Tidewater Counseling and Neurofeedback Center
222 West Coleman Boulevard
Mt. Pleasant,
SC 29464
(843) 224-3966
Neurofeedback Frequently Asked Questions
What is the history of Neurofeedback?
How many sessions will I need?
What is the history of Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback was discovered In the 1960's by Barry Sterman of UCLS while he was doing research on sleep activity using EEG. He learned that he could teach cats to produce SMR (a brain wave frequency considered useful for early focus and relaxation). He later worked with NASA and while experimenting with toxicology of rocket fuel, he realized that the cats he had originally trained in producing SMR had a higher threshold to seizure activity. The first applications with human populations were then performed with patients who were experiencing uncontrollable seizures. The results were very positive with a 60% reduction in seizure activity in 60% of the population. Dr. Joel Lubar at the University of Tennessee replicated some of the research done by Dr. Sterman and he noticed a significant reduction in physical restlessness and hyperactivity as well in the patients with epilepsy. This was the beginning of research into the application of Neurofeedback training for ADD/ADHD. Over the last 25 years, Sue and Siegfried Othmer and others have pioneered the utilization of Neurofeedback to treat a wide variety of disorders. Cost was prohibitive until recently when the technology, while still expensive, became less costly and clinicians in various fields were able to become trained in use of the equipment.
Val Brown, the developer of NeurOptimal built on the work of others in the field but evolved more towards a non-linear dynamical model and his system today is virtually free of side effects and very effective. His system is the one used by Tidewater Neurofeedback Center.
NeurOptimal was chosen after careful consideration and research.
There are four main types of clients who come for training with NeurOptimal. Some come because they have something the want more or less of. Some come to excel in their chosen path or field (peak performance). Some want to expand their possibilities for personal growth, and there are those who want to see their children function better at home and school.
Regardless of why you come, you get comprehensive training. From the trainer's viewpoint, a person with a headache is not trained differently than an athlete who is close to an event. Every moment NeurOptimal is working exactly "where you are now". It's impossible to duplicate two seconds, let alone two hours or two weeks of training. Every moment is precisely and individually tailored to you by your own brain.
You will be asked to sit in a comfortable chair and look at a computer screen in front of you.
The trainer will use EEG paste to place a tiny sensor on each side of your head, and two ear clips on each ear. This allows the trainer to "read" the delicate electricity of your brain. The paste comes off easily at the end of the session with water.
The trainer will likely record a pre and post baseline and review that with you. While it can be fun to look at measures of how you are at the beginning and end of a session, in the end it is always how you are doing in your life that counts.
During the training you will watch either a DVD or another form of visual stimulus and listen to music or words on the DVD. The images will be briefly interrupted as will the sound . It is the very precise timings of these pauses that give your brain the information it needs to reorganize itself. Sometimes the pauses are so quick you may not consciously notice them You can just relax and let your brain do the work.
Your trainer is there to help you and answer any questions you may have, so please do discuss these with them The most challenging thing can be trying to understand how NeurOptimal works. Even those of us who have worked with it for years still marvel at how miraculous it can be, so don't worry if you don't understand. Luckily, you don't have to- transformation is going to happen it its own way as it will without the conscious effort of any of us.
Training with NeurOptimal is incredible safe and remarkably free of even transient side effects.
This is partly because your brain is doing its' own work of re-organizing itself in response to the information offered to it by NeurOptimal. NeurOptimal does not push your brain in any direction, as some of the other neurofeedback system do, so there are few side effects.
Another reason is that NeurOptimal offers your brain feedback across many frequency 'bandwidths"' each balancing out another, again resulting in very few side effects.
When NeurOptimal clients have felt something unwanted in a session, it is almost always something that is part of what brought them in for training in the first place. Examples might include not sleeping quite as well after the first session, feeling more irritable afterwards or feeling a bit anxious during the session. Sometimes clients may feel NeurOptimal "bumping into" aches and pains in their body. While unusual, these effects are usually transitory and quickly drop away as the brain becomes more flexible and resilient in our daily life. Most clients really enjoy and look forward to their sessions. They feel it is their opportunity to relax and be at peace with themselves. Often they feel great after a session.
How many sessions will I need?
How long it will take is a question many clients ask. It is relate to another question- what results can I expect? These are not easy questions to answer because we can never predict what your brain will do with the information NeurOptimal gives it Here are some general guidelines.
We often tell clients that we would expect to see SOMETHING shift within six sessions. Sometimes it is quicker that that. The person may sleep better, feel less anxious, focus better and so on. It may or may not be related to what you wanted to happen, but something is shifting. if you see anything shift- even if not in the direction you wanted, that would be a good sign that NeurOptimal can help you. This is a sign that your central nervous system is responding to the information it is receiving.
Usually clients say that feel clearer, calmer, lighter, brighter, etc. for a few hours after the session. Then they report that it lasted until the next morning, then for a couple of days, If someone is coming in for training once a week, gradually the effects will last through the week. By that time, the new centered way of being becomes the new norm, and only if they get thrown off by something ( major stressors, chemicals, a knock on the head) will they not feel as well. Generally, they do not feel as bad and get out of it much more quickly and easily, sometimes with one session.
So How long does it take? As NeurOptimal has evolved, the time this takes has gotten quicker and quicker. Where we used to say 20 sessions for help with issues that are bothering you in the "here and now" and thirty plus sessions for "deeper Problems" much earlier in life, we are finding that results occur in less time. It is possible that you may be feeling much better in fewer that 10 sessions.
In the end, the more sessions you do, the more your new learning will stay with you. It is much like learning a new language or a physical skill. the more sessions, the stronger the skill. You are in charge of how much you want to do and some clients will stop for a while and come back later to continue on their path of improved well being. Some clients like to continue on a monthly basis- they say they feel better when they do and they want to stay in tip top shape, much like exercising.
Because I believe that this technology is so important, I charge only $60.00 per session. Other trainers may charge up to $150.00 per session. This is the price through Tidewater Neurofeedback and Counseling Center.
Information by Zengar Institute, Inc., Victoria, Canada
