Program Overview
Degree Requirements: See Requirements Tab
Completion Time: 4.5 to 5.5 years
Earned Credits: 75 to 78
The specialization courses include:
- Fundamentals of Psychophysiology
- Basic Training and Education in Biofeedback
- Psychophysiological Recording, Assessment, and Interventions
- Choice of two more APH courses see catalog
Applied psychophysiology is a sub-specialty of psychophysiology that uses knowledge of the biological bases of various behaviors in conjunction with numerous psychological techniques to help people moderate medical symptoms, manage anxiety and depression, or enhance academic, artistic, and sports performance.
Students in the applied psychophysiology specialization will take basic science courses on psychophysiology, the science of mind and body, and the technology of psychophysiological recording. They will master basic interventions in biofeedback and hypnosis and select from a menu of evidence-based skills courses including stress management, optimal functioning, heart rate variability biofeedback, and EEG biofeedback.
More program information can be found in our academic catalog.
The requirements for the Ph.D. Mind-Body Medicine degree includes 75 credits within specific categories of coursework: core (12 credits), research (21 credits), mind-body science (6 credits), practice (9 credits), electives (12 credits), and specialization (15 credits). Students who prefer not to add a specialization will complete 15 credits of additional electives from any category or degree program. If the academic writing course is required, another elective may be added to the degree, thus increasing the requirements to 78 credits. Prerequisites must be met to register for certain courses.
Students enrolled in this Applied Psychophysiology (APH) Specialization degree program must attend Residential Conferences (RCs) if their courses require attendance.
Fundamentals of Psychophysiology
This course explores the manifold ways the brain and body work together to produce behavior and the cycle between behavior and physiology. The course begins with a description of the body’s organizational structure and genetics as related to behavior. The course then describes the basic physiological ways information is received from the external and internal environments through a variety of sensors and then processed by the hormonal/nervous system. Typical psychophysiological dysfunctions and interventions are also described.
Prerequisite(s): Undergraduate courses in psychology and biology (or APH 5001, APH 5002)
3 credits
Basic Training and Education in Biofeedback
This course provides students with an introductory level of understanding to engage in biofeedback-based clinical practice and psychophysiological research in integrative health. Students will acquire a basic skill set to conduct simple biofeedback interventions, along with knowledge about biofeedback concepts and approaches, and gain a familiarity with research-based applications of biofeedback to common medical and behavioral disorders. This course introduces the most commonly used biofeedback instruments, the physiological systems they measure, and the applications of these biofeedback modalities to common medical and behavioral disorders. The Saybrook biofeedback training sequence covers the Blueprint of Knowledge adopted by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance to guide training of biofeedback professionals (BCIA 2006). In addition, the course provides an overview of current scientific approaches to research on biofeedback and will discuss several approaches for utilizing biofeedback in psychotherapy, optimal performance training in sports and the arts, and personal transformation.
3 credits
Psychophysiological Recording, Assessment, and Interventions
This course provides a basic understanding of the physiology and methodology underlying common psychophysiological recording techniques used in behavioral medicine. These include surface electromyography, electroencephalography, respiration, blood pressure, pulse rate, skin temperature, and electrodermal responses. Sufficient knowledge about how common psychophysiological recording and biofeedback instrument function is provided so students can incorporate psychophysiological aspects of assessment into their normal practices. This course also teaches the principles and applications of general biofeedback as used in educational and clinical settings. The strengths and weaknesses of evidence supporting the use of biofeedback for a variety of clinical disorders is reviewed and the techniques for performing biofeedback are detailed. The techniques for using biofeedback as a tool for shaping and conditioning responses to stress are emphasized.
Prerequisite(s): APH 5622
3 credits
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“The College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences is dedicated to promoting interdisciplinary modalities and scholarship that enhance optimal health and well-being for individuals and communities. Multiple specializations, minors, and certificates are intricate to the degree programs to serve the students’ academic and professional goals.”
—Devorah Curtis, Ph.D., Mind-Body Medicine Department Chair