Neurofeedback Therapy in Scottsdale Arizona
A non-invasive therapeutic approach designed to help you regulate and optimize your brain
What is Neurofeedback Therapy?
Neurofeedback therapy, also known as neurotherapy or EEG biofeedback, is a non-invasive therapeutic approach designed to help individuals regulate and optimize their brain function. It involves real-time monitoring of the brain’s electrical activity, known as electroencephalography (EEG), and providing feedback to the individual in the form of audio or visual cues.
The primary goal of neurofeedback therapy is to help individuals self-regulate their brain function, leading to improved cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. It is often used as a treatment for various conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and certain neurological conditions.
The underlying principle is that by providing individuals with feedback about their brainwave activity and encouraging them to make adjustments, they can learn to optimize brain function and alleviate symptoms associated with various mental health, physical and neurological issues.
During a neurofeedback session, sensors are attached to the scalp to measure brainwave activity. The information gathered is then processed by a computer, which translates it into visual or auditory feedback. This feedback is presented to the individual in real time, allowing them to learn how to modify their brainwave patterns.
How Does Neurofeedback Work?
Neurofeedback works by using real-time monitoring of brainwave activity to provide individuals with feedback, allowing them to learn how to self-regulate and optimize their brain function. Here’s a step-by-step overview of how neurofeedback typically works:
- First, we place small sensors on your scalp to measure the electricity your brain produces. It involves checking your brain’s electrical activity using a tool called electroencephalography (EEG).
- Brainwaves, or EEG, are analyzed by the computer software which then presents video and/or sound information to the individual based on the brain’s performance.
- The individual trains either in an eyes open or an eyes closed condition, depending on results from the person’s brain map. Feedback is provided in the form of the video picture or sound fading in and out.
- Using the video and sound feedback, over multiple sessions, the person learns to control his or her brain states.
- This is very similar to how physical training works to help strengthen the body over multiple exercise sessions!
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Neurofeedback Treatment
Conducted by Dr Petta, a licensed psychologist with over 25 years of experience.
Getting Started, Your First Session
Assessments and tracking of progress are core components of our treatment program. We start by scheduling a diagnostic intake session, which is typically 60-90 minutes in duration. During this initial session, you will meet with our clinical director, Dr. Petta, so she can gain a more comprehensive understanding of how your symptoms are affecting your life, your goals during the program, and other factors that may be contributing to your problems, such as work, school, health and relationships.
After this initial meeting, we will then schedule your brain map (EEG recording) and a review of your map results with treatment recommendations. At the next session, you will begin your program, which will likely involve 1-2 sessions of Neurofeedback training per week, 50-60 minutes each session.
After each session, we will review with you your training and symptom progress. At the end of the program, a brain map and assessments will be repeated so that we can measure progress and determine when training is complete.
Understanding Your Brainwaves
In the beginning, we record your brainwave activity to figure out how your brain uniquely behaves. Different brain waves are associated with different states. Brain waves are measured in Hertz (Hz, cycles per second), and can change across a wide range of variables.
When slower brain waves are dominant, you may feel sluggish, inattentive and scattered, depressed or develop insomnia. When higher frequencies are dominant, you may experience hyper-alertness, anxiety, nightmares, hyper-vigilance and/or impulsive behavior.
Neurofeedback training is based on the principle of operant conditioning, which involves rewarding an individual for inhibiting certain brain waves and increasing others, depending on their levels of cortical arousal. An audio or visual stimulus is used for reinforcement during the neurofeedback session.
Certain frequencies of brain waves are inhibitory, while others are excitatory. This means that the stimulation of certain band frequencies may be responsible for characteristics associated with over-arousal (e.g. fidgeting, hyperactivity and feelings of agitation), while others lead to features of under-arousal (e.g. poor concentration, spaciness, and day-dreaming).
By analyzing and training your brain waves, we are able to help most individuals reduce and possibly eliminate the majority of the symptoms that are caused by a brain that is not operating at peak efficiency.
What Happens During a Session?
During your first neurofeedback session each week, we will ask you to fill out a symptom tracker log letting us know how you have been feeling and functioning over the previous week. We will also likely be reviewing feedback from any significant individuals you may choose to give us feedback about how you’re doing.
In the case of children, their parents typically provide us with this feedback. We believe symptom tracking and input are important components of helping you/your child progress as quickly as possible in the program.
During the neurofeedback session, we place very small sensors
(about the size of a pencil eraser) on the scalp using a paste material that washes out easily after the session. This allows the computer system to then amplify and display the brain’s activity in real time.
Seeing and Hearing Feedback:
During neurofeedback training, you get to choose the form of feedback you want to watch or listen to. In most cases, this will be a movie or show for eyes open training, or music during an eyes closed session.
Training Your Brain
As you see or hear the feedback, you will notice very subtle changes that are instructing the brain what to do. The feedback you get depends on your brain meeting certain criteria.
It’s a bit like training your brain through rewards for doing well. After a few sessions, you’ll start connecting specific thoughts or activities with the feedback you receive. Gradually, you can adjust your brainwaves, either consciously or without realizing it.
Learning, Making Changes & Taking Control
During neurofeedback training, the brain is learning to make more of certain types of brain waves, and/or less of others. This process is guided by how we program the software based on the results of your brain map. The feedback helps you understand what’s happening in your brain so your brain can learn how to make these changes permanent for improved functioning.
This process is very similar to how we learn any new skill or behavior, through feedback and self-corrected changes until we master the skill. Once the brain learns to make these changes, the learning is usually permanent. In other words, the brain does not forget what it learns, except in cases of traumatic injury to the brain or degenerative conditions.
Over time, the aim is for you to manage your brain’s activity without needing external feedback.
Why We Do It
Neurofeedback is often used to help with specific issues like improving attention in ADHD, easing anxiety or depression, or dealing with sleep problems.
Benefits
- Improved concentration and memory
- •Greater creativity and problem-solving
- •Improved mood (i.e.; reduced anxiety and/or depression)
- •Increased self-confidence
- •Better stress and/or pain management
- •Improved performance, often including an increase in I.Q.
- •Better quality of sleep
- •Reduction and/or elimination of need for medication
Checking Your Progress
We are committed to helping you achieve your goals as quickly as possible. We believe that ongoing progress tracking is a critical part of your program. From the time of your initial brain map and assessment feedback session, until the completion of your program, our staff will walk “side-by-side” with you, ensuring you have the support you need to succeed.
We are dedicated every session to you, reviewing your progress during each training session, as well as checking in with how you’ve been functioning over the previous week. Your input is used to make necessary protocol refinements and recommendations when needed to keep you progressing toward your goals.
You will also notice that we stay with you during your training sessions, not always the case in other clinics where they ho may be working with multiple clients at the same time.
We believe this one-on-one approach is important, since adjustments to the protocol may be required during a training session based on client responses and/or unanticipated external circumstances, such as equipment malfunctioning.
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Difference Between Neurofeedback and Biofeedback
They both provide feedback about what’s happening in your body in real-time.
This feedback helps you learn how to control your body better.
While they share similarities, they differ in the specific aspects of the body they target.
Neurofeedback
Focus
Primarily targets the brain and its electrical activity, measured using electroencephalography (EEG).
Process
Involves monitoring and providing feedback on brainwave patterns to help individuals learn to self-regulate and optimize their brain function.
Applications
Commonly used for conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, and certain neurological disorders.
Biofeedback
Focus
Encompasses a broader range of physiological processes, including but not limited to heart rate, muscle tension, skin conductance, and temperature.
Process
Involves monitoring various bodily functions and providing real-time feedback to help individuals gain awareness and control over these functions.
Applications
Can be used for a wide range of conditions, including stress management, pain control, anxiety, and physical performance improvement.
Neurofeedback Treatments
We have different types of brain training available, each designed to help you with different needs.
Our methods have been studied for over sixty years and have shown to be effective for many different issues.
What Kind of Treatments are Available?
We offer standard neurofeedback training, including one- channel, two-channel and four-channel coherence training protocols. Over sixty years of research have demonstrated that these standard protocols are the evidence-based protocols that are most effective in treating a variety of conditions, as well as helping individuals meet their peak performance goals.
We also offer Alpha-Theta training to help individuals recover from trauma. We offer entrainment technology to assist the brain in reaching a desired frequency range during a neurofeedback session, when the brain is needing added support.
How Many Treatments of Neurofeedback Do You Need?
The number of neurofeedback sessions needed can vary widely depending on the individual, the specific condition being treated, and the treatment goals. Neurofeedback is a gradual process, and improvements often occur over multiple sessions. Here are some general considerations:
Amount and Frequency of Sessions
Neurofeedback sessions are typically scheduled regularly, such as once or twice a week. Each session is approximately 50-60 minutes in duration. The number of sessions required depends on the severity of the condition.
Mild to moderate cases may be completed in 20-40 sessions, whereas more severe cases may require upwards of 60-100 or more sessions.
The total number of sessions can range from a few weeks to several months. Chronic conditions may require a year or more in the program.
A more precise recommendation and treatment plan will be offered after Dr. Petta obtains a thorough clinical history and completes all of her assessments, including the brain map.
Individual Response
The rate of progress varies from person to person. Some individuals may experience noticeable improvements after a few sessions, while others may require more time.
Nature of the Condition
The severity and nature of the condition being treated influence the duration of neurofeedback therapy.
Chronic or complex conditions may require more sessions compared to milder or acute issues.
Consistency and Compliance
Consistency in attending sessions and following the treatment plan is crucial for optimal results.
Individual compliance with any additional recommendations or exercises outside of sessions can impact the overall effectiveness of neurofeedback.
Assessment and Progress Monitoring
Therapists often conduct assessments at the beginning of treatment to establish a baseline and periodically monitor progress.
Adjustments to the neurofeedback protocol may be made based on individual response and evolving treatment goals.
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