Emotions are complicated and many children struggle to label them let alone recognize the physical sensations associated with negative feelings. A child who is feeling anxious, stressed or tense for example, may report a pain in their tummy, headache or limbs because this is the most accurate way they can describe what they are feeling.
Biofeedback is a computer based treatment tool that provides feedback on the biological processes associated with negative emotions – pounding heart, sweaty palms, increased heart rate. Biofeedback sensors measure these sensations and gives a child a way to see, on a screen, what is happening in their body. Through fun games, children and adults can visually experience a reduction in tension through breathing and refocused thinking.