The Person or Organization Origin

This brief article describes a __ssion with a client utilizing a device known as the Electromyometer (EMG) and biofeedback processes. The author explaios how his procedure encompasses aspects of Dynamic Psychotherapy, which is a therapeutic approach:utilizing ,galvanic skin resistance in psychotherapy, and ENG which has been 'primarily.used on retiromuscular retraining by the detection of infinitesimal neuromuscular potential, and bringing these potentials to the awareness of the patient. (YRJ) _***_ -********* ******* _****** *_* -************-.***-* Documents acquired by VRIC include many informal unpublished .materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort .to.pbtain the hest copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal * _reprOticibility are-often encountered and this affects the quality of the microfiche and hardoopy reproductions ERIC makes available via the. ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is not responSible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions * sUpplied by EDRS are the beSt that can be made from the original. ***4*4*************************************************************** Cont nuous Utilization of Biofeedback in _syc_otherapy U S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION& WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EPUCATION by DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO. THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN Norman L. Story, Ph.D. . AT,NG ,T PONXTS OF VIEW QR OPINIONS sTATED DO NO1 NECESSARILY R ERREV*4 SENT OF FICiAL NAliONAL INSTITUTE OF C=3 EDLICATIoN poeTION OR POLICY Research involving biofeedback processes (especially galvanic skin resistance kjeei and electrodermal potential) has been available for a number of years. More recently biofeedback (utilizing the eiectromyometer) has been effectively used to treat persons with psychosomatic disorders, i.e., migraine headaches, ulcers, gastro-intestinal upsets, high blood pressure, skin disorders, and some phobias. Dr. MArjorie Toomim, a clinical psychologist at the Biofeedback Institute in Los Angeles, California, recently evolved a therapeutic approach utilizing galvanic skin resistance (GSR) in psychotherapy. She terms this process Dynamic Psychotherapy. The writer utilizes aspects of her therapeutic approach but expands it somewhat by incorporating the use of the Electromyometer (utilized as a measure of muscle tension and body rigidity). Though the Electromyometer (EMG) has been primarily used in neuromuscular retraining by the detection of infinitesimal neuromuscular potentials and bringing these potentials to the awareness of the patient. I have found that clients experiencing depression, anxiety and impaired decision making states, frequentlylive in a continuous state of-high muscular tension. Thus, the phrase "being uptight" has some very definite literal meaning. I have further observed that people who are muscularly "uptight" are frequently those who lack contact with their feelings. This is evident by the extremely low reading obtained on the GSR instrument, i.e., two to three micromhos as opposed to the more usual seven to ten micromhos.