Neurofeedback Training for Stressed and Anxious College Students: A Call for Counselor Educators to Connect

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: Student Well-Being

Abstract

Anxiety can be a debilitating experience that impacts the functioning of many individuals. College students are vulnerable to anxiety due to the stress of academic performance and success. Neurofeedback training, a non-invasive, drug-free adjunctive treatment, detects areas of turbulence in the brain and sends feedback to the user, helping the brain become flexible by realizing what is happening at that moment. The study utilized a quasi-experimental, one-group, time-series design that provided 16 sessions of neurofeedback training to college students with anxiety. Objective and subjective measures were implemented, including salivary cortisol testing (to serve as a biological representation of stress) and self-report assessments for anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and overall functioning. Results, implications for counselor educators, and future research are explored.

Authors

• Caitlyn M. Bennett, University of Central Florida

• Glenn W Lambie, University of Central Florida