This advanced brain training technology, developed in part by, NASA-level engineers works by triggering what’s called the orienting response, which is the brain’s ability to sense change in the environment and take in new information about what is different.  Neurofeedback uses real-time displays of brain activity to teach the brain to self-regulate.  The brain then uses that data to adjust itself, in the same way that you might be inspired to fix an-out-of place lock of hair while looking in the mirror.  As the brain changes, the feedback changes.  Think of neurofeedback as a kind of learning for the brain.  The promise of neurofeedback is to shift our brain waves back to health without the use of drugs.  Clients suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, anger, depression, etc., can simply sit in Mind Gym’s comfortable chair for half-hour sessions and get a “mind fit” tune-up.

It makes sense that neurofeedback is safe when we remember that the process is simply one of learning or training.  When you are doing neurofeedback, the therapist is seeing your brain activity and getting hints when it is headed in the direction of improved functioning.

Neurotherapy is a contemporary mental health option for people suffering from ADHD/ADD, depression, learning disabilities, attachment disorders, addictions, and insomnia to name a few.  Neurotherapy, also called neurofeedback, EEG biofeedback, or brainwave training displays real-time EEG activity through sensors placed on the head.  Once initial information is gathered, neurofeedback can be used to teach the brain to operate more effectively by providing auditory and visual feedback that rewards the brain.  This process creates training for brain wave patterns and improves challenging roadblocks in the counseling process.  Neurofeedback is a suitable option for individuals who do not respond well to medications or who are looking for a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals.

Just as we can train our bodies to perform optimally, so can we train our brains. The way our brains respond to stress, extreme emotions, flawed thought patterns, and general brain functioning can all be improved by neurofeedback. By rewarding correct thought patterns, we can train our brains and ourselves to come back to a state of optimal functioning. We do this by monitoring brainwaves.

Brainwaves are what we track to determine if brain functioning is optimal or not. Comparing a client’s brain functioning to normal brain functioning, we are able to see exactly where the incorrect functioning occurs. When incorrect functioning occurs in a session, the client intentionally corrects of that pattern of thinking to receive the reward. Learning to perform this re-training is what makes neurofeedback so effective and powerful.

In our meetings, brainwaves are mapped using small sensors to detect brain activity. When normal brain activity is detected then a movie or a game will be visible on a computer screen. When the brain activity shifts to the undesired behavior, the game/movie fades out. This allows the client to correct their thinking patterns and by doing so, retrain their brain to perform a more appropriate behavior or thought pattern, and the movie/game resumes.

Neurofeedback does not specifically target any disorder. Instead Neurofeedback changes timing and activation patterns in the brain. The goal is to slowly guide your brain back into normal, healthy ranges and reconnect neural pathways that have been disconnected. The result is an improvement in brain regulation, which in turn impacts a variety of symptoms.

We have watches that count each step we take, phone applications that tally each calorie swallowed and burned, “smartshirts” that measure our heart rate and respiration.  We are living in an era of personal data tracking — yet many experts say we’re missing a huge opportunity to use our body’s data to change our physiological activity for the better.

Researchers are beginning to develop new forms of neurofeedback, which could help people learn to alter patterns of brain activity associated with any number of maladaptive cognitions and behaviors.  Early studies indicate that feedback with real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) could help in treating clinical disorders including depression, schizophrenia, addiction and chronic pain.