AAPB Newsletter
December 2012

A World Without AAPB

The board of directors has just approved next year's budget. Back in October, I gave each board member a list of non renewing members to call. Just like other organizations, we also send out reminders. We will not know where the membership is at until the end of the year. Hopefully the past pattern of a steady decrease in members will not repeat. It is difficult to make a budget when one does not know how much revenue is going to be had because the bulk of the money for the budget comes from membership dues. We just try to make the best guess based on past trends.

Two weeks ago, CitiGroup announced 11,000 layoffs. It's always interesting that even though the banks/businesses often have been telling the public that layoffs are coming when they do it is always a surprise. It seems things just reach a critical mass and the organization is forced to take action which for CitiGroup was massive layoffs.

AAPB has managed to stay afloat for the past three years by a slim margin. AAPB is not going to close tomorrow but just like any organization/business it comes down to money in and money out. 

So, back to the title of this letter. What would a world without AAPB be like? Here are a few of the consequences:

1.     It will not be a factor when the world ends on Dec 21 (according to the Mayan calendar)!

2.     Webinars/continuing education will still be available from different sources but they will have them geared to some marketing strategy, for example, to sell a product, or to educate on a system with proprietary software that only the manufacturer can provide. AAPB is not for profit.

3.     Efforts to support the science of biofeedback at the legislative level would be curtailed. The board sends a representative to Washington to be part of larger organizations that lobby for our profession. There is more information on FERB (Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences) on the website. A brief meeting with a senator/congressman can make a big impact.

4.     I am not sure what would become of the two journals: Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback and Biofeedback, A Clinical Journal. I do know that the impact factor (basically how much value is ascribed to a journal) has continued to rise.

5.     Ron Rosenthal has devoted countless hours as our coding expert and is working with representatives that are in the know as to how to navigate the reimbursement jungle. There would be no one fighting for the codes we use to bill.

6.     There would be no AAPB provider directory that allows prospective clients to locate members in their area.

7.     There would be no annual conference no networking, no continuing education, no vendors to check on the latest equipment. Some may feel you can get this by attending other conferences and you can, sort of. The very thing that causes so much criticism of the annual conference is also a strength. There is a huge variety of offerings that promotes cross pollination of new ideas. By definition this means a heterogeneity of membership and increases the likelihood that some aspects of the organization will not meet the needs of individual members.

So what can you do? Promote the annual conference with those you connect with daily. If you know someone at a local university in the field of biofeedback let them know about the conference. Let your colleagues know about AAPB. Many of the sections/divisions are idle with no activity for some time. Do you have an hour a month? Spend it resurrecting the section that interests you and get involved! Have a happy holiday!

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Bolek, PhD
AAPB President

All AAPB members are entitled to a discount on registration fees for the Annual Scientific Meeting. Member savings range from $100 on early and late registration fees and $50 on full and half-day workshops.  

Make plans and be sure to join us for this important convergence of "thought leadership" in the field of applied psychophysiology and biofeedback - March 13-16, 2013 in Portland, Oregon. Offering a programmatic balance between foundational knowledge and exciting clinical/educational biofeedback treatment approaches, the theme of this year's Annual Meeting is "Creating Synergy: Integrating Methods and Modalities." You will have the opportunity to hear many stimulating speakers, panels, and symposia, and participate in other diverse breakout sessions that will highlight recent developments in psychophysiology and biofeedback, while reviewing the basics. You will gain the knowledge to achieve synergy in your research endeavors and in your practice.

The AAPB 44th Annual Scientific Meeting Portland, Oregon at the Hilton Portland Executive Towers, March 13-16, 2013.

Expect the AAPB 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting to be fun-filled, packed with information for immediate application, and rich with many opportunities to network, make new friends, and share your knowledge! Click on one of the links below to learn more and to register today! 

Register Now 
Registration Information 
Preliminary Meeting Program
Printable Registration Form
Hotel Information
Travel Information
Sponsorship/Exhibiting Opportunities
Program of Events

Anyone interested in volunteering (students are encouraged to participate) as a proctor for the workshops at the Annual Meeting may do so by contacting mfrost@resourcenter.com or (800) 477-8892. Each proctor attends the workshop free of charge in exchange for collecting attendee tickets and distributing handouts. To be eligible to proctor, you must register for the full meeting. If interested, please contact AAPB with the following information today:

• Please list three workshops, in order of preference, that you would like to proctor
• Preferred daytime contact information.

PLEASE NOTE: Proctors will be assigned courses in the order requests are received. 

Click here for complete information about 2013 workshops. Workshops Include: 

• Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback; Principles and Practice, Part I
• Exhibitor's Showcase for Infiniti Workshop
• Introduction to Biofeedback Instrumentation including Hands-on Experience
• Mindfulness and Acceptance Approach to Biofeedback
• Applications of Neurofeedback & Biofeedback in Professional & Olympic Sports
• Stress Profiling Basics
• Jacobson's Method of Progressive Muscle Relaxation: intensive but not always lengthy
• QEEG Based Assessment & Treatment of ADD & Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• Maximizing on the Potential of Neurofeedback with Autistics in a Home Setting
• Biofeedback and the Varieties of Breathing: How to Integrate the Many and Varied Breathing Methods with Discrete Biofeedback Modalities
• Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback:  How To Do It, Why It Works, and For What
• Exhibitor's Showcase for BrainMaster Workshop
• Biofeedback Unplugged: Re-mapping Body Schema through Somatosensory Exploration, Mindful Movement, and Interoceptive Awareness
• Multi-Modality Assessment & Treatment of Chronic Pain
• Getting the Most from Your Nexus 10 or Nexus 4 Biofeedback System 
• Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology  including EKG's For Biofeedback Practitioners
• I Have Cancer; I Am Afraid That I will Get Cancer. What Can I Do to Optimize Health?

Treating Anxiety Disorders

Consider submitting your next paper to Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback at: http://apbi.edmgr.com. Fair, balanced, and efficient refereeing. Speedy publication of accepted papers via Online First. Wide global distribution to academics, scholars and practitioners, including all AAPB members. Abstracted/indexed in all the leading services, including PsycINFO, PubMed/Medline, and SSCI. For more information, visit the journal homepage: www.springer.com/10484.

Editor-in-Chief Frank Andrasik (e-mail: fndrasik@memphis.edu) will be pleased to answer your general inquiries about the journal and hear your ideas for special topical issues.

Please visit the journal homepage to sign up for free SpringerAlerts. Know when the current issue is published online and what papers are in it weeks before receiving the print version.