Biofeedback Certification by Prior Experience

BIOFEEDBACK CERTIFICATION BY PRIOR EXPERIENCE

Overview of Clinical Biofeedback Certification by Prior Experience

**ALL APPLICANTS FOR CERTIFICATION BY PRIOR EXPERIENCE MUST BE LICENSED**

This opportunity is reserved for a select group of licensed health care professionals who can demonstrate extensive education and experience in biofeedback and have served as leaders through their various contributions to the field. We recognize that these professionals have gone beyond the basics and should be expected to fulfill requirements that exceed our traditional entry-level certification process.

Upon completion of these requirements, you will earn the designation of Board Certified in Biofeedback or BCB™.

Requirements

Applications for BCIA Certification in Biofeedback by Prior Experience are only for those who can demonstrate all the following:

  • License/Credential for independent practice - A current license, issued by the state/region in which you practice, is required and must be from one of the following clinical health care fields: psychology; medicine; dentistry; nursing (RN); physical, respiratory, recreational, and occupational therapy; social work; counseling; rehabilitation; chiropractic; dental hygiene; physician's assistant; speech pathology; or sports medicine.  It is up to each professional to understand how biofeedback may be legally included as part of their professional work.

  • Accredited post-professional education - A minimum of 100 hours is required with courses that completely cover the 42-hours of BCIA Blueprint of Knowledge Statements, taken by a BCIA Accredited Didactic Training Program. The remaining 58 hours may be completed by taking courses at an accredited continuing education venue related to any blueprint area(s). We require that the majority of these hours be within the past 10 years. Accredited continuing education refers to: courses taken from regionally accredited academic institutions, courses accredited by the national body of a BCIA-accepted health care profession (e.g., APA, AMA), or workshops given at the following recognized organization’s annual meetings: AAPB, BFE, ANSA, and ISNR.

  • 3,000 patient hours over at least 5 years - This requirement is to document relevant biofeedback experience using any of the following biofeedback modalities: EMG, thermal, skin conductance, HRV, and/or respiration. This experience must be substantiated by your written statement of clinical practice and three letters of verification that support the summary of your work. Please see the sample statement of clinical practice and sample recommendation letter for more information.

  • Human anatomy/physiology coursework or other submission that demonstrates formally learning the relation and function of bodily systems used in your specific biofeedback applications.

  • Mentoring with another professional for at least 25 contact hours that demonstrates a formal guidance in learning the application of clinical skills.  This was to be accomplished when you were first learning to add this modality to your clinical work. Additional information regarding mentoring can be found in our Biofeedback Mentoring Handbook.

  • Validation Exam must be completed once your application has been accepted and approved.  There is no expected pass score.  We will use the information gathered on a "per item" basis to provide psychometric data.

Filing an Application

Candidates may file an application at any time during the certification process.  The signature area includes your agreement to abide by the BCIA Professional Standards and Ethical Principles of Biofeedback and follow the appropriate rules and regulations of your profession and state.  To be accepted, applications must include: the signature, proof of current license to practice in a health care field in accordance with BCIA standards, and payment of the $150 filing fee.

Fees

Fees include $150 filing fee which must be paid at the time the application is submitted plus a $300 certification fee, a total of $450. The filing fee will be reduced to $50 if an applicant can document current enrollment in an advanced degree program at a regionally accredited academic institution in a BCIA-approved health care field. Total fees for current students in this category amount to $350.  If this is your second BCIA certification (in addition to either BCIA Neurofeedback or PMDB), the total fees for dual certification are $250 ($150 filing fee + $100 certification fee).

BCIA offers a structured fee schedule to suit the financial realities in different countries and regions.  Please use this link to see if your country may use a different fee structure.

All fees are non-refundable and must be in US funds and paid by check, money order, or credit card.  If using a credit card, you may pay online.

Validation Exam for CPE Candidates in Biofeedback

**YOU MUST HAVE A VALID APPLICATION ON FILE BEFORE REGISTERING FOR THE EXAM!**

The exam may be taken at any time after approval of your application; however, we recommend it as the last requirement in the certification process. The examination is offered in English only and is based on the Blueprint of Knowledge Statements. The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice items sourced from the Core Reading List.  The number of exam items from a blueprint area correspond to the number of hours in that rubric; the smaller the rubric, the fewer questions will be in the exam from that content area.  For more information, please refer to Biofeedback Exam 101.

You must complete the exam; however, because you are considered to be an expert, we are not asking you to take the exam with an anticipated passing score.  You are considered a validator and we are using your expertise to validate current and new exam items.

  • Currently, the certification exam may be taken only using the online proctoring service who employs cameras and artificial intelligence to monitor exam security.  For more information on how to plan for a special exam, please refer to Exam FAQ.

  • Should you need additional time or special accommodation due to language or other circumstance, please contact the office at [email protected].

  • Use the Exam Registration Form to register for the exam.   **APPLICATION FOR EXAM AND ALL FEES MUST BE PAID AT LEAST 1 WEEK PRIOR TO PREFERRED EXAM DATE**
  • Upon confirmation of observed cheating behavior, the candidate will be disqualified. The disqualified candidate will be so notified, and the respective score(s) disregarded. Readmission for examination will be considered after a period of two years when the candidate will have to reapply, pay all fees, and acceptance will be contingent upon review of credentials and requirements using criteria for admission applicable at the time of review.  The exam must be administered by BCIA staff, either in the home office or at a scheduled exam site such as AAPB or ISNR.

Click here to complete BF Certification by Prior Experience Application