What is BCIA Certification?
BCIA-certified professionals are internationally respected for six reasons.
- BCIA is a non-profit institute that has been an effective advocate for our field. The American Psychological Association (APA) has recognized biofeedback as a proficiency in professional psychology because of the petition that BCIA filed with them. BCIA has been dedicated to a singular mission since 1981:“BCIA certifies individuals who meet education and training standards in biofeedback and progressively recertifies those who advance their knowledge through continuing education.”
- BCIA’s biofeedback certification is the only program that is recognized by the three major international membership organizations: the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB), theBiofeedback Foundation of Europe (BFE), and the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research (ISNR).
- BCIA’s biofeedback certification is based on scientific evidence published in refereed journals. BCIA rejects narrow, unsubstantiated perspectives and the conflict of interest that exists when certification depends on a specific vendor’s equipment, databases, and protocols. BCIA certification is based on a reading list, Blueprint of Knowledge, and Professional Standards and Ethical Principles that were developed following an extensive job analysis and that are regularly updated by a task force of international authorities in biofeedback. BCIA continually gathers data to validate and revise its exams through the psychometric process to ensure the relevance, integrity, and value of our certification program.
- BCIA’s biofeedback certification exam adheres to the highest psychometric standards. We painstakingly evaluate and revise our exam on a regular basis. Several independent experts, who include clinicians and the most experienced educators in our field, regularly review exam items to ensure that the they represent key blueprint concepts, are sourced to our suggested reading list, and are psychometrically sound. We regularly replace outdated exam questions with new ones that are contributed by biofeedback authorities and then validated by our certificants.
- BCIA requires that our certificants adhere to one of the strongest ethical codes in our field. In addition, we require that our certificants complete 3 hours of ethics continuing education when they renew their certification. Our rigorous ethical standards are one of the many reasons that our international colleagues have chosen BCIA biofeedback certification.
- BCIA’s Board of Directors consists of clinicians, educators, and researchers who have guided the development of biofeedback. Our Board includes leaders of the three major international membership organizations who have contributed decades of service to our field.