THE TRAINING PROGRAM
Making a commitment to train means time and money that you want to ensure is going to be well spent. Call us to schedule a consultation meeting at (580) 436-7120 or send an email to biofeedback_counseling@yahoo.com. Come and ask any questions you may have about neurofeedback, find out how it might apply in your particular situation and see if our program meets your needs.  Should you decide to go forth with training, we will make an appointment for you to return for an in-depth evaluation.

One needs to exercise some caution when speaking about expectations of success. Each person’s experience with neurofeedback is different and there are as many variations of time spent in training as there are brains. The number of sessions you will need to make lasting change depends upon a number of factors including the severity of your situation, how often you chose to train, other “co-existing” problems and your personal committment to change.

Pre-training evaluation and assessment

We administer a test called the TOVA (Test of Variable Attention), an interactive computerized test to assess how your brain pays attention over time. This also assists us in looking at how your brain functioned before starting the program.

Scheduling Sessions

When it comes to scheduling sessions, consistency is the key. If you want more consistent results, you will have to attend regularly.  During the initial assessment, we will discuss the optimum number of sessions.

Program Length

With consistent attendance, for people with attention difficulties, twenty or more sessions brings good results and effective change if your brain responds to neurofeedback. Where problems are chronic and long-standing, training can be recommended for 40 sessions or more. Again, each program is designed to meet unique circumstances dictated by your brain’s response to training.

By ten sessions you should be able to gauge whether or not the program is working for you and you should expect to see some results in your day to day life.  At every session you have the opportunity to talk about what direction you want training to take and work together with us to shape the program to fit your needs.

Biofeedback and Counseling designs an individual program for each client based on an in-depth interview and testing which can take a couple of appointments to complete. This extensive process helps us get an accurate picture of your individual brain's "style", how you respond under stress and alerts us to any conditions warranting medical or psychiatric consideration which may be important in developing an appropriate, effective program for you.

WHAT IS NEUROFEEDBACK?
Neurofeedback or EEG Biofeedback is an exciting state-of-the-art tool which allows you to see the frequencies produced by different parts of your brain as they are being made so you can learn to change unhealthy patterns which create focus problems, unwanted behaviors and lessen your ability to function under stress. Your brain communicates with the rest of your body through electrical impulses. These impulses can be measured and differ depending upon the area of the brain and its function. If you've been ill, had brain injury, been under extensive anesthesia, or if you have a chemical imbalance, your brain waves can become changed and these changes can become permanently ingrained over time. Neurofeedback's job is to help your brain get "unstuck" and teach it to move back towards healthier "frequencies" and better functioning. These new patterns, once learned by the brain become “second-nature” and are retained. The best part about neurofeedback is that it puts YOU back in the “driver’s seat” and back in control of your own life.

How Does Training Work?

Neurofeedback training involves the combined use of computer and medical technology. Brain wave frequencies are processed through an amplifier and recorded onto a computer by placing sensors on the scalp over specific areas of your brain which are suspected may be causing problems. With the sensors in place, you are seated comfortably in front of a game screen.

As the monitored brain waves are fed back to you in real-time in the form of a video game on one screen, a second screen simultaneously displays your brain's raw EEG signals on a therapist screen. You are then instructed to simply watch the game screen as your brain plays the game. No joystick or mouse is used --- your brain directs all the movement! As the game progresses, the neurofeedback clinician carefully assesses your body's responses, making adjustments to the training goals and level of challenge as needed according to how you say you feel.

YOU direct the training.

When your brain produces wave activity conducive to healthier functioning in the targeted area, certain reinforcing events happen on the game screen, you hear beeps and score points. Most clients report a feeling of relaxation and calm as they progress through the session. After several sessions this feeling begins to transfer to daily life.

Seated with sensors placed on his scalp at strategic points, this young man plays a PacMan game with nothing but his brain waves! At the same time, the screen behind him displays his “raw” brain wave or EEG signals to a second monitor where the neurofeedback therapist sits. He watches the game and when his brainwaves show he is making too many “slow” or sleepy waves (delta or theta) or “fast waves” (high beta) (evidence of muscle tension or trying “too” hard), the PacMan slows and turns black. The neurotherapist sets games goals which his brain tries to meet. When he produces less problem waves and more relaxed, focus waves, the game continues and he scores points. If the game seems too hard, or the boy begins to feel tense, the boy tells the therapist and new goals are set to lead his brain to relax and allow the PacMan to move again.

By gently "leading" your brain towards frequencies which "feel" better to you and by providing opportunities for your brain to practice getting there, your brain learns to regulate or shift to healthier states and symptoms are reduced.

WHY TRAIN?
Mental clarity improves when you operate a calmer, more efficient brain. As you learn to slow down "inner chatter" or activate a "sleepy" brain you become more effective in responding to stress and are able to make psychological as well as physical adjustments from situation to situation more easily. Parenting seems less exhausting, appointments are more easily kept, decision-making improves and mood swings and depression often lift.

Neurofeedback has been shown to be of remarkable value with school-age children experiencing focus and learning problems. When minds are less cluttered, they are more able to concentrate on school work. Their frustration tolerance level increases and they are much less prone to be overwhelmed with sensory overload while doing homework or seated in a noisy classroom. With thoughts more organized, they can focus more clearly on what others say to them and can begin to develop friendships and learn.

People who are in counseling and/or under a doctor's care while training report those treatments become more effective as their brains become more stable. Many with physical illnesses and conditions which become worse when there is stress or anxiety such as chronic pain and headaches respond well to neurofeedback resulting in increased mobility and better quality of life. Consistent training can “jump-start” or enhance the effectiveness of other therapies and offers new hope for people unresponsive to traditional approaches. Because of this, an ever-increasing number of physicians as well as psychotherapists are recommending its use in combination with treatments they offer.

Training versus Medication

The goal of training is better overall functioning, not medication elimination. Neurofeedback does not presume to replace drug therapy when it is medically indicated and Biofeedback and Counseling strongly encourages you to continue your medication as instructed by your physician during training. However, as your brain begins to work more efficiently, so do your medications and for those who cannot take or are only marginally responsive to medication, neurofeedback can offer an alternate route for relief by stimulating or inhibiting brain activity at the same basic neurological level as medication.

With training, eventually, many people find they are able to reduce dosages or even cease taking some prescription drugs but only after careful consultation and planning with the prescribing physician. For this reason it is important clients communicate their neurofeedback experience and strides made in training to their doctor so accommodations can be made as training progresses.

COSTS
Chances are, if you’re looking into neurofeedback, you’ve tried many different approaches to deal with your situation and probably have invested money, time and most of all, had high hopes for successes which never came.

When you are in personal crisis and searching for answers, you want results and a program which makes sense. The truth is, no one program has all the answers. What neurofeedback can offer is the key to bringing the “real” you back into control. Used in combination with counseling and other therapies, it is a powerful investment that can affect the rest of your life. Let us help you create a supportive program that suits your overall needs The section entitled A Success Story illustrates this concept of combining different approaches and how effective this can be.

A combination of approaches with neurofeedback as the key to “kick-start” the brain into action is usually what makes for the best outcome and because of this our rates are broken down into smaller increments to give you time to evaluate our program before making a larger commitment and to give you some financial “breathing room” to incorporate other programs as well at the same time.

Sessions run between $50 - $120 per session depending the services you choose to receive. During the initial evaluation, we will discuss the options available.  Some insurance will cover these sessions; call the office and speak with Dixie for more information.

In the long run, investing in health care is also economical. Out of control lives become even more expensive, especially when children become teenagers and then young adults out of your reach. Believe us when we say, we have personal experience with youth out of control. If you find attention or focus problems as a parent or at work overwhelm you and affect your abilities to perform as well as you know you can, you owe it to yourself and to your family to get help.

Before you make any decisions, come in for a consultation and ask questions, get information and make a truly informed choice.

For detailed information on affordable payment plans available and actual costs, please feel free to contact us directly at (580) 436-7120.