Physiological Monitoring and Biofeedback-Assisted Relaxation Training for Panic Disorder in a Case of Complex Developmental Trauma

Abstract

This article describes the effective use of physiological monitoring and biofeedback-assisted relaxation training as primary interventions for the treatment of panic disorder in a 31-year-old woman with a history of complex developmental trauma. A biopsychosocial perspective of panic disorder grounded in learning theory and informed by trauma practice was used to examine the role of multiple causational factors in the development of panic disorder and to discuss intervention strategies addressing the interconnected nature of the biological and psychosocial realms of the human experience. The client participated in 2 pretreatment (intake interview and formal testing) and 14 outpatient therapy sessions at a biofeedback clinic over a period of 6 months. Treatment-outcome data indicated a marked decrease in acute symptoms as measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–Second Edition (MMPI-2).