For those suffering from anxiety-related symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder, solutions that could potentially improve their wellness and wholeness often seem few and far between.
But researchers at UTSA are offering some newfound hope. The university’s use of neurofeedback has enabled the next generation of counselors to break through those challenges with innovative approaches.
“There are a number of therapy modalities, but neurofeedback is unique because we’re able to go directly to brain function,” says Mark Jones, director of UTSA’s neurofeedback program.
Since 2011, Jones has helped grow UTSA’s neurofeedback program into a one-of-a-kind resource for students pursuing a degree in counseling. The neurofeedback program is accredited by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance, and it is one of only five certified neurofeedback training centers in the United States.
“This really added a dimension to counseling,” Jones says. “We’ve had students do their Ph.D. and dissertation research using neurofeedback. That itself has really set the program forward.”
Neurofeedback is a process that allows researchers to measure small traces of brainwave activity and understand how the brain manages emotions. The practice is particularly useful when identifying trigger points for people with anxiety and PTSD.
“When somebody has a traumatic event, that changes the brain dramatically. The part of the brain that’s responsible for emotional regulation goes into hyper-drive.” Jones explains. “We can measure that over arousal. There are markers for that which guide us in training the brain.”
WATCH: Lauren Kendrick of Spectrum News recently took a deep dive into the UTSA neurofeedback program and its outreach efforts.
Addressing Community Trauma
In the last decade, the UTSA neurofeedback program has made a significant impact on the greater San Antonio community. Counselors are serving local clients free of charge in twice-a-week clinical sessions throughout the semester and providing unparalleled care during traumatic events, such as the Sutherland Springs shooting in 2017.
Recently, the neurofeedback program was used in two studies in collaboration with the San Antonio Police Department. UTSA doctoral student Whitney Rich says the study gave her an opportunity to examine the brains of an underserved workforce that is likely to be exposed to traumatic experiences.
“The experiences for law enforcement change their brain makeup,” Rich says. “I thought it would take a lot more to bridge that gap into welcoming mental health and that has not been the case at all.”
Her study examined four potential biomarkers that could exist in 19 members of the San Antonio Police Department. Among those markers was an alpha peak frequency.
“An alpha peak frequency tends to be a marker for more creativity and higher intelligence, but it also can be a marker for nervousness and alertness,” she says.
The pilot study, which took place in 2023, and subsequent study, adjusted for new information regarding potential risks for alcohol, uncovered data that has proven useful for the San Antonio Police Department to reassess protocols and be mindful of the mental health of their officers.
“They definitely have practiced really good stewardship over their team,” Rich says. “They were really gracious with access.”
New Neurofeedback Nests
Alumnus Ross Spears ’23, a former graduate research assistant and visiting assistant professor of practice for the UTSA Department of Counseling, has witnessed the positive impact made by UTSA’s neurofeedback program as it’s continued to evolve. He says the invaluable opportunities for research and application have made the program distinctive.
“The program provides the education necessary to sit for certification following graduation,” Spears says. “Having the ability to offer neurofeedback services to the community bolsters a student’s hire desirability post-graduation.”
Spears is now an assistant professor of counseling at the University of Texas at Tyler. Just as UTSA integrates with University of Texas Health San Antonio, UT Tyler recently merged with UT Health Tyler. This integration has opened opportunities for Spears to bring what he learned from UTSA and apply it in East Texas.
“Neurofeedback continues to be a discussed topic as the therapeutic modality is applicable to a variety of health and helping professions,” Spears says. “My hope is that the learning competencies constructed while I was a student at UTSA might later be used to create curriculum and assessment tools needed for a robust neurofeedback training experience here.”
After more than a decade of service to the community and building the next generation of counselors, UTSA’s commitment to neurofeedback is being felt near and far — and making an impact one student at a time.
“I had no way of imagining the growth of it at other universities from our students, but it’s very gratifying,” Jones says.
