Neurofeedback, which is also called EEG biofeedback, brainwave biofeedback, neurotherapy, or braintraining, is effective with many mind/brain problems, including:
- ADD and ADHD
- Anxiety
- Attachment problems
- Autism and Asperger's syndrome
- Cognitive decline due to aging
- Compulsive behaviors such as trichotillomania (hair-pulling)
- Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders
- Eating disorders
- Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Migraines
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Panic attacks
- PMS
- Postpartum depression
- PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
- Sleep problems
- Stress and stress-related illnesses
Because it trains your brain to regulate itself better, teaching it to get unstuck from inefficient brainwave patterns and to function in more effective and flexible ones.
How does neurofeedback work?
When you come to my office for neurofeedback therapy, I will place tiny sensors on your scalp which can listen in to your brainwaves and show them to us on the computer screen. The sensors only pick up your brainwaves; no electricity goes into your brain. You will be playing computer games using your brainwaves as the input instead of a mouse or joystick.
When your brain begins to make healthier brainwaves (at first accidentally, then through the training process), you will get beeps and special screen effects. Your brain interprets these beeps as rewards and works to make more of the brainwaves that produced them. With repeated sessions, your brain learns to stay in this more functional brainwave pattern and will be able to go there and stay there on its own.
Once your brain learns to regulate itself better, which may take 20 or more sessions, it can usually hold on to those more functional brainwaves, even after you stop coming for neurofeedback training.
What is the neurofeedback process?
- When you are ready to begin, you (or your child) will come to my office for a two-hour assessment session. We'll talk about your history, your goals, and your difficulties, and you'll do a computerized brain-function test (the TOVA). Then I'll place the sensors on your scalp and record your brainwaves. From all this I'll develop the protocols that I think will work best for you.
- Then you'll come for a series of neurofeedback sessions. Since the process involves learning for your brain, you'll see better results in fewer sessions if you come twice a week, at least for the first few weeks.
- I'll ask you to pay careful attention to any changes you experience after each session. The better you are at noticing and reporting changes, the better I can modify your protocols to make them work optimally for you.
- I often suggest complementary home practices, such as breathing calmly, eating and sleeping well, taking supplements, getting good exercise, and getting enough light in winter, to support your neurofeedback training.
- We will do periodic reassessments to help us know when you have met your goals.
For most people and most problems, results are long-lasting, once you have done enough sessions to effectively train your brain. If you get into a stressful time in your life and symptoms come back, you may need a few neurofeedback booster sessions to remind your brain of the new brainwave patterns. For some problems, including chronic and degenerative illnesses, people do best with ongoing neurofeedback.
Through all of this, I offer empathetic listening, counseling, and coaching.
Can children do neurofeedback?
Definitely, even very young ones. I ask parents to sit with young children and help support them through the process.
What about alpha-theta neurofeedback?
After your brain is working more effectively, you might want to try alpha-theta neurofeedback, which can help you access a deep meditative state that can be a vehicle for altered states of consciousness, deep psychological healing, peak performance in sports or art or work, spiritual insight, and enhanced creative and artistic ability. Let me know if you would like to learn more about this wonderful aspect of neurofeedback.
Are there research studies on neurofeedback?
Yes, there are hundreds of studies. You can access some of them through the following sites:
www.eegspectrum.com
www.isnr.org/nfbarch/nbiblio.htm
What popular books on neurofeedback would be useful?
Symphony in the Brain, by Jim Robbins, 2008.
Getting Rid of Ritalin: How Neurofeedback Can Successfully Treat ADD Without Drugs, by Robert Hill, Ph.D., and Ed Castro, M.D., 2002.
ADD: The 20-Hour Solution, by Mark Steinberg, Ph.D., and Siegfried Othmer, Ph.D., 2004.
Other questions?
If you are interested in neurofeedback and have other questions, please call me to set up a free 30-minute consultation. I look forward to speaking with you.
Elizabeth Walker, Ph.D.
Neurofeedback Therapist and Counselor
5134 S. Willow St.
Seattle, Washington
206.725.6926
ecwalker@speakeasy.net
Train your brain, change your life!