This summer the Biofeedback Clinic and Certification Center (BCCC) at Widener University hosted two International students from Canada: Armen Lusikyan, vice president of operations and finance of Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute (FSRI), and Margaret Dupee, assistant researcher at University of Ottawa. Both sought out the program as it’s highly regarded internationally through the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA).
As more and more healthcare employers are recognizing the significance of biofeedback, receiving the BCIA certification has become a standard of excellence in this field, and Widener is one of the few BCIA accredited university training programs in the region.
“Watching our program grow both nationally and internationally over the past seven years has been extremely rewarding,” said Dr. Celeste De Bease, director of the BCCC and clinical associate professor at Widener. “It goes beyond our hard work and dedication and reflects our passionate commitment to this field.”
Lusikyan was asked to obtain his biofeedback certification at Widener by his employer, Dr. Elham Al Hamdan, president and medical director of FSRI, who knew of the program’s excellent reputation.
Dupee agreed that the reputation of the BCCC and the flexibility of the online courses are what provoked her to get certified. “The staff is wonderful. They are very informative and helpful in planning assessment.”
Though both individuals are from Canada, Lusikyan has been working with FSRI in Kuwait for six years as there is a tremendous need for personal care and assessment in the country. “I’ve always been interested in biofeedback, and it will supplement my training in psychotherapy,” he said.
Dupee plans to use her knowledge of biofeedback to further her research in working with athletes. She works with Olympic athletes and sports psychologists, prepping them for peek performance as well as helping them manage stress.
Previously a competitive figure skater, Dupee knows firsthand that the harder one trains, the more important it is to have a mental recovery. “Biofeedback is a very useful tool for this,” she said.
She is currently working with 20 athletes in preparation for the summer 2012 Olympics. She hopes her training from the BCCC will allow her to improve her skills and develop better training methods to help these athletes succeed at the games.