional stability, and cognitive recovery.

People With Sleep Difficulties

By helping calm the nervous system, biofeedback can improve sleep onset and quality.

Individuals With Attention or Focus Challenges

Improved self-regulation can enhance concentration and executive function.

People Who Experience Migraines or Tension Headaches

Learning to regulate muscle tension, breathing, and physiological stress responses may reduce frequency or severity.

Anyone Seeking Better Stress Management or Mind-Body Awareness

Biofeedback is also beneficial for individuals wanting to improve overall well-being.

What To Expect

During a biofeedback session, you’ll sit in a calm, supportive setting while small, noninvasive sensors track your body’s stress responses, such as heart rate, breathing, and muscle tension. With real-time feedback displayed on a screen, you’ll learn practical techniques to shift your nervous system into a more regulated state. Your clinician will guide you through personalized strategies like paced breathing, grounding, or relaxation exercises. With continued practice, biofeedback helps you build awareness, improve self-regulation, and feel more in control of your well-being, allowing you to apply these skills in your day-to-day life when stress or overwhelm arise.

  • Robin was able to tailor my Neurofeedback sessions to help me achieve my goals. I wanted to deal better with stressors and to help my brain function in a more coherent manner. I struggled  with stress all my life, trying everything you are "supposed" to do for stress-relief. Nothing helped. I had lots of trauma in my life, starting in the womb, but I wasn't certain exactly what the trauma was. In 2013, this stress caused me to have a stroke, which made my brain feel "disconnected," as if the various parts could not communicate with one another. My neurologist told me nothing could be done. Through several different modes of training, Robin relieved my trauma-induced stress (without me even understanding exactly what the trauma was!), and created synchrony within my brain that helps it to function better. When I first started Neurofeedback, I was anxious, depressed, and exhausted. Now I sleep better, find stress to be a non-issue, and feel that my brain is all on the same path.  Robin has changed my life, in the most amazing ways!

    - LF

  • I feel like I’ve discovered something so positive and profound in my quest to improve myself. Robin has expertly guided me through more than 3 dozen sessions of neurofeedback. She’s so smart, kind, and understanding. She really takes the time to make sure I’m comfortable with the process and that I know what to expect.

    Neurofeedback is kind of hard to describe, but it is helping me get out of my rut of the same negative thoughts and self-defeating patterns. When I first started the sessions, I was feeling very anxious, confused, and easily distracted. Now, after a couple of months, I’m much more calm, confident, and focused. And I feel like so many of my emotional triggers have been greatly reduced. I also am sleeping well without sleeping pills, which I took every night for several years. I’m not done with my journey, but I’m feeling so much more positive and excited about my future. 
    Thank you, Robin.

    - PH

  • "Completing 40 sessions of EEG biofeedback has been a truly life-changing experience for me. When I first began, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but the progress I’ve made has been remarkable and deeply meaningful.

    One of the greatest improvements has been my mental clarity. My thoughts feel more organized, my ability to focus has strengthened, and tasks that once felt overwhelming now feel within reach. I’m able to stay present and grounded in a way I couldn’t before.

    A big part of this journey has been the kindness and guidance of Robin Kelly, PA, the owner and provider who led my treatment. Her compassion, patience, and genuine dedication made every session feel safe and supported. She took the time to explain the process, celebrate the small victories, and help me stay motivated throughout the entire program. Her expertise and caring approach made all the difference in my success. Her medical knowledge and understanding of the neurological pathways involved in the nervous system, including how to better regulate the fight or flight response, were invaluable."

    - JB

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Biofeedback is generally safe and non-invasive. However, individuals with implanted electronic devices, such as pacemakers, or specific medical conditions like severe cardiac arrhythmias should avoid certain biofeedback modalities. Always consult a healthcare provider before starting biofeedback therapy, particularly if you have underlying health conditions​.

  • Preparation involves familiarizing yourself with the concept of biofeedback, ensuring motivation and willingness to practice regularly. If referred by your doctor, the biofeedback therapist will collaborate with your physician to tailor therapy to your medical needs.

  • The length of biofeedback training varies depending on the client and condition. Most sessions last between 30 and 60 minutes and occur over several weeks or months. Some conditions respond within five to ten sessions, while others may require more sessions. Success is determined by reaching specific physiological targets, known as training criteria.

  • Not at this time. We can provide a superbill to submit to insurance for reimbursement.

  • Biofeedback is best used as part of a comprehensive healthcare approach. It complements conventional medical care, potentially reducing reliance on medications, enhancing medication efficacy, or providing alternative management options when medications are contraindicated​.

  • Home practice is a fundamental part of biofeedback training, as it helps consolidate skills learned in the clinic. Practitioners work with clients to set realistic goals for practice frequency and duration, typically adjusting initial expectations downward to accommodate daily life. Clients are encouraged to log their practice sessions and track symptoms to reinforce learning and identify progress. Consistent home practice strengthens self-regulation and supports the generalization of biofeedback skills to daily situations where stress, pain, or emotional challenges may arise.

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If you’re ready to explore whether neurofeedback or integrative care is the right fit for you, we’re here to help. Schedule a consultation to discuss your goals, ask questions, and learn how a personalized approach can support your brain and overall well-being.

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