Frequenty Asked Questions

This certification is open to professionals who can document a minimum of a BA/BS degree in a BCIA-approved health care field completed at a regionally accredited academic institution (an Accredited Institution of Post-secondary Education as determined by the American Council on Education). **All International applicants for BCIA certification programs, outside of the US and Canada, must carry a valid government-issued license/credential that regulates clinical health care practice. For additional information, please see our International Welcome tab.**

BCIA-approved health care fields include psychology, medicine, nursing (including two-year registered nurses with license, not LVNs or LPNs), physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, counseling, marriage family therapy, rehabilitation, chiropractic, recreational therapy, physician’s assistant (with certification or license), exercise physiology, speech pathology, and sports medicine. The following fields require a master’s degree: music therapy and counseling education (MEd in counseling).

• Reliable Internet Access
• Loaner equipment is offered through BeeMedic for the duration of the didactic portion of the course. (BeeMedic requires a Windows Operating System. For more details, contact BeeMedic.) BeeMedic will provide a loaner laptop if your computer is not compatible.
• Running a NF session requires a monitor associated with the computer plus a second monitor. The second monitor is not part of the loaner program
• Equipment is shipped to students from BeeMedic in time for the first practicum training session. BeeMedic will also provide assistance with setup.
• Equipment is available for the US and Canada and on a case by case basis for countries elsewhere.

The Introduction to Neurofeedback Certification Course is one part of the BCIA Board Certification requirements and fulfills the didactic portion of the BCIA certification requirements

We are happy to have students pursuing a clinical degree interested in joining the course! Some things to be aware of:

1. You must be licensed to purchase NF equipment.
2. Beemedic is able to loan equipment to students for the duration of the practicum section of the course. Following the didactic portion, you will need to return the loaner equipment and consider if you want to rent or buy equipment to continue with your training.
3. A “work around” for students who seek to purchase equipment is to have a licensed provider accept responsibility for the purchase and use of equipment. This would be coordinated with the equipment vendor
4. BCIA ([email protected]) is a good resource for inquiring if your field of study and/or current status allows you to engage in the practice of NF clinically.
5. There are unlicensed people who work with NF (ie. for peak performance). Still, there are regulations regarding the purchase of equipment, as the equipment is FDA cleared.

This course will provide you with basic knowledge so you can begin to “practice” neurofeedback on yourself and non – clients such as family members and friends. We strongly recommend that following the introductory course, you should pursue mentoring and further training/course work as you begin to train select clients/patients.

Introduction to Neurofeedback course+ BCIA Board Certification Requirements Cost & Income Estimates:

• Intro to NF Program: $1,450
• Mentoring: (19 hours required beyond what if offered with the course): $2,375.00
• BCIA application and certification fees: approx. $450
• Equipment: $7,000.00 – $10,000.00
• Cost for the required Neuroanatomy course varies
• Total: (approx.) $ $11, 275 to 14,275

Income – based on charging $25 more per session than your usual fee:

• 10 sessions/week $250.00
• 40 weeks/year $10,000.00

The Introduction to Neurofeedback program includes several elements that qualify for BCIA board certification but not all. It also includes many components that are not included in other BCIA NF courses that are provided in the form of supplemental materials and videos.

The items in Bold below can be applied to BCIA Board Certification.

The items in Red below are required for BCIA Board Certification and are not included in the Introduction to Neurofeedback Course

Introduction to Neurofeedback certification course includes:

• 36 hour professionally recorded video course – access for 6 months- this meets the requirements for the BCIA Blueprint of Knowledge.
• 10 hours of community meetings – live via zoom
• 6 hours of practicum training to learn how to use the equipment – live via zoom
• Loaner equipment from BeeLab provided during the course practicum
• Supplemental Videos in course to enhance your learning
• 3 case studies – qualify towards BCIA Board Certification – recorded
• 1 individual mentoring session – individually scheduled via zoom

BCIA Board Certification requirements not included in Introduction to Neurofeedback course:

• BCIA Approved neuroanatomy course
• 19 individual mentoring sessions
• BCIA test
• BCIA application

This course does not endorse any specific equipment manufacturer, however The Sadar Psychological Virtual BCIA course includes a loan of BeeLab from BeeMedic during the practicum sessions of the course (see website for practicum dates). However, we are happy to include practitioners who already have other equipment as the course focuses on learning how to do neurofeedback regardless of specific equipment. Once the basics of neurofeedback are learned, any FDA cleared NF equipment can be used.

After the course registration is closed, BeeMedic is provided with a list of course enrollees. BeeMedic will reach the course enrollees to offer loaner equipment, which will be shipped so that it can be installed for you before the first practicum session (see website for practicum dates). Please note that you will need a computer that supports the software (not compatible with MAC), or BeeMedic will loan you a laptop as well. The contract with BeeMedic will specify when the equipment must be returned, which will be shortly after the last practicum session. You will then need to consider whether you wish to rent or buy equipment (from BeeMedic or other manufacturers) to continue your training.

This depends on the equipment you select. The basic equipment (sensors, amplifier, software, technical support) costs between $4000 and $10,000. This does not include the cost of a computer and/or monitor. When purchasing equipment, you need to consider if you just want the basics or if you want a system that offers more channels, alpha-theta training, coherence training, etc. Some manufacturers offer a basic system and others allow you to purchase a basic system that you can build on. This is discussed in the course. Please refer to the equipment manufacturers/distributors for more information.

If you are pursuing BCIA board certification, you are required to complete 25 contact hours with a BCIA approved mentor.

Your course registration includes your first mentoring session with your choice of Angelika or Mitch, at no additional cost (value $150). Additional mentoring sessions with any of the Sadar Psychological mentors are available at a discounted rate of $125 for registered students.

If you are pursuing BCIA Certification we recommend:

1. That you schedule your first mentoring with Mitch or Angelika after the first live Q&A session, as we find that lots of initial questions are addressed in this meeting. Many people like to wait until they are ready to begin training on equipment (following Section VIII) to schedule their first mentoring session.
2. That you have more than one mentor as you complete your certification. This way you will be exposed to a variety of approaches as you develop your particular approach to doing neurofeedback. All of our mentors are BCIA approved. To schedule a mentoring session, please reach Kristin at [email protected]. She will provide you with complete details regarding mentoring with Mitch, Angelika, or any of the other Sadar Psychological mentors.

The live Cohort session schedule is located in the first section of the course (Getting Started) within the lesson titled “Zoom Link for Meetings). It is also on the website.

The links are located in the first section of the course (Getting Started) within the lesson titled “Zoom Link for Meetings). You will also receive an email reminder with the links prior to scheduled live sessions.

Recordings are posted in the course below the Supplemental Documents section (titled according to type of session, i.e. Spring Cohort, Case Study, etc.). The recordings from live meetings are posted within 3-4 business days of the session

The practicums are included in the Intro to NF course. The schedule is posted on the website and in the “Getting Started” section of the course along with the Zoom meeting links. Live participation is strongly encouraged.

You have access to the online course material for 6 month from the date of purchase (or through the duration of the current cohort you enrolled in). If you need additional time to complete the course beyond that period, you have the option to extend access for three months for a $75 fee. Click here to purchase a course extension.

Ideally, at a minimum, you want to review the relevant course materials prior to scheduled community meetings. We recommend that you allot a minimum of 4 hours per week to review the core materials based on the sections being covered in the meetings. (I.e. prior to the first meeting, you should complete Section I: Orientation to Neurofeedback & Section II: Basic Neurophysiology & Neuroanatomy). As you progress further in the course, you will need to allot additional time for practice NF sessions.

When you begin mentoring, you will be provided with a personal copy of the NF log.

Samples of these forms are available in the Sample Forms Manual located in the “Getting Started” section of the course, however the Amen, van Deusen and Clinical ADHD Questionnaire are electronically scored. To have them scored and analyzed to help determine brain functions that are strained (as reported by the client), you can establish an account with HBImed or Sadar and they will provide the report which includes these assessments for $50. To set up an account either way, reach [email protected]

1. If you have questions about technical issues or navigating the course platform, please email [email protected]
2. If you have questions about the content, lectures, or equipment, please email [email protected]
3. If you would like to schedule a mentoring appointment with Mitch or Angelika, please email [email protected]. Your first mentoring session is complementary and can be scheduled at any time. We recommend that you wait until you have reached the Patient/Client Assessment Section of the course before scheduling your first mentoring session, but you can schedule before that if you like.
4. If you have questions about BCIA certification requirements, please email [email protected]

The course platform, Thinkific, is a secure website. If you are having difficulties with downloading:

1. Try a different browser
2. Check the privacy settings in your browser and adjust to allow for downloads
3. Check with your IT department as there may be firewall settings that prevent external downloads

Please send any suggestions to [email protected]. All suggestions will be taken to our committee for consideration in future updates to the course.

Once you have completed all ten sections of the online course, proceed to section XI for instructions on how to get your certificate that indicates completion of
the BCIA approved course and to receive APA CEs.

Once you have completed all ten sections of the course, proceed to Section XI under “What’s Next” for instructions on how to get your certificate.