Psychophysiology

College of Psychophysiology

Applied psychophysiology focuses on prevention and treatment of disease through teaching techniques for recognizing and correcting abnormal physiological levels of function and responses. The field has a long history of making major contributions to education and health care in both treatment and prevention arenas.  The UNM Doctoral Applied Psychophysiology is designed to train practitioners to be true professionals in the unique constellation of assessment and interventional techniques which combine to form the profession of Applied Psychophysiology. 

What professionals can expect to gain from this program is the depth of knowledge in the theory and practice of applied psychophysiology gained through the combination of courses, seminars, research, and practica which potentiate to constitute the degree is unparalleled. Our graduates are true professional applied psychophysiologists who use a unique combination of assessment and applied approaches to effectively assess, track, and treat dozens of disorders and educational problems.

Thus, our graduates are unique professionals with a multidisciplinary armamentarium providing them with the ability to know what is wrong with their clients, accurately track changes in the underlying problems throughout the interventional process, and treat the actual problem – not just the symptoms – with a powerful set of tools which they have the knowledge to apply effectively.

 

Doctor of Clinical Psychophysiology

Applied psychophysiology focuses on the amelioration / treatment and prevention of disease through teaching people techniques for recognizing and correcting abnormal physiological levels of function and responses. The field has a long history of making major contributions to education and health care in both treatment and prevention arenas. For instance, relaxation techniques are widely recognized as being effective in both the treatment and prevention of headaches. However, the majority of the field’s techniques are only gradually making the transition from alternative medicine to mainstream medicine.

Effective incorporation of behavioral medicine techniques into the treatment of a wide variety of clinical problems has been stymied by (1) the lack of appropriate training in these techniques among educators and health care providers and (2) the frequent poor design and small sample sizes utilized in studies supporting these applications. Even those techniques which have been well documented enough to be acceptable to the health care community, such as biofeedback for urinary and fecal incontinence, have not been widely used because few health care providers are trained to apply them effectively.

This is the only doctoral program in applied psychophysiology in the world at this time. The program is designed to train people to be true professionals in the unique constellation of assessment and interventional techniques which combine to form the profession of applied psychophysiology. People already trained in education or a clinical profession will learn to knowledgeably and effectively incorporate the techniques of clinical psychophysiology into their practices.

The crucial question for people interested in this program is likely to be what they can expect to gain by taking it.

The depth of knowledge in the theory and practice of applied psychophysiology gained through the combination of courses, seminars, research, and practica which potentiate to constitute the degree is unparalleled. Our graduates are true professional applied psychophysiologists who use a unique combination of assessment and applied approaches to effectively assess, track, and treat dozens of disorders and educational problems.

The ability to accurately assess dysfunctions in patterns of physiological functioning means that the underlying basis of disorders become clear. They accurately and effectively apply a multitude of skills to unravel incredibly complex clinical problems. The ability to track changes in dysfunctional patterns through the treatment process means that our practitioners actually know whether progress is being made and can adjust their treatments to counter problems as they occur. The availability of a synergistic set of powerful interventional tools means that our graduates can tailor a wide variety of methods to meet each client’s individual needs.

Thus, our graduates are unique professionals with a multidisciplinary armamentarium providing them with the ability to know what is wrong with their clients, accurately track changes in the underlying problems throughout the interventional process, and treat the actual problem – not just the symptoms – with a powerful set of tools which they have the knowledge to apply effectively.

The program was developed and tested through the Behavioral Medicine Research and Training Foundation’s continuing education courses. Students in the program’s initial trial came from counseling, MFT, nursing, physical therapy, and social work. All but four of the courses were taught during the trial and all but two have been taught by distance education with great success. Students evaluated each course for relevant knowledge imparted, applicability to increasing clients, quality of instruction, etc. Each received high marks and some were strengthened in accordance with student suggestions after review by the program’s director. Continued course quality is assured by the Behavioral Medicine R&T Foundation’s board reviewing and approving the syllabus for each course and then reviewing comments about the course made by students during end-of-course evaluations and interviews with each faculty member.

The doctoral program is designed for two groups of people – clinicians and educators. Clinicians who are already independently licensed or certified at the Masters level will learn to use psychophysiological techniques to extend their scopes of practice within their credentials to include new types of patients with a wider variety of disorders by incorporating a wider variety of evaluative and interventional techniques into their current skill sets. Educators who have completed their bachelor’s degrees but do not have a clinical background suitable for state certification or licensure will become professional applied psychophysiologists capable of using psychophysiological assessment and interventional techniques with a wide variety of clients within the educational arena. People from the second group take three additional courses beyond the core curriculum in basic clinical skills in order to insure that they have the clinical skills needed to work with clients safely and effectively. Both groups need to recognize that applied psychophysiology is currently not certifiable or licensable in any state.

Our intent is to guide students to become true professionals in applied psychophysiology.

As students progress through our program they will have an opportunity to interact with many of the leaders in our field. Our teaching philosophy centers on the idea that our students are professionals and should be treated as such. Thus, students can expect to be on a first name basis with their instructors and – of considerable importance – we anticipate that students will be able to add to the program’s fund of knowledge as they bring their own sets of experiences to bear on the material they are learning. We anticipate that students will gain feelings of ownership for parts of the field as they advance it through their research and, eventually, clinical work using their new skills.

The program is designed to be offered mainly via distance education supported by several hands-on training sessions. The distance courses are usually provided through audiovisual lectures recorded on CDs and student – teacher interaction via the internet following each lecture. The “hands-on” sessions take place during the annual meetings of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology (AAPB) which meets once per year in various parts of the United States. This is the field’s professional organization. All students are required to join and maintain membership in the AAPB throughout the program.

Our doctoral program meets all of the requirements for doctoral programs in applied psychophysiology set by AAPB. AAPB is in the process of developing an accreditation program. As we meet the standards set for accreditation, we anticipate that our program will be accredited by AAPB when the accreditation system begins. The University of Natural Medicine (UNM) is licensed by the state of New Mexico to give the doctoral degree of clinical psychophysiology.

The core doctoral program consists of a combination of distance based lecture courses, laboratory experiences, seminars, and training experiences for a total of 90 credits. Each credit requires between 30 and 40 hours of work to earn including attending recorded lectures, doing required reading, writing papers, interacting with the instructor via phone and / or e-mail, etc. Each student will also perform a doctoral dissertation based on a publication quality, original study under the guidance of a committee consisting of a faculty chair from within the specialization and at least two doctoral level members who are subject matter experts. The number of courses taken simultaneously is at the student’s discretion up to a limit of four. It must be remembered that each requires the time commitment of a three or four credit graduate course. Matriculated students can begin courses whenever they wish and have up to one year to finish each course. The program is likely to take students three to four years to complete including the dissertation.

Everyone entering the program must have had the equivalent of undergraduate courses in (a) general biology and (b) general psychology as well as certification in Basic Life Support (CPR). Writing is a crucial part of the program. If a student cannot write at the level of a senior in college, the student will have to arrange to take a writing course before starting the program. Students’ writing skills may be assessed as part of the admissions process by having the student submit an essay on a professional topic of our choice within a set number of hours of the topic being provided to the student via e-mail.

Students are assigned a faculty advisor as soon as they join the program. The advisor will help the student choose which courses to take, assist in choosing a chair and committee for the research dissertation, and answer overall questions the student may have about the program and clinical psychophysiology. The research committee will be composed of leaders from any profession who the student and advisor identify as being able to help the student plan and conduct the doctoral dissertation. Students will do considerable practical work as part of the program. They choose who to do the work with from anyone who has the expertise needed who is willing to perform the training. Between our faculty, the research committee, and the practicum supervisors, students will have ample opportunity to work with the people most likely to help them learn the areas of most interest to them.

Our program is designed to insure that students have the knowledge base needed to practice their new skills within an educational or health care system and in private practice. Thus, students begin taking our professional development seminars via conference calls within six months of entering the program and then take clinical case discussion seminars during their second year.

The program is designed so students work on their dissertations simultaneously with taking didactic courses. This is crucial as far too many students in other programs finish taking their course work and never get their degrees because they never actually get around to finishing their dissertations. Thus, one of the first courses students take is the research course. Students start taking the dissertation planning seminar via conference calls as soon as they enter the program.

Our courses are open to anybody who is interested in taking them who meet the educational requirements for entering the program. People who are not matriculated at the UNM may be especially interested in those courses used toward certification and recertification in biofeedback and neurofeedback by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (BCIA) such as “A&P for Psychophysiologists”, “Recording and altering brain functions through Neurofeedback”, and “General biofeedback”. They may also be interested in courses having applications to people from diverse fields such as “Pain assessment and intervention from a psychophysiological perspective” and “Behavioral interventions for pelvic floor disorders”.

Admissions – Doctor of Clinical Psychophysiology

Students who are not licensed / certified in a clinical field:
Applicants must meet the University’s criteria as well as those of the program. Entrance into the program requires at least an undergraduate degree from an accredited (or the equivalent) school of higher education. The program’s selection committee makes all final selections for admission based on transcripts, recommendations, and the essay provided as part of the University’s application packet. Neither the University nor the program use race, gender, ethnic status, etc. as criteria for entrance. Students selected to enter the program are generally academically superior and have demonstrated high achievement in their chosen fields. They must have clear potential for making a contribution to psychophysiology. Virtually all candidates who are accepted have (a) excellent undergraduate records and (b) considerable experience and training beyond the bachelors with most having masters’ degrees or the equivalent in related fields.

Application process and fee for the College of Psychophysiology:

Prior to making a formal application to the College of Psychophysiology applicants must discuss the program and their suitability for it with the program’s dean, Dr. Richard Sherman. He can be reached at rsherman@nwinet.com. Each student proceeding with a formal application for entrance to the College of Psychophysiology (after initial discussions with Dr. Sherman) is required to pay a $350 application fee for the application to be considered. This fee is in addition to any application fees charged by the University. Discussions with Dr. Sherman must not be construed as indication of likely acceptance into the program as the decision is entirely up to the college’s admissions committee.

Required progress through the program:

Students are expected to begin participation in the program shortly after being admitted and to continue progressing through the program as follows:

Applicants are admitted to the program provisionally until they pay for and start both one lecture course and one seminar course – which must be done within two months of admission. Initial course and seminar choices are determined during consultation with the program’s dean based on requirements described in the college’s current brochure. Provisionally admitted students who do not purchase and begin at least one lecture course and one seminar course within two months of admission are administratively removed from the program at the end of two months are must reapply to the program.

Students provisionally admitted to the program who begin at least one lecture course and one seminar within two months of admission are maintained in probationary status for the first six months in the program pending successful progress in their didactic course(s) and active participation in the seminar(s) they began. Students in probationary status who do not make satisfactory progress in at least one lecture course (according to the course instructor) or actively participate in one seminar (as defined by the instructor) within six months of admission to the program are administratively removed from the program and must reapply to reenter the program. Course and seminar instructors will clearly state the criteria for satisfactory progress and participation. They will notify students of whether they are meeting progress and participation at criteria at approximately three month intervals. Students who meet progress criteria during the probationary period will automatically change to active status at the end of the period.

Students must complete a minimum of three lecture courses per year (until all lecture courses have been completed) to remain in good standing. Students who do not progress at this rate are administratively removed from the program and must reapply to reenter.

Applications – Doctor of Clinical Psychophysiology

Please complete the UNM application and mail it and all transcripts to
The University of Natural Medicine
109 Exchange Place
San Dimas, Ca 91773

Sample Curriculum – Doctor of Clinical Psychophysiology

Course Outline and Requirements for:
Biological Basis of Behavior / Introduction to Psychophysiology
Presented by Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
Course Concept and Description: This three-credit 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 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 are described. Typical psychophysiological dysfunctions and interventions are also described. You should have taken undergraduate biology and psychology before taking this course.
Required Texts:
1. Pinel, John P.J., Biopsychology – 6^th edition. 2006; Published by Pearson of Boston & New York. ISBN 0-205-42651-4.
2. Andreassi, John: Psychophysiology: Human Behavior and Physiological Response 2000, Lawrence Erlbaum of NJ, ISBN 0805828338.
Format: Home study supported by e-mail chats after each unit is completed. The lecture portion of the course is presented through a series of audiovisual lectures profusely illustrated by power-point slides. You will receive CDs containing both the audiovisual lectures and a copy of the slide set upon which the lectures are based so you can make notes on your copy of the slides as you attend the lecture. Reading assignments in the Pinel book parallel the lectures. There are no lectures for a few of the topics. After watching the lecture and reading the chapters, you will answer a brief series of questions. The answered questions are then e-mailed to the instructor. You and the instructor will discuss each unit via e-mail chat after your answers are assessed. After the discussion, you will proceed to the succeeding lecture and chapters. This course requires between 90 and 120 hours of work to complete including attending the lectures, doing the required reading, answering questions, writing papers, interacting with the instructor, etc.
Topics we will cover (Note: Each topic corresponds to one set of review questions):
1. Definitions and Concepts – what is this field and how does it relate to the rest of the world? (Lecture 1; Pinel chapter 1, Andreassi 1)
2. Credibility of Information – research techniques, recognizing bad science
(Lectures 2, 2.1, 2.2; Pinel chapters 1 and 5)
3. Evolution and Behavioral Genetics – evolution of behavior and communication, genetics of behavior (Lecture 2.6; Pinel chapter 2)
4. Anatomy and Physiology of the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems – stomach brain, plastic homunculus (Lectures 3, 3.1, 3.2; Pinel 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10, Andreassi 2 – 7)
5. Hormones and Behavior – pheromones, sex, nerve – hormone interactions
(Lecture 3.6; Pinel chapter 13)
6. Mechanisms of Sensation/Perception – vision, hearing, touch (pain, electrical), smell, taste, balance/location, etc. (Lectures 4, 4.1; Pinel chapters 6 & 7, Andreassi 9- 14)

7. Motor control systems – (Lecture 4.4; Pinel chapter 8, Andreassi 8 )
8. Eating and Drinking – balance and disorders (Lecture 4.6; Pinel chapter 12)
9. Biological Rhythms and Sleep (Lecture 4.8; Pinel chapter 14)
10. Drug Addiction (Lecture 5; Pinel chapter 15)
11. Learning, Language, and Memory (Lecture 5.4; Pinel chapters 11 & 16)
12. The Malfunctioning Brain (Lecture 5.6; Pinel chapters 10 & 18)
13. Emotions – stress, aggression, mental illness (Lecture 6; Pinel chapters 17 and 18)
14. Psychophysiological interventions (Lectures 9, 9.2, 9.4; Andreassi 15 – 17)
Methods of Evaluation:
Papers:
You will write two papers for this course. Papers are graded for style, originality, and factual content. They must be fully referenced. Only use professional references. Do not get your information from “popular” internet sites, lay magazines, etc. You will be docked one full grade for each week the paper is late. You can e-mail drafts of both papers to me a minimum of 48 hours in advance of their due dates for an initial look-over. I will make recommendations for strengthening the final result. It is simply too difficult for me to keep track of the comments I make on each paper. Thus, when you re-submit your paper, include my comments or I won’t re-look at it. I do use a computer program that checks for plagiarism.
1. Write a paper not less than three or more than six double-spaced pages long on a topic in physiological psychology you and I agree upon which is related to a potential area of professional or personal interest to you. You must get my agreement on the topic not later than the third week of the course and you must e-mail it to me by the sixth week of the course. The short paper is worth 10% of your grade.
2. Write a paper not less than six or more than twelve double-spaced pages long on any topic in physiological psychology you and I agree upon. You must get my agreement on the topic not later than the fifth week of the course. This paper must be e-mailed to me by the last date the course is scheduled for. The long paper is worth 20% of your grade.
End of unit essay questions:
These are the 14 sets of review questions described above which you will send me after watching each lecture and doing the course reading. The review questions file is on your CD. The review assignments are your “exams” and are graded as such. Before answering a set of review questions, insure that you have viewed the lecture associated with the questions (as detailed in the above list of topics) and have read the correct material in the text. When you e-mail me a set of review questions, label it with its topic number rather than the lecture number or book chapter number. You can either attach a file with your answers or put them in the body of the e-mail. There are a total of 103 short essay questions divided unevenly between the 14 sets of review questions. The review questions are worth a total of 70% of your grade. Thus, each short essay question is worth 0.68 points toward that 70%.

Dissertation Committee & Requirements – Doctor of Clinical Psychophysiology

Dissertations, Dissertation Committee, and Dissertation Defense:
As part of becoming professional psychophysiologists, each student performs an individual research study in an area of special interest to themselves. The topic is usually based in their own profession and is frequently related to some special technique, expertise, or package of information the student wants to develop which can be used in their profession after graduation. These studies are comparable in complexity and duration to any Ph.D. project at a typical university. The written portion of the project is contained in the doctoral dissertation that is a minimum of 25,000 words.
The program is designed so that work on the dissertation blends with other training received during the program and should be completed at about the time coursework and practica are completed. Students need to plan their time so all work on the dissertation, including data analysis and report writing is completed at the same time coursework is completed.
The dissertation project should be designed to (1) make an original contribution to the clinical literature in behavioral medicine, (2) be directly and practically related to one’s intended clinical practice, and (3) serve as an integral part of the process of setting up an effective and responsible practice in behavioral medicine.
No individual student or faculty member is likely to be expert in all of the facets of a research project. Thus, considerable advice is needed from people who have the required knowledge bases. For example, a student who proposes to perform a project on whether anxiety levels change in the work place among a group of employees in a high stress office from before to after group training in muscle tension awareness and control training, would require expert advice on at least (a) how to perform an objective evaluation of both individual and group anxiety in the work place, (b) how to perform group training in muscle tension awareness, (c) how the specific work environment to be evaluated actually functions, and (d) types of statistical evaluations required to detect differences between those who learned the skills and those who did not. Advice on numerous other areas such as specific evaluative tools, might be needed as well.
The committee’s role is to provide the expertise required to insure that the study has the best possible chance of succeeding. Members are chosen based on the types of expertise required. They advise the student (usually via e-mail) on the overall design of the study, the specific techniques to employ within their areas of expertise, review successive drafts of the protocol to insure that an optimal/doable experimental design is developed, answer questions as problems come up during the course of performing the study and analyzing the data, and then review successive drafts of the result and conclusions sections of the dissertation once all data have been gathered. Committee members never actually need to meet together. The dissertation defense is held during a conference call. Committee members are expected to ask the student a range of questions sufficiently broad so they can determine that the student has a solid knowledge of applied psychophysiology and the dissertation’s relationship to it. Topics for the oral defense are limited to the dissertation and the psychophysiological elements supporting and related to it. Once all committee members are satisfied that the student has a firm grasp of psychophysiology and the dissertation has been done, analyzed, and written up as well as practicable, their job is done.
Dissertation committees usually consist of three or, occasionally, four people. One is the Program’s Dean, who may or may not serve as the committee chair. The other two (or more) are subject matter experts. Members of dissertation committees can live anywhere as they never have to get together. They do not have to have any particular academic degree – just true expertise in the area they are contributing.

Comprehensive Exam – Doctor of Clinical Psychophysiology

Written Comprehensive Examination:
After completion of all coursework and prior to the dissertation defense, each student will have to pass a written comprehensive examination.

For each comprehensive examination, each professor in the college submits two essay questions for each of the lecture courses they teach in the program. The student selects one of the two questions for each didactic area to answer. There are 18 didactic areas in the program so the student has to answer 18 questions. The questions must be designed so they can be answered within two double spaced typed pages using 12- point font size characters. The questions must test the student’s understanding of a crucial basic concept and the student’s ability to apply that concept to applied psychophysiology rather than requiring a list of facts. If a student was exempted from taking a course, the student may contact the course instructor to get key reading materials so the student is adequately prepared to answer questions from that area of the program.

The examination is open book as it deals with understanding and applying concepts rather than listing facts. The facts supporting the answer must be written as part of each answer. The student being tested arranges a test date with the college’s dean. On the date of the exam, the dean e-mails the exam to the student and the student has 24 hours to e-mail the answers to the dean. No answers are accepted after the 24-hour limit. The student may not contact anybody who could help with the exam in any way, including faculty members who supplied the exam questions, during the exam period without explicit, written permission from the dean. When the student e-mails the answered exam to the dean, the dean sends the answers to each faculty member. The faculty members have two weeks to grade the exam. Questions are graded only pass or fail.

The student must pass 14 of the questions to pass the exam. A student who fails the comprehensive may attempt questions from the failed subject areas twice with not less than one month between each attempt. Different questions are supplied to the student for each attempt. If the student does not pass on the third attempt (the original and two retries), the student is dropped from the program.

Comprehensive examinations are time consuming for the faculty who need to develop and then score questions as well as the dean who has to compile them and track the process so the comprehensive examination is not free. Each faculty member is paid $25 for each question set provided and scored regardless of how many students take the exam at one sitting (up to a maximum of four). The dean will receive an additional $25 for the time required to administer the exam. The exam costs $475.

Kusum Bhat, Ph.D., P.A.

Kusum is a certified Biofeedback specialist and physician assistant, with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She is currently the clinical director of the Cybernetix Medical Institute, as well as a mental health clinical specialist at the Contra Costa County Hospital in Martinez, California. She has also previously interned at the Children’s Hospital in Oakland, the Battered Women’s Alternative, the Hume Center in Concord, and the Contra Costa County Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Service.
Dr. Bhat has repeatedly demonstrated her expertise in the field of Biofeedback and Applied Psychophysiology. Her doctoral dissertation was on The Role of Biofeedback Assisted Anger Control in Reversing Heart Disease. Moreover, she has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and has held workshops all over the world on heart rate variability and anger control, “Emotional Intelligence by Self-disclosure”, and “Do-able stress control for the 21st century”.

 

Naras Bhat, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Naras is a physician, board-certified in Internal Medicine, Metabolic Cardiology, and Stress Management. He currently teaches at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Bhat is the author of the internationally known book, How to Reverse and Prevent Heart Disease and Cancer and produced two popular videos, Uprooting Anger and Meditation Prescription. He has just published his new book, Reversing Stress and Burnout.
Born in India and educated in the West, Dr. Bhat connects Eastern disciplines with Western high-tech medicine using computer feedback systems known as cybernetics. Dr. Bhat is the founder and director of the Cybernetix Medical Institute. His active stress and heart disease reversal clinic has training programs for patients, physicians, and health care workers. He has done extensive research on how stress affects the heart from the perspective of heart-centered physiology, called cardio-neuro-immunology.
 

Russell Hicks, M.D.

Russell received his M.D. from UCLA in 1967 and is board certified in both internal medicine and psychiatry. He has been medical director and chief of numerous services in both the military and civilian sectors. His distinguished teaching career began in 1974 and continues to the present. It includes appointments at the University of Hawaii, Loma Linda, and Chapman University. He has published on chronic pain, PTSD, and substance abuse.

Gerald Kozlowski, Ph.D.

Gerald Kozlowski received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1970. His work history includes Physiology; Teaching Fellow, University of Rochester (1971 – 1973); Assistant and Associate Professor of Anatomy & Physiology, Colorado State University (1973 – 1976); Associate Professor of Anatomy & Physiology & Biophysics, Colorado State University (1976 – 1978); Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas, Health Science Center at Houston (1978 – 1980); Associate Professor of Physiology, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (1980 – 1998); Full Faculty Member, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School (1980 – 1998); Senior Lecturer of Department of Cognition and Neurosciences, University of Texas at Dallas (1998 – current). He has a long history of grant supported research in brain-behavior and psychophysiology

Susan Middaugh, Ph.D., PT

Susan received her degree in Physical Therapy in 1965 and her doctorate in experimental physiology in 1971. She is a professor in the departments of rehabilitation medicine and anesthesia at the medical university of South Carolina and director of its clinical biofeedback program. She also directs the department of rehabilitation medicine’s chronic pain rehabilitation program. Her primary research effort has been directed toward investigating methods for applying basic learning principles in the treatment of patients with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal diagnoses. Treatment procedures using electromyographic feedback, based on this rationale, have proven to be effective in patient treatment. The present research program is directed toward controlled clinical study, development of experimental models, testing of theoretical assumptions, and gathering of basic information concerning the nature and extent of feedback-related gains areas of interest to rehabilitation professionals including neuromuscular re-education following CNS or PNS damage, musculoskeletal pain including work-related overuse syndromes, and fecal and urinary incontinence. She has a long history of grant support for her research and has published widely in her field with over 100 articles and abstracts in recognized journals.

Donald Moss, Ph.D.

Don earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Duquesne University and completed clinical training at the University of Pittsburgh Health Center. He is chief editor for the Biofeedback Newsmagazine, and consulting editor for the Journal of Neurotherapy. Dr. Moss has published three books and over fifty articles, book chapters, and book reviews on biofeedback, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and mind-body medicine. He currently has an edited volume in preparation on clinical psycho-physiological applications in primary care medicine.
Donald Moss is a clinical psychologist and managing partner in the Psychological Services Centers of West Michigan, and directs their Chronic Pain Services. He formerly was an adjunct instructor teaching psychotherapy and counseling at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, and has provided professional training, workshops, and clinical supervision throughout the US and abroad on anxiety disorders, biofeedback, stress management, and psychotherapy.

David Ostransky, DO, FCCP, FACOI, D.ABSM

Dave received his D.O. in 1979 from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at Grandview Medical Center in Ohio in 1982. He has a fellowship in pulmonology and has done a preceptorship in sleep disorders. He is board certified in both internal medicine and sleep disorders. He directs the Regional Clinical Faculty, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, is a Physician Specialist, Private Practice of Pulmonology, Occupational Lung Diseases, & Sleep Disorders, Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and is Medical Director, Sleep Lab, Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas, Fort Worth, Texas. He has a long history of grant support and has published widely in pulmonology.
 

Barbara Peavey, Ph.D., M.S. Psych Pharm

Barb received her doctorate in psychology from the U of North Texas in 1982 and her Post Doctoral Masters in Clinical Psychopharmacology in 2001. She is an adjunct professor at the U of North Texas. Her main interest is in behavioral medicine centering on self-regulation and biofeedback. She teaches biofeedback and psychophysiology instrumentation, clinical intervention, and ethics regionally, nationally, and internationally, including Italy (dentists) and Austria (neurologists). Barb has published and has presented widely on biofeedback related issues.

 

Richard A. Sherman, Ph.D.

Rich received his doctorate in psychobiology from New York University in 1973. He has accrued over thirty years of experience teaching and performing research and clinical work in behavioral medicine and related fields. Dr. Sherman is recognized as a superb teacher and has given courses at virtually all levels of adult education including numerous undergraduate, medical resident, and graduate school courses as well as continuing education courses for clinical professionals in both on-site and distance based formats. Dr. Sherman is best known for his work elucidating mechanisms and treatments for phantom limb pain, temporal relationships between changes in muscle tension and pain, and environmental studies on mechanisms of and behavioral treatments for urinary incontinence. This work has resulted in over 125 articles and several books for both professionals and patients. His research has been supported by numerous private foundations, for-profit organizations, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health. He has been president of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, has been on the Association’s board of directors twice, and has chaired its research and program committees.

Wes Sime, Ph.D., Ph.D

Wes received his Masters Degree in Health Education in l968, a Masters Degree in Epidemiology in l975, his Ph.D in Exercise/Stress Physiology in l975; and a second Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in l991. He is a Licensed Psychologist in Nebraska; is Certified in Biofeedback by BCIA, Certified in Stress Management; Certified in Sport Psychology AAASP; a Certified consultant in Sport Psycholgoy (US Olympic Registry} and listed in the NFL Registry of providers in sport psychology. He has been Professor in Health and Human Performance University of Nebraska-Lincoln from l977 to the present. He teaches health psychology, sport psychology, stress management, and pathophysiology. His research is on occupational stress, exercise therapy and performance enhancement.

 

Eric Willmarth, Ph.D.

Eric received his doctorate in clinical psychology in 1998 form the Fielding Institute and now has his diplomate in rehabilitation psychology. He is certified in clinical hypnosis and is chair of the ethics committee for the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Dr. Willmarth is a fellow of the American Academy of Pain Management. He directs the behavioral medicine program for and is president of Michigan Pain Consultants. He is also director of behavioral medicine for Holland Community Hospital’s Pain Management Center. He has published and presented on both pain and hypnosis.

Course Descriptions

Brief Descriptions of Course Contents:
Full course descriptions and requirements are in the syllabus for each course.
CP505 Introduction to Psychophysiology –Biological Basis of Behavior – 3 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course provides an overview of what psychophysiology is. Topics include nature vs. nurture & mind vs. body; research techniques in psychophysiology; establishing credibility and recognizing bad science; elements of psychophysiological recording; communication within the body with chemicals and electricity; behavioral genetics; nervous system structure and function; mechanisms and organization of sensation; mechanisms of eating and; hormonal control of behavior; biological rhythms; drug and alcohol addiction; memory; and psychophysiology of stress and pain.
CP507 Anatomy and Physiology for Psychophysiologists – 3 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This is a graduate level course in human anatomy and physiology as applied to behavioral medicine. Each basic structure and organ system is discussed with regard to both anatomical aspects and physiological functions as they change over time and in relation to both the external and internal environment. The nervous system is not emphasized as it is detailed in another course. Interactions between the complex web of hormonal feedback loops and disregulation of behavior, emotions, and drives are discussed in relation to implementation of behavioral interventions. Other areas emphasized are respiratory physiology, behavioral immunology, psychophysiology of pain, interactions between pain, stress, and muscle tension, pathophysiology of headache, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, and basic kinesiological concepts. This course meets the A&P requirements for certification in general biofeedback and neurofeedback set by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of American (BCIA) and was developed in conjunction with their staff.
CP510 Psychophysiological Recording and Intervention / General Biofeedback – 4 credits including a 1-credit laboratory
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course provides a basic understanding of the physiology and methodology underlying common psychophysiological recording techniques used in behavioral medicine including surface electromyography, electroencephalography, respiration, blood pressure, pulse rate, skin temperature, and electrodermal responses. Sufficient knowledge about how common psychophysiological recording and biofeedback instruments function and are used is provided so students can incorporate psychophysiological aspects of assessment into their normal practices. This course also teaches the principles and applications of biofeedback as used in educational and clinical settings. It does not emphasize electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback as this is covered in a separate course. The strengths and weaknesses of evidence supporting the use of biofeedback for a variety of clinical disorders are reviewed and the techniques for actually doing biofeedback are detailed. Techniques for using biofeedback as a tool for shaping and conditioning responses to stress are emphasized.
The laboratory portion of the courses provides sufficient hands on exposure to typical, clinical grade psychophysiological recording and biofeedback equipment and techniques that students will be able to recognize adequate and inadequate signals and be able to attach sensors to their patients appropriately so that good signals can be recorded. The laboratory gives students an opportunity to use biofeedback techniques with other students. Techniques for using sEMG biofeedback and other psychophysiological techniques to correct problems including movement disorders, pelvic floor disorders, etc. are discussed. This course meets the blueprint requirements for certification in general biofeedback by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (BCIA).
CP512 Research and Statistics in Psychophysiology / Credibility Assessment – 4 credits, including a 1-credit home based analysis practice program
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course covers the basic steps and time-line of a project, steps in formulating and maturing a question, research ethics, the protocol approval process, background and literature searches, and methods of determining a project’s feasibility and relevance. The logic and progression of study designs used to evaluate the efficacy of behavioral medicine studies is detailed and exemplified. Topics include single subject and single group designs – cohorts, multiple group designs, strengths and weaknesses of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, prospective experimental vs. observational and retrospective designs. The course also covers research protocol design, the consent form, and the protocol review process. This section covers subject selection techniques (sampling, inclusion – exclusion, etc.), kinds of data (dichotomous, nominal, ordinal, continuous, etc.), techniques for hardening subjective data, validity and reliability, survey and questionnaire design, as well as pilot studies and the initial power analysis – feasibility and resources.
The statistics section is designed to teach students how to analyze typical study designs used in behavioral medicine. It includes qualitative and quantitative data reduction and analysis, descriptive statistics in clinical practice, inferential statistics – parametric and non-parametric, power analysis, pattern analysis, and analysis of outcome and quality of life studies. The practical experience is performed at home using data analysis software to analyze practice data sets.
CP515 Pain Assessment and Intervention From a Psychophysiological Perspective – 3 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course describes the underlying psychophysiology of pain and summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of evidence supporting the efficacy of self-regulatory interventions for prevention and reduction of various pain problems. Interactions between pain, stress, and muscle tension are emphasized. Extensive examples of how to perform psychophysiological interventions for various psychophysiologically maintained and magnified pain states are provided. The pathophysiology of migraine, tension, cluster, rebound, medication induced, and other types of headaches is reviewed. Current schema for differential diagnosis of the various types of headache are discussed in relation to interactions between behavioral medicine providers, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and other health care providers. The evidence supporting the efficacy of behavioral interventions for various types of headaches is reviewed. Detailed examples of patient education and training materials are provided along with typical behavioral training regimes and pathways.
CP517 Introduction to Behavioral and Alternative Medicine – 3 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
Complimentary and alternative (C & A) practices are rapidly finding acceptance within the clinical community. Simultaneously, “accepted” practices are falling from favor as they are shown to be ineffective or even counterproductive. Patients now visit as many or more “alternative” providers as traditional providers and are spending billions of dollars on attempts to get care not available from the traditional medical community. This course is intended to provide students with a balanced overview of a selection of complimentary and alternative medicine and behavioral medicine interventions recently and currently practiced in the “West”. It is also intended to help students learn to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the claims made by the proponents of these practices so they can more readily separate the real knowledge from the emotional advertising. The course provides students with practice in and techniques for objectively assessing the validity of claims presented in formats different than usually acceptable to current “Western” science.
CP520 Principles and Theories of Stress Management and Relaxation / Imagery Training – 4-credits, including a 1-credit laboratory
Instructor: Wes Sime, Ph.D., Ph.D.
This course provides the basic information on the principles and theories underlying the application of stress management techniques in a variety of settings including the workplace, schools, and clinical practice. The course provides a historical perspective on development of these practices and a comparative approach to their use among the world’s cultures. Methods for identification of stressors are emphasized. Practices reviewed include meditation, autogenic exercises, humor, progressive muscle relaxation training and many others. Evidence supporting the efficacy of these practices in preventing and correcting stress related problems is detailed. The indications, non-indications and contra-indications of relaxation therapies are discussed. The course then provides detailed instruction in how to perform these techniques including typical multi-session regimes, handout, etc. The laboratory gives students a chance to practice these techniques under supervision
on each other.
CP525 Neuropsychophysiology / Nervous System Functions in Psychophysiology – 3 credits Instructor: Gerald Kozlowski, Ph.D.
The course covers central and peripheral nervous system anatomy and physiology and finishes with an emphasis on nervous system pathophysiology. The brain/spinal cord plexus is discussed from both anatomical and physiological perspectives concentrating on plasticity in response to changes in the external and internal environment as well as viewing the system as an interactive organ with hormonal, nerve based, and blood flow based feedback and control systems. Current theories of memory formation and change with time and emotions are emphasized, as are effects of emotions and the environment on brain function. Psychophysiological recording methodology including EEG and scans such as MEG and PET are examined in relation to their uses in behavioral medicine. Neurological disorders centered on the CNS (such as epilepsy) are discussed in relationship to psychophysiological evaluations and behavioral interventions. The anatomy and physiology of the autonomic and somatic branches of the peripheral nervous system are discussed to provide a basic understanding how the system works in relationship with the whole body’s function and health. Emphasis is on the ever-changing balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic portions of the autonomic nervous system which alters functions of nerves, glands, and muscles which can be trained to achieve a balanced life. The impact of the somatic nervous system on perception and action is also emphasized.
CP527 Recording and Altering the Brain’s Activities Through Neurofeedback and Other Techniques – 4 credits, including a 1 credit laboratory
Instructor: Graham Patrick, ARNP, Ph.D.
This course teaches the principles of recording the brain’s activities through PET scans, blood flow assessment, Functional MRI, EEG, etc. as applied to psychophysiological assessments and interventions. The basic psychophysiology of the EEG signal is reviewed in relationship to educational applications and disorders (such as epilepsy and ADHD) treated with EEG biofeedback. The strengths and weaknesses of evidence supporting the use of EEG biofeedback for a variety of clinical disorders is reviewed and the techniques for actually dong EEG biofeedback are detailed. This course meets the blueprint requirements for certification in neurofeedback by the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (BCIA).
CP530 Behavioral Assessment and Psychologically Oriented Techniques, including wellness, conditioning, imagery, and meditation – 6 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory and a 1-credit practicum
Instructors: Naras Bhat M.D. and Kusum Bhat, Ph.D.
The course covers four main areas: (a) wellness and community / group psychophysiology, (b) operant and classical conditioning, (c) imagery, and (d) meditation techniques. Wellness programs for maintaining and increasing the health of individuals and of specific communities such as students in a class, older people in an assisted living community, workers in an office or factory are becoming increasingly popular. The evidence supporting the efficacy of these programs is reviewed and ways to optimize such programs, in light of this evidence, for different groups is discussed. Classical operant and instrumental conditionings are powerful tools that can be used to shape the behavior of individuals and groups in the work/school and clinical setting. The history of, supporting evidence for, and basic techniques for each type of conditioning are presented. The standard techniques of self-hypnosis, and imagery training are described and students are taught the elements of their application. Uses of these techniques with specific types of patients and integration of these techniques into other behavioral medicine interventions are discussed. The history, supporting efficacy studies, and basis for the major meditation techniques are described in relation to self-regulation. The research studies demonstrating that use of meditation techniques can result in control of autonomic functioning and in re-regulation of physiological functioning to ameliorate a variety of disorders is reviewed. The laboratory gives students an opportunity to practice behavioral techniques on other students while being supervised. The practicum gives students a chance to practice these techniques using normal volunteers while being supervised via phone or e-mail before and after each session.
CP535 Introduction to Clinical Pharmacology – 3 credits
Instructor: Barbara Peavey, Ph.D.
Students will receive an overview of basic pharmacology and then learn typical pharmacological treatments for common disorders in patients likely to present for behavioral medicine interventions (for example, cardiovascular disorders, respiratory disorders, neurological disorders, toxicology, and pain syndromes) and how to integrate these basic principles into behavioral medicine treatment plans. Medications likely to create symptoms of common psychophysiological disorders will be discussed.
CP540 Psychophysiological Assessment of Sleep – 3 credits, including a 1-credit observational experience
Instructor: Naras Bhat M.D.
This course covers the basic psychophysiology of sleep and sleep disorders as well as psychophysiological and other methods of assessing sleep. Students will arrange to spend a minimum of two days (nights) observing a modern sleep assessment laboratory in action including data acquisition and analysis.
CP545 Psychophysiological Applications in the Community, School, Sports, and Workplace – 4 credits, including a 1-credit educational application
Instructor: Wes Sime, Ph.D., Ph.D.
Effectively working within large organizations to increase work efficiency, decrease accidents, and increase morale while decreasing stress related absences, disorders, and conflicts is a complex task being requested by more and more employers as the impact of stress on the workforce become better recognized. Optimal performance in these environments is difficult but achievable with appropriate training. The research supporting the efficacy of such efforts is reviewed and the typical techniques for interventions with diverse groups are illustrated.
A wide variety of behavioral interventions have been effective in enhancing and optimizing performance in many settings. Effects include increased endurance and accuracy under many circumstances – especially within sports and the military. The evidence supporting this assertion is reviewed and examples are provided of specific interventions shown to be effective in specific circumstances. Effective presentation of behavioral medicine concepts to diverse groups is a daunting task which requires considerable training and experience. Practices are frequently augmented through communicating with peers, other health care professionals and administrators, the public, and potential patients. Effective methods for presenting to each type of group are very different but have been well worked out. Typical presentation methods for workshops, lectures, and public appearances are presented which are likely to optimize understanding of behavioral medicine techniques.
Educational experience: Students need to learn how to present the concepts and value of behavioral medicine techniques to a variety of audiences if they are going to be able to use their new skills in their clinical environments because patients need to be attracted to programs, other clinicians need to understand how behavioral medicine fits into clinical treatment programs, and administrators need to understand the economic and clinical value of the techniques. Once sufficient credits are accrued to have completed four quarters, each student must give at least two talks each to people representative of (1) the public, (2) clinicians, and (3) administrators before they can graduate. Talks are planned with the assistance of the student’s advisor and the advisor must approve a brief outcome report of each talk before credit for the talk can be given.
CP550 Clinical Hypnosis, Self Hypnosis, and Imagery Training – 4 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory
Instructor: Eric Willmarth, Ph.D.
The standard techniques of Clinical Hypnosis are described and students are taught the elements of their application. Uses of hypnotic techniques with specific types of patients and integration of these techniques into other behavioral medicine interventions are discussed. The laboratory gives students an opportunity to practice these techniques on other students while being supervised. It is the intent of this course to (1) provide students with a basic background and appreciation of the history of clinical hypnosis and provide and introduction to a variety of current theories of the mechanisms of hypnosis. (2) provide students with fundamental skills needed to induce a hypnotic state and a knowledge base to make clinical use of the hypnotic condition in a variety of situations. (3) provide students with sufficient knowledge to understand pertinent legal and ethical considerations related to the use of clinical hypnosis. (4) provide an overview of the empirically validated uses of hypnosis.
CP555 Applications of Neuromuscular Reeducation in Biofeedback – 4 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory
Instructor: Susan Middaugh, PT, Ph.D.
This course teaches the elements of kinesiological movement science and how control of movement is distorted by different clinical conditions. The course includes the elements of (a) trigger point, (b) posture, and (c) motor control / coordination assessment. Methods for using psychophysiological recording techniques for assessment of movement related disorders and postural problems are illustrated. The impact of poor posture and improper sequencing of muscle motions as well as of improper levels of tension on development and sustainment of various pain problems such as tension headaches and low back pain are discussed. Techniques for using sEMG biofeedback and other psychophysiological techniques to correct these problems are illustrated. Issues of which techniques should be applied by which types of professionals given various training and scopes of practice are discussed. The laboratory gives students an opportunity to learn these assessment and correction techniques.
CP560 Ethical, Legal, and Professional Standards Issues – 3 credits
Instructor: Eric Willmarth, Ph.D.
This course discusses ethical, legal, and professional standards issues in relationship to people from numerous fields adding psychophysiological interventions to their practices. Issues such as changes in scope of practice as well as limitations and guidelines set by governmental and professional organizations are discussed. The ethics of providing care for patients in the psychophysiological arena are discussed with special emphasis on use of unsubstantiated techniques into standard practice. The intent of this course is: to (1) provide students with a basic understanding of both the role and function of ethical principles, legal issues and professional behavior so they can apply that knowledge in their professional activities, (2) provide students with a strategy for resolving ethical dilemmas and for reducing risks for clients/patients and themselves, and (3) provide students with practice in resolving potentially problematic situations via the use of case examples.
CP565 Pelvic Floor Disorders and Sexual Dysfunctions – 3 credits
Instructors: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
This course provides a basic understanding of pelvic floor functions and structures along with clinical etiologies of pelvic floor disorders treated by behavioral interventions. Urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and muscle tension related pelvic floor and vaginal pain are emphasized. Sufficient information on research supporting behavioral interventions, clinical protocols for behavioral interventions, and sufficient simulated demonstrations are presented to bring health care providers to the point where they have the knowledge base needed to provide these interventions to their clients, within their scopes of practice and expertise, after the providers gain hands-on experience by working with experienced practitioners. The pathophysiology and psychopathology underlying common sexual dysfunctions is detailed. Evidence supporting the efficacy of behavioral interventions for specific sexual dysfunctions is presented and their methodology is exemplified.
CP570 Clinical Practicum and Field Experience – 4 credits
Instructor: Staff
No amount of course-work can replace properly supervised hands-on experience when it comes to learning how to actually apply new skills. Students are required to accrue a minimum of 90 hours in actual practice of psychophysiology. These hours can be obtained in any clinical setting that the student and advisor agree upon. Students are responsible for making financial and administrative arrangements with the director of each clinical setting. The staff of the setting is entirely responsible for supervising the student’s clinical work at that setting and must agree to send the college a detailed report of the student’s experience and progress. Specific learning objectives for each site are developed conjointly with the student, the student’s advisor, and whoever is responsible for the student at the clinical site. Each site must be approved in writing by the student’s advisor before work can begin at that site. No credit is given for hours worked until a report of successful completion of the agreed-upon learning experience is received from the site.
CP572 Dissertation Planning Seminars – 4 credits
Instructor: Rich Sherman, Ph.D.
Performing research is a crucial part of the learning experience at the doctoral level. A research based, clinical dissertation must be completed before graduation. The program is designed so that work on the dissertation blends with other training received during the program’s academic years. The dissertation project is designed to make an original contribution to the clinical literature in psychophysiology and to be directly and practically related to the student’s intended clinical practice. Four credits of dissertation work are completed each year. Students participate in regularly scheduled Dissertation Seminars twice for each credit. At each seminar, a small group of students (not more than six) gather via voice based internet chat room to discuss their ideas, progress, and problems with their own dissertations under the leadership of an experienced faculty member. Potentiation takes place as students from a variety of fields positively support each other with ideas and suggestions for strengthening their projects. The seminars progress through all phases of designing, performing, analyzing, and writing the dissertation.
CP573 Dissertation Preparation – 4 credits
Instructor: Dissertation Advisor / Committee Chair
The student and his / her dissertation advisor, who serves as chair of the student’s dissertation committee, work closely together planning the dissertation and gathering the other members of the committee. The advisor guides the student through all of the parts of the dissertation process from planning, writing the protocol, performing the study, analyzing the data, and writing the results. This is normally a very close relationship with frequent interactions via e-mail and phone.
CP575 Professional Development Planning Seminars – 3 credits
Instructor: Eric Willmarth, Ph.D.
Taking the time to plan how to integrate newly acquired psychophysiological skills into one’s professional life is critical to insuring that the program is worth pursuing. Students participate in Professional Development Seminars given four times spread across the program’s first year to aid in preparing a plan which will be ready to be put into effect by the time the program has been completed. The plan is intended to be a guideline for application of psychophysiological skills in each student’s unique setting, be it private practice, an institutional setting or any other system or combination.
CP577 Clinical Case Seminars – 4 credits
Instructor: Staff
Students meet in a voice based internet chat room to discuss psychophysiologically oriented cases they have worked with. The discussion is led by an instructor who also presents appropriate teaching material. These discussions are intended to guide students toward an understanding of how to incorporate psychophysiological assessment and interventional techniques into their usual approaches to patient care and to provide a bridge between the theoretical materials presented during the lecture courses and the realities of modern clinical applications.
CP580 Dissertation – 10 credits
Instructor: Dissertation Advisor / Committee Chair
The dissertation project is designed to make an original contribution to the clinical literature in psychophysiology and to be directly and practically related to the student’s intended clinical practice. Students perform work on their dissertations in sequence with the dissertation planning seminars. A research committee must be selected by the end of the program’s first six months and fully written research protocol must be ready by the end of the first year. The dissertation is performed under the guidance of the committee’s chair that is normally also the student’s program advisor. The completed (25,000 word minimum) dissertation should be handed in when sufficient credits have been accrued to graduate.
Basic Clinical Skills Courses
These Courses are for people entering the doctoral program without a clinical degree.

CP590 Patient / Therapist Interactions – 5 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory and a
1-credit clinical experience
Instructor: Russ Hicks, M.D.
Students will learn how to set an appropriate environment, how to establish appropriate rapport with patients, and how to make appropriate records of all patient contacts. They will practice their skills on each other and then follow a practitioner through the medical records production and review process for at least two days.
CP592 Introduction to Patient Assessment – 5 credits, including a 1-credit laboratory and a 1-credit clinical experience
Instructor: Russ Hicks, M.D.
Participants must have completed their basic life support certification before taking this course. Students will learn to take a good clinical history and perform a basic physical screening examination. The presenting symptoms and underlying pathophysiology of disorders likely to be encountered – especially diseases producing psychophysiological symptoms – will be emphasized. The exams will include proper techniques for (a) taking blood pressure, (b) neurological screen, (c) mental status screen, (d) posture and motor control assessment, and (e) trigger point exam. Students will practice their assessment interview and examination techniques during the laboratory and will follow a clinician for at least two days as the clinician performs intake physical exams and takes patient histories.
CP595 Introduction to Coordination with Other Health Care Providers – 5 credits, including a 2-credit clinical experience
Instructor: Russ Hicks, M.D.
Students will learn what other providers do when assessing and treating patients with psychophysiological disorders and will spend a minimum of four days following practitioners from at least four different specialties as they assess and treat patients with disorders of the type they are likely to encounter