Steadying the Nervous System

Steadying the Nervous System: An Introduction to HRV Biofeedback with Breathing in Psychotherapy

In psychotherapy, we frequently encounter clients whose bodies struggle to find steadiness—racing hearts, shallow breaths, agitation, collapse, or rapid shifts between overwhelm and withdrawal. Many long for a sense of internal stability that remains just out of reach. These physiological patterns shape the therapeutic encounter as much as the client’s narrative, yet they often remain outside conscious awareness. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) biofeedback offers an empirically grounded way to help clients recognise these patterns and begin working with them, cultivating regulation from the inside out. Although many clinicians are familiar with the term HRV, the clinical application—and how it can be woven seamlessly into psychotherapy—is less well understood.

In this webinar, Elana Cohen will provide an accessible and clinically relevant introduction to HRV biofeedback and its place within the relational process of psychotherapy. We will explore how slow, diaphragmatic breathing, combined with real-time feedback, can help clients build presence, expand emotional capacity, and strengthen their connection to self and therapist. Through a case example, we will examine how HRV and breath can be integrated sensitively into therapeutic work, supporting mind–body integration, self-regulation, and an emerging sense of agency.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the foundations of Heart Rate Variability biofeedback

• Recognise how HRV and breath can deepen and support the psychotherapy process

• Learn to integrate HRV biofeedback into clinical practice in an attuned and sensitive way

Venue: Live Webinar (Zoom registration required. Please check your booking confirmation email).

Date: Wednesday, 22nd April, 2026

Time: 6.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. (Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra Time)

Cost: Free (Live Webinar Only)

$19 (Live Webinar &/or Access to Recording for 90 days)

CPD Certificate: 1.5 Hours. CPD certificates are issued to attendees who meet one of the following criteria: attend the live webinar with at least 80% attendance, or watch the webinar recording and complete the associated assessment component.

About Elana Cohen: Elana Cohen is a psychologist and psychotherapist in private practice in Sydney. In addition to psychotherapy, Elana has a clinical interest in trauma, the interrelatedness of mind and body, self-regulation, and the use of breathing with Heart Rate Variability (HRV) biofeedback - an evidence-based treatment modality that she integrates into her work with clients when appropriate. She is a faculty member in the Master of Science in Medicine (Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy) program at the University of Sydney and a therapist on the clinical trial - Treatment-Resistant Depression Intervention with Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy (TRIP-D). Elana also leads seminars for the Advanced Training in the Psychotherapies program for RANZCP trainees in New South Wales.

About eiseEducation: eiseEducation is a thought-leading education consultancy that delivers exceptional training to higher education, corporate and community sectors. We work from the insightful understanding of each client’s unique situation to deliver bespoke courses and exceptional results. Find out more at eiseeducation.com

Steadying the Nervous System

Steadying the Nervous System: An Introduction to HRV Biofeedback with Breathing in Psychotherapy

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