title: Enhancing personal wellness in counselor trainees using biofeedback: an exploratory study.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore whether biofeedback-assisted relaxation training could reduce stress-related symptoms and enhance personal well-being in a group of counselor trainees enrolled in a basic counseling skills course. Treatment participants received ten sessions of weekly biofeedback-assisted relaxation training, whereas the control participants received no intervention. The treatment group showed, significant improvements in several symptom areas measured by the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised: physical complaints (Somatization), personal inadequacy (Interpersonal Sensitivity), confused thinking or alienation or both (Psychoticism), and the overall number and severity of symptoms (Global Severity Index and Positive Symptom Total). The control participants showed no significant improvements in any symptom areas. Biofeedback-assisted relaxation was shown to be an effective stress-reducing intervention for counselor trainees, which resulted in a greater sense of personal well-being.
authors.affiliation: Counselor Education Program, University of North Texas, P.O. Box 311337, Denton, Texas 76203-1337, USA. chandler@coefs.coe.unt.edu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bodenhamer-Davis
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Evenson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bratton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy