Neurofeedback and Psychological Services

Information may not be reliable

Neurofeedback is a safe, noninvasive type of biofeedback through which you can learn to modify your brainwaves. Changing your brainwaves can improve the way you think, feel and behave. It has been used to treat ADHD, depression, anxiety, autism, brain injury, post traumatic stress, fibromyalgia and other disorders. People who are functioning very well also use it to help them reach their peak performance. It is appropiate for children and adults. In my opinion, there is no other outpatient treatment that has such a profound effect on such a wide range of problems. But, neurofeedback does not help everyone - and no "one size" fits all. That is why, over the ten years that I have been practicing neurofeedback, I have added a number of different types of treatment. In fact, I now rarely utilize the type of neurofeedback that has been most utilized in the past-i.e. putting one or two electrodes on the scalp and increasing or decreasing the power in parts of the EEG. Instead, I have found the LENS (Low Energy Neurofeedback System), a nontraditional system, to be the most effective for most people. Next to the LENS, I have found "Z-score" training to be most effective. Z-score training is a traditional neurofeedback system but it is a "highly evolved" one. I also find Heart-rate variability, a "nonneuro" biofeedback program, to be very effective with anxiety and related problems. If you or someone you care about is struggling with one of the problems or conditions discussed on this site, you should find out whether or not neurofeedback would be an appropiate treatment choice. Call me at 352 377 0110.

Harvard Professor and Pediatric Neurologist, Frank Duffy, M.D., wrote about Neurofeedback: "In my opinion, if any medication had demonstrated such a wide spectrum of efficacy it would be universally accepted and widely used...It is a field to be taken seriously by all."
(Editorial, Clinical Electroencephalography, January, 2000).

The picture below is typical of a person receiving neurofeedback training. She has one or two sensors on her head, held there by a small amount of paste. The sensors are recording her brainwaves. She is watching a representation of her brainwaves on a computer screen and listening to "reward" sounds. The reward sounds occur whenever her brainwaves are within the desired parameters for a specified time period. The more often her brain is rewarded for producing the pattern the easier it becomes for the brain to produce it. The more often the brain produces the pattern the more stable the pattern becomes and the more stable the associated desired brain state becomes - i.e. improved mood, attention, calmness, etc. This is basically the way the brain learns and changes. This neruofeedback learning process is called "passive volition" because all you have to do is pay attention. The brain does the work.

In their January, 2005 issue, the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America reported, "EEG Biofeedback meets the clinical guidelines for ADHD, Seizure disorders, anxiety, depression and traumatic brain injury."(Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Emerging Brain-Based Interventions for Children and Adolescents, January, 2005, Vol 14, No 1.)

How can I learn more about Neurofeedback? Please see our other pages in this site. You can do this by clicking on the items at the top of this page, especially "Services" and "Research/Information Articles". You will find information here about neurofeedback as it is used to treat specific disorders. Also feel free to call me. I will be pleased to answer any questions you have about neurofeedback generally or with respect to whether it might be appropiate in specific circumstances.

LOW ENERGY NEUROFEEDBACK SYSTEM (LENS) Although I have only used the LENS for a little over two years I am seeing clients make even greater and faster changes with it than with traditional neurofeedback. The LENS is an exciting and relatively new neurofeedback system. Unlike other neurofeedback systems, the LENS uses a very low power electromagnetic field, like the ones that surround digital watches and wires in the wall, to carry feedback to the person receiving it. Like myself, many other neurofeedback providers have found the LENS to often be faster and more effective in bringing about positive changes than other forms of neurofeedback.