Exciting news for professionals in applied neurofeedback: the Annual Conference for Applied Neurofeedback (ACAN) 2025 is officially set! Taking place from May 30-31, 2025, in stunning Tenerife, Spain, this event will gather experts and innovators from around the globe. Organized in partnership with NeuroVitalia and BEE Medic, ACAN 2025 offers a unique opportunity to expand your network, gain insights through workshops, and learn from industry leaders. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or new to the field, this conference is not to be missed.

Get your ticket at acan.beemedic.com

If you are involved in research or have exciting findings to share, don't miss the chance to present your work! Submit your abstract by 1 November and help shape the future of neurofeedback.

The 3rd Annual Conference for Applied Neurofeedback (ACAN 2025) will be held on 30 and 31 May 2025 in Tenerife, Spain. This event serves as a premier gathering for practitioners and researchers to exchange knowledge, showcase innovative research, and build meaningful connections within the neurofeedback community.

The conference offers a diverse programme of insightful presentations from internationally renowned experts. Designed for both experienced professionals and those new to neurofeedback, the conference aims to provide a comprehensive overview of modern research and clinical practice.

ACAN will feature esteemed speakers such as Dr. Siegfried Othmer, Sebern Fisher,Roxana Sasu and Meike Wiedemann, among others. These experts will share their latest findings and insights, contributing to a rich learning experience for attendees. Their contributions promise to enrich the learning experience for all attendees, covering a broad spectrum of clinical applications, case studies, and practical methodologies.

Networking in an international setting
Besides learning and expanding your knowledge, ACAN has one major goal: to bring the Neurofeedback community together. The conference provides a unique opportunity to connect with professionals, researchers, and practitioners from around the world. Attendees will be able to share experiences, discuss best practices, and collaborate on future projects, all while forming meaningful relationships in a welcoming and engaging environment. In addition to networking during sessions, attendees can also take advantage of informal opportunities, such as social gatherings and the group excursion to Mount Teide on the second day.
Whether you are looking to deepen your expertise or find potential collaborators, ACAN 2025 is the ideal setting to grow your professional network and be part of an international movement in neurofeedback. 
 

Explore Tenerife
Beyond the conference, attendees can take the opportunity to explore Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands. The island is renowned for its warm climate, volcanic sand beaches, and vibrant nightlife. From the majestic Teide volcano—the highest peak in Spain—to lush forests and picturesque coastal towns, Tenerife offers a diverse and breathtaking landscape to discover.

Registration Details
ACAN 2025 promises to be an enriching experience, offering valuable insights into applied neurofeedback and opportunities to connect with professionals from around the world.
Tickets can be purchased on the ACAN website. To purchase a ticket, please complete the registration form. The bank details will be sent to you via email after the form has been completed. 
 

“Employers should focus on stress and possible strains and pay more attention to the mental health of their workforce and possible offers of help,” says DAK CEO Andreas Storm. The latest health report from DAK-Gesundheit shows an alarming increase in mental illness in the first half of 2024. Days of absence due to depression and adjustment disorders have risen by 14.3 percent across all sectors, highlighting the high pressure to which many employees are exposed. 
In therapeutic professions in particular, this poses an increasing challenge due to the ever-increasing workload. This professional group is often exposed to high emotional and psychological demands themselves, as they not only have to cope with their own stresses, but also those of their patients. This leads to a multiply challenging situation that requires increased attentiveness and support. 

We would also like to draw attention to mental health in the workplace and specifically to that of therapists. In this context, we would like to invite you to our upcoming webinar on the topic of “Mental hewalth of therapists - expert talk on neurofeedback”. Together with our experts Dr. Meike Wiedemann and Dr. Dawn Harris, we would like to talk about mental health and what role neurofeedback can play in this. Neurofeedback can not only help many patients, but also bring relief and ease into everyday therapy through the relaxed therapy situation during neurofeedback.
The webinar is also suitable for people who have little or no previous knowledge of neurofeedback. At the beginning you will receive a brief introduction to how it works and the basics.

All information and registration can be found here.
You can find the German DAK health report here

ACAN 2024 - It's a Wrap

The Annual Conference for Applied Neurofeedback 2024 is in the books. The second edition of the conference was once again a platform for knowledge sharing, learning and networking. On June 7 and 8, neurofeedback users from all over the world gathered in Bucharest, Romania, to learn about the latest scientific findings in the field of neurofeedback.

International experts presented exciting neurofeedback content on a variety of topics such as autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, substance abuse, the latest research projects or the combination with biofeedback or biomarkers. In addition to presentations, ACAN also offered interactive discussion panels and hands-on workshops, such as the very popular Brain Mapping and EEG Recording workshop. Siegfried Othmer, the pioneer of ILF neurofeedback, rounded off the two days with exciting insights into the challenges of early childhood trauma. 

In addition to lectures, workshops and discussions, the conference also offered numerous networking opportunities. Neurofeedback users were able to share their experiences and network with fellow practitioners. This year again showed how important and valuable the exchange between colleagues is. "It is just fantastic to see how the community is growing, how all the people are so enthusiastic about what they are doing," said Meike Wiedemann, speaker at the conference. "I really enjoyed being part of this community, which is driven by a real purpose - everyone shares the passion to improve global mental health care," adds Johannes Spallek, Managing Director of BEE Medic Germany. 

Next year's ACAN will take place in Tenerife and will once again provide a platform for knowledge exchange, innovation and collaboration in the field of neurofeedback. 
Stay tuned! 

All information can be found on the ACAN website.

We are delighted to announce that the Annual Conference for Applied Neurofeedback is back for a second year!

Taking place from 7-8 June in Bucharest, Romania, this networking event promises to be once again a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration and innovation. Leading international experts, such as Siegfried Othmer and Roxana Sasu, will share their knowledge and present and discuss various topics in the field of Neurofeedback. The conference will offer a wide range of presentations, workshops and panel discussions - suitable for everyone, whether you are an expert in the field or someone curious about the potential of Neurofeedback.

Experts, researchers and enthusiasts will come together to explore the latest advances in this rapidly growing field. In addition, the conference offers ample networking opportunities. Attendees will have the chance to connect with like-minded professionals, exchange ideas and foster collaborations.
 

Become a part of the special Neurofeedback community and get your ticket here. Don’t miss out: Early Bird Tickets are available until March 7. More information on speakers and topics will be posted soon - so keep an eye on our website!
 

The festive season is here and with it the perfect opportunity to cosy up with a cup of hot chocolate. Of course, an exciting read is a must!
We would like to brighten up the festive season and are giving away a copy of the bestseller "The Body Keeps The Score" by Bessel van der Kolk. 

We are also giving away the German version of the book. To enter, please click here.

Bessel van der Kolk, renowned psychiatrist and trauma expert, is the founder of the Trauma Centre in Brookline, Massachusetts. He has received several awards and honours for his significant contributions to trauma research and therapy. In "The Body Keeps The Score", van der Kolk opens up a new understanding of the causes and consequences of trauma. In it, he discusses various therapeutic approaches for the treatment of trauma-related disorders. Neurofeedback is one of the techniques he writes about.

This is how you can take part in the giveaway:
Fill out this form to register for our newsletter. You will then receive an e-mail within the next two working days in which you must confirm your registration for the newsletter. Once you have done this, you are already in the lottery pot!
Are you already a customer and already receive our newsletter? No problem, please also follow the steps described above. You will not receive the newsletter twice. 
You can take part until 15 December, 12 a.m. CET.
 
What happens after that?
The winners will then be informed promptly by e-mail about the prize. Please note that we will then also need your address details so that we can send the book to you! Only one entry per person is possible. However, you are very welcome to refer interested colleagues to this competition and thus perhaps also increase the chances that a copy of this book will soon be available in your practice.

Conditions of participation:
The competition is organised by BEE Medic GmbH. Further information can be found in the legal notice.
Participation requires that you have your place of residence, registered office or place of habitual residence in the region(s) listed below: European Union, Switzerland, UK, USA, Canada
Participation is possible from the age of 18
Payment of the prize in cash or in kind, its exchange or transfer to other persons is not possible.
Employees of BEE Medic GmbH and affiliated companies as well as employees of the companies providing the prize are excluded from participation. Furthermore, all persons who are or were involved in the creation or organisation of the competition, as well as their spouses or partners.
If the winners do not respond within 4 weeks of being contacted, we reserve the right to give the prize away to another person.
We would also like to point out that the competition and the prizes are voluntary services on our part, for which the same scope of warranty and liability does not apply as, for example, in the case of a purchase of the raffled prizes independent of the competition. 
The competition can be cancelled at any time and for any reason.
All conditions of participation can be found here.

Vom 10. bis 20. Oktober 2023 setzt sich die Aktionswoche der Seelischen Gesundheit unter dem Motto „Zusammen der Angst das Gewicht nehmen” mit dem Thema Ängste in Krisenzeiten auseinander. Das Aktionsbündnis Seelische Gesundheit verfolgt das Ziel,  auf die unterschiedlichen Strategien zur Bewältigung und auf das vielfältige psychosoziale Hilfsangebot in Deutschland aufmerksam zu machen sowie mentale Erkrankungen zu entstigmatisieren.

Steigender Bedarf an psychologischer Unterstützung

Studien zeigen, dass psychische Erkrankungen, darunter auch Angststörungen, und demzufolge der Bedarf an psychologischer Unterstützung immer mehr ansteigt. Verstärkt wird dies durch Krisen, wie beispielsweise die Corona-Pandemie. So zeigt eine Studie der DAK (1), dass im Jahr 2022 ein Höchststand an Fehltagen aufgrund psychischer Erkrankungen, wie Depressionen, Anpassungs- und Belastungsstörungen, chronische Erschöpfung oder Angststörung, zu verzeichnen ist. Eine weitere Studie der Krankenkasse (2) zeigt einen deutlichen Anstieg von  Angststörungen und Depressionen bei Jugendlichen während bzw. nach der Pandemie. Demzufolge sei die Prävalenz von Angststörungen bei Jugendlichen im Jahr 2021, im Vergleich zum Jahr 2019, um ca. 59% gestiegen. Weiterhin wurden 25% mehr Jugendliche verzeichnet, welcher mit depressiven Episoden versorgt wurden.

Generell brauchten während der Corona-Pandemie mehr Menschen psychologische Hilfe. So stellten beispielsweise 82% der Ärzt:innen bei ihren Patient:innen häufiger Probleme mit Angststörungen fest. Etwa 80% der Ärzt:innen diagnostizieren Depressionen häufiger als vor der Corona-Pandemie. Ebenfalls sind die psychosomatischen Beschwerden angestiegen, wie bspw. Müdigkeit, Erschöpfung oder Schmerzen ohne organische Ursache (3). Parallel zu dieser Entwicklung resultieren auf der Seite der Therapeut:innen lange Wartelisten sowie mentale Belastungen durch den vermehrten Stress für die Therapeut:innen.

Woche der Seelischen Gesundheit bei BEE Medic

Dem Ziel,  auf die unterschiedlichen Strategien zur Bewältigung und auf das vielfältige psychosoziale Hilfsangebot in Deutschland aufmerksam zu machen, schließen wir uns daher gerne an und möchten Neurofeedback als Therapiebaustein für mentale Krankheiten  vorstellen.

Neurofeedback kann ein additiver Therapiebaustein sein, der sich für ein breites Patient:innen-Klientel und eine Vielzahl an Indikationen eignet. Durch die häufig schnellen Behandlungsdurchbrüche motiviert Neurofeedback dabei sowohl die Patient:innen als auch die Therapeut:innen und die Wartelisten können verringert werden. Gleichzeitig bringt Neurofeedback Leichtigkeit in den Therapiealltag und kann auch die psychische Gesundheit der Therapeut:innen selbst fördern.

In unserem Expertentalk mit Dr. rer. nat. Meike Wiedemann am 11. Oktober sprechen wir daher über Neurofeedback und Angststörungen. Dabei werden wir über die Entwicklung und die Rolle von Angst(störungen) in der Therapie sprechen und wie Neurofeedback dabei helfen kann. Unsere Expertin gibt dabei auch spannende Einblicke in Ihren Praxisalltag und Ihre langjährige Erfahrung mit Neurofeedback. 

Das Webinar eignet sich auch für Personen, welche keine Vorkenntnisse über Neurofeedback besitzen. Zu Beginn erhalten Sie eine kurze Einführung zur Funktionsweise und den Grundlagen von Neurofeedback. 

Hier gelangen Sie zu unserem kostenlosen Webinar am 11.10.2023.

A long time was planned, organized and waited - now the Annual Conference for Applied Neurofeedback is already over. This year it took place for the first time from June 16th to 17th. International practitioners, experts and interested people met in Birmingham, UK, to inform themselves about the latest scientific findings in the field of neurofeedback.

The event covered a wide range of topics related to neurofeedback. Renowned experts such as Sebern Fisher and Siegfried Othmer shared their insights, experiences and the latest research findings. A mixture of lectures, case studies, discussions and practical workshops offered all participants two varied and educational days.
 

"We want to create a space for exchange, a platform where people can come together and share ideas," is how Melanie Klemann, a member of the organizing team, described one of the goals of the conference in advance. Looking back, it can be said: the expectations were exceeded. The restriction of social interaction in recent years and the associated desire of the participants for exchange was clearly noticeable. In addition to the presentations, the opportunities provided were used to exchange ideas and network with other participants. 

Overall, the conference served as a platform for knowledge dissemination, innovation and collaboration in the field of Neurofeedback. However, in addition to the scientific aspect, it was also the sense of community and sharing that made this first Annual Conference for Applied Neurofeedbac so successful.

Stay tuned for next year!

This year, the first Annual Conference for Applied Neurofeedback, ACAN for short, will take place in Birmingham. From 16 to 17 June, international experts will give insights into modern Neurofeedback research and the latest scientific findings in lectures and discussion panels, with a focus on the topic of trauma. Practical Neurofeedback workshops will cover innovative technologies such as virtual reality, QEEG, Neurofeedback in peak performance and biofeedback. 

"We are delighted to have some renowned figures such as Sebern Fisher and Siegfried Othmer attending the conference to share their expertise. The conference offers concentrated expertise and the ideal opportunity to gain new impetus and inspiration for practice. I am sure that the conference will offer great added value for all participants," says Alan Beresford, UK Manager of BEE Systems Limited. Participants of the conference can expect insights into daily clinical practice and the integration of innovative technologies such as virtual reality Neurofeedback and biofeedback applications into Neurofeedback practice. Renowned experts will give keynote presentations on how and why Neurofeedback is playing an increasingly relevant role in the field of trauma therapy. In addition, current experiences with Neurofeedback treatments at Long-Covid will be discussed.

Mental health professionals from all over the world attend ACAN. The conference thus also offers a valuable platform for intensive exchange and enables all participants to receive new impulses for improved practice and optimized application of Neurofeedback as well as to expand their network internationally. "With ACAN, we want to create an international platform for application-oriented Neurofeedback," says Johannes Spallek, Managing Director of BEE Medic GmbH, and continues: "Participants can not only get into personal contact with colleagues and be inspired by like-minded people, but also leave the conference with a bundle of knowledge and implementable ideas to achieve even more with Neurofeedback.

More information and details on the conference as well as the opportunity to purchase tickets can be found here.

Along with physical health, mental health is a central factor in assessing quality of life. The relevance of mental health can be illustrated in particular by looking back at the past years. According to a recent longitudinal study from 2023, incidence rates of depression and anxiety disorders were significantly higher during the Covid 19 pandemic than at a comparable time before the pandemic (Bower, 2023). However, the long-term effects of the pandemic on people's mental health have not yet been exhaustively researched.

The theme is also being taken up as part of the European Mental Health Week, which is taking place for the fourth time this year from 22-28 May. As people's mental health is always a universal issue, this year's action week is themed: Mentally Healthy Communities.

Whether young or old, we all need more understanding, knowledge and skills to maintain and improve our mental health. This is why it is crucial to promote community mental health, as mentally healthy communities allow us to live without fear of stigma and discrimination. The aim is to promote understanding and acceptance of mental health in our communities, schools, workplaces and homes, so that every person can feel well and thrive at every stage of life.

Neurofeedback and mental health

And we also want to follow this motto during the European Mental Health Week. Therefore, we would like to talk about Neurofeedback, which can be a building block in the therapy of mental illnesses. Neurofeedback aims to improve the brain's ability to self-regulate and thus, above all, to alleviate symptoms of mental illness. By focusing on symptom improvement, Neurofeedback brings a certain lightness to the therapy, because it usually becomes clear very quickly whether patients respond to Neurofeedback. The first successes are motivating and performance-oriented people usually find a good approach to Neurofeedback because it does not "feel like therapy". The setting is relaxing and the brain does the Neurofeedback "by itself". And also for therapists, Neurofeedback usually means calm work and thus also relief and ease in everyday therapy.

Expert talk for mental health of therapists

That's why we're talking about Neurofeedback and mental health in an exciting webinar on 22 May. with Neurofeedback experts Dr.rer.nat. Meike Wiedemann and Veronika Kreitmayr. In their webinar, the two will present, among other things, that the topic of mental health is an essential factor in our quality of life. mental health is an essential factor in our quality of life, which has come into focus in recent years. has come into focus in recent years. A central focus of the webinar will be the of the webinar will be the discussion of the mental health of therapists, as this is often pushed into the background as a result of stressful working days. The two lecturers will explain what mental health actually means, how Neurofeedback can help many patients and how it can relieve the therapist's daily therapy routine.

The webinar will be held in German language.

You can register for the free webinar on 22 May via this link.   

Quellen:
Bower, M.; Smout, S.; Donohoe-Bales, A.; O'Dean, S.; Teesson, L.; Boyle, J.; Lim, D.; Nguyen, A.; Calear, A.L.; Batterham, P.J.; Gournay, K.; Teesson, M. (2023): Eine versteckte Pandemie? Ein Überblick über die globalen Erkenntnisse zur psychischen Gesundheit in der Zeit von Covid-19. Front Psychiatry. Online veröffentlicht 2023 Mar 8. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1107560.
Mental Health Europe (2023): Europäische Woche der psychischen Gesundheit - Mental Health Europe (mhe-sme.org).