The symptoms you are experiencing are the expression of a brain that is unable to self regulate, to find and maintain the proper balance between action and rest, to find its equilibrium. The Othmer Method that I use feeds back to your brain the information it needs to discern between useful and non-useful activity. This is an entirely organic learning process that, over time, shows the brain a better way to function, something it never learned to do properly in the first place or, due to various life circumstances, has forgotten how to do properly. Neuroplasticity, the brains ability to wire and rewire itself, the training I provide allows it to find the best way to wire for best performance and the symptoms you have dissolve as the newer, more efficient way of working becomes clear.
Before neurofeedback training begins, the neurotherapist will ask the client for a thorough description of his or her symptoms, health history and family history in order to determine the best training approach. Training sessions are about 45 minutes long, twice per week. It is not unusual to see improvement within the first three sessions. Neurofeedback is a learning process. Once this learning is consolidated, its benefits are long-lasting and enduring.

Success with neurofeedback is judged on behavioral change reported to me by you as training progresses. It’s not possible to predict ahead of time but there are things that you can do to improve your outcome. Proper diet and lifestyle choices, good sleep hygiene, physical exercise, a supportive community,and a purposeful spiritual life can all help create an environment for best brain function.

Since neurofeedback is a learning program, as the brain figures out how best to operate itself, symptoms are vastly decreased and often eliminated entirely. Training is then complete and the results are considered permanent for most people, but there are clients who may need occasional extra sessions to maintain those results.

The brain is amazingly adaptable or “plastic” and capable of learning. It can learn to improve its own performance, when it is given cues –feedback about what to change. By making information available to the brain about how it is functioning, and asking it to make adjustments, it can do so. When the brain is doing a good job of regulating itself, the person will be calm, alert and attentive. Each session challenges the trainee to maintain this “high-performance” state. Gradually, the brain learns, just like it learns everything else. And as with other learning, the brain tends to retain what it knows.

You come to our office, you sit in a comfortable chair and a neurotherapist attaches tiny sensors to your scalp with a conductive paste. You watch visual content of your choosing while your brain observes pattern changes that it learns to recognize and control. That training in self control is the cornerstone of the Othmer Method.

The content is wide ranging and entirely up to you to pick, the neurofeedback is built into the program. It can be enchanting digital landscapes of waterfalls and forests, rocket ships flying through tunnels, random patterns of light and sound or movies, fictional or documentary. Every client finds something that they enjoy, you will too.

Medications flood the brain with chemicals that have a fast acting and powerful effect on brain function. They can be very useful for acute symptoms but there are drawbacks, the effects only last as long as you take them and there are, of course, side effects. Neurofeedback is a way to teach the brain self management techniques that optimize brain function in a natural, side-effect free way.
With EEG training the client is empowered to take control of all aspects of brain function by training the brains regulatory networks. That is how so many symptoms can be positively affected, mastery over brain state is fundamental for all we do in our lives, from sleeping to working to expanding our consciousness.
The most commonly reported responses are mental clarity, a sense of calm and better sleep. Also observed consistently, is the return of energy during the day, improved sense of humor, motivation to get things done, ease in completing tasks, enhanced memory and recall, ability to read and listen with little or no distraction, and the absence of depression, irritability, impatience, and explosiveness. Individuals with head injuries and/or psychological trauma have reported regaining their ability to function in work and in their personal lives.

The number of sessions depends on the individual, their condition and acuity. Neurofeedback is a learning process for our brainwaves. It takes time for neuronal connections to rewire. Severity of symptoms is a variable, the general physical health of the client is another. Are you eating well? Do you have a positive social and spiritual life? Wellness is an holistic concept and we’ll discuss all of that.

Generally speaking, training takes approximately 20-40 sessions depending upon the person and their goals. Frequency of training is usually two to three times per week and can taper to once a week until training is finished. The key is regularity and frequency, like any other training.

Noticing progress depends on the flexibility of the individual brain as well as the clients ability to self report. Some clients feel immediate results and some can take anywhere from ten to twenty training sessions before any changes are noted. Early changes may be temporary, and due to the cumulative nature of the training, are observed to last longer with each training.
The good news is: Yes! Long term studies indicate the results are permanent which makes sense — the brain has reorganized to work in a more efficient way and needs no reminders to continue. This is the result of the brain regaining healthier neurochemical balance, and developing more neuroplasticity and a natural resistance to returning to a dysfunctional state.

Yes, absolutely. Multi-modal approaches are quite common, many clients are doing psychotherapy, are pursuing rigorous nutritional programs, body work, and many others. Neurofeedback, with its focus on self regulation, is a valuable tool for overall physical and mental health and I welcome coordinating with any other health practitioner my clients have on their wellness team.

If your particular situation calls for it, the team here at Hope Psychiatry is well suited to that multi-modal approach and we can talk about other services that can be integrated into your treatment plan.

Yes, definitely. Not all systems are created equal. When researching neurofeedback practitioners, it’s important to ask what type of neurofeedback someone does, and the name of the system they use. The best practitioners are always updating their systems. Latest research is directly applied to better software and more effective system protocols.

I take great pride in owning and being a certified practitioner of two of the best systems available: Cygnet/Infra-Low Frequency (ILF) with the Othmer Method & Iasis Microcurrent Neurofeedback.