Cardiac Behavioral Health Cardiac Behavioral Health is the application of specialized behavioral and therapeutic techniques to the prevention and treatment of heart disease, and to assisting the cardiology patient in developing effective coping skills in the adjustment to his or her diagnosis. The Cardiac counselor seeks to enlist the patient's proactive participation in his or her own cardiac health care by: Promoting behavior changes that benefit health, including adherence to recommended treatment, rehabilitation and follow-up. Helping patients deal with issues related to their illness. Effectively managing biological factors that influence cardiovascular disease. At SCN, we employ biofeedback and Neurofeedback as well as counseling to enable patients to manage biological factors which influence their cardiac status. Sierra Counseling and Neurotherapy brings a blend of contemporary counseling and Neurofeedback to Cardiac Behavioral Health. Our clinicians are experienced in the application of therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to the emotional and life style issues of cardiac disease. We also incorporate Neurofeedback protocols for addressing brain dysregulation (see the neurotherapy section of this website) and peripheral biofeedback to promote a more effective autonomic nervous system response to demand. Application of peripheral biofeedback involves coherent breathing training along with skin conductance training to modify an individual's sympathetic and parasympathetic balance under emotional and/or stressful situations. Our Cardiac Behavioral Health approach also focuses on emotions, family dynamics, work demands, and life circumstances that influence cardiac events. Our staff has substantial experience in helping patients to more effectively address such issues.