Neurofeedback

Trauma impacts the brain’s ability to regulate effectively. Neurofeedback helps your nervous system to learn to regulate and stabilize physiological symptoms, and strengthen appropriate brain performances. Thereby reducing anxiety and depression symptoms related to trauma exposure.

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We specialize in working with children, teens, and adults who are struggling with symptoms of Anxiety, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Trauma and PTSD.

Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that uses technology to monitor brain activity and provide real-time feedback to help regulate brainwaves and brain functioning.

Neurofeedback for Trauma Recovery

This technique can help individuals with trauma-related symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and flashbacks. Both trauma-informed counseling and neurofeedback are designed to help individuals overcome trauma without re-traumatizing them. Overall, trauma-informed counseling and neurofeedback are effective tools for overcoming trauma and can help individuals reclaim their lives.

Benefits of Neurofeedback

  • Stress and Anxiety Reduction
  • Depression Reduction
  • Trauma Recovery
  • Addiction Recovery
  • Focused Alert Mind
  • Learning Skill
  • Positive Behaviors
  • Mindful Calmness
  • Peak Performance
  • Neurodivergent Functioning
  • Executive Functioning
  • Better Quality Sleep

Contact Us today to find out if Neurofeedback, a non-medication based treatment, is the treatment for you or someone in your family.

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THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS FOR SAN DIEGO NEUROFEEDBACK

  • Addiction (alcohol/drug)
  • Anxiety
  • Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
  • Attention Deficit/Hyperactive (ADHD)
  • Asthma
  • Attachment Disorder
  • Autism/Asperger Spectrum (ASD)
  • Autoimmune Dysfunction
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Bruxism (teeth grinding/TMJ)
  • Chronic Pain
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Conduct Disorders
  • Depression
  • Dyspraxia
  • Eating Disorders
  • Epilepsy / Seizures
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Migraines / Headaches
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Panic Attacks
  • Peak Performance (athletes, executives)
  • Pre-Menstrual Syndrome
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Relaxation
  • Self-Harm / Cutting
  • Sensory Integration/Processing Disorder (SPD)
  • Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
  • Stress
  • Stroke
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ear)
  • Trauma
  • Tourette’s Disorder
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

HOW DOES NEUROFEEDBACK WORK? 

Monitoring devices, or electrodes, provide moment-to-moment information about your physiological and nervous system functioning via brain wave activity (EEG). The brain wave activity is then shown back to the person and his/her brain via visual, auditory, and tactile feedback, translated by the equipment. Your brain waves are shown back to your brain in the form of feedback during a video game or movie. The feedback (sounds, visual changes, tactile changes) rewards the brain for having activity in areas we wish to promote and is not rewarded for having activity in other inappropriate areas we wish to diminish. The brain needs a range of activity to observe slight changes that occur during the brain training so it can learn effectively. We do not input anything into your brain, nor can we read your thoughts. It’s like showing a mirror to the brain so the brain knows what areas and functions need to work better.

WHAT WILL I FEEL?

Most individuals feel calm and focused after each San Diego Neurofeedback session. After approximately ten to twenty sessions, individuals are likely to see and feel changes in the body and brain. In some cases, individuals may not necessarily feel differently as many of the changes are in areas where cognition may not access yet. At this point it is recommended to continue training to solidify the improvements and create long-lasting changes. 

Every brain is different and will activate different areas as necessary. Be sure to tell your neurofeedback specialist of any uncomfortable or unwanted feelings that may occur, such as a headache, irritability, or feeling groggy as these are helpful to understand in your training and can be corrected during your session. You should leave the neurofeedback session feeling comfortable, calm, and focused, as well as experience a great night’s sleep that evening. 

HOW IS SDTC DIFFERENT?

San Diego Therapy Center (SDTC) is unique due to our team approach to your care and our weekly clinical review process. Each week our PhD and PsyD San Diego Neurofeedback specialists meet with our Master’s level associate therapists/technicians to review and discuss each individual’s case. Thus, each client has the combined knowledge of several clinicians reviewing their progress, treatment, symptoms, and suggesting changes, as well as making important referrals to clients for external assessment, support, and resources to improve the client’s success. As a team, every clinician is aware and up to date of every individual’s treatment, protocol and changes. This also means that you and your family are able to schedule an appointment any day and time that works with your schedule and receive the same individualized, progressive treatment.

IT CAN BE NERVE-WRACKING TO TRY SOMETHING NEW, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HEALTH.

NEUROFEEDBACK IS SAFE, NON-INVASIVE, FREE OF SIDE EFFECTS, AND AN ALTERNATIVE TO DRUGS AND MEDICATIONS. HERE IS A CLIENT’S PERSPECTIVE AND EXPERIENCE WITH NEUROFEEDBACK AND THE REWARDS IT CAN BRING. 

VIDEO FROM: WWW.ABOUTNEUROFEEDBACK.COM

Frequently Asked Questions About San Diego Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback will train your brain whether you are on or off medications or supplements. Please do not change or stop your medications without speaking to your physician. There are times where your dosage may be decreased or stopped due to better regulation from the neurofeedback, but again please speak to your physician or psychiatrist before making any changes. 

Cure is a strong word and requires that there be a disease to fix. The Neurofeedback perspective illustrates that there is not a disease, but a dysregulation. Neurofeedback can teach the brain to regulate itself in this case, which may relieve your symptoms. Neurofeedback cannot change organic brain disorders, but may help the brain to function better.. 

Insurance coverage varies with each plan, although the majority of insurance plans in San Diego County do not cover biofeedback or neurofeedback services, based on our experiences and the major insurance carrier medical policies. The biofeedback CPT Service code, 90901, is used when billing these neurofeedback services. We can provide Superbills and receipts with all the necessary information if you would like to request reimbursement from your insurance carrier and advocate for reimbursement of your or your family’s treatment. Payment is due at the time of service.

Every brain is unique and may require more or less sessions than the average.  This is dependent on various aspects, such as specific symptoms, brain functioning and learning, and severity of symptoms. However, research has shown that the average number of sessions is 20 for obvious changes. Follow up sessions are 45 minutes long and include 30 minutes of brain training. At that time, your brain can be reassessed for change and your clinician will determine if the average 20-40 sessions are best for your specific situations in order to have long-lasting changes.  For best results, brain training would take place at least twice a week.

Since Neurofeedback is training the brain, there may be times where the brain becomes uncomfortable with how the training is occurring. Common negative effects include feeling sleepy, irritable, muscle twitches, and a dull pressure in the head. These are mild and can usually be changed within a few minutes during the same session. At times your sleep pattern can change and this can be modified at the next session as well.  Overall, brains typically do very well with neurofeedback with very few negative effects and these do not last. There may be many positive side effects and you may find that you look forward to your training.

At San Diego Therapy Center, we provide both Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback (ILF) and Alpha-Theta Neurofeedback (AT). We use BeeMedic Cygnet and NeuroAmp systems. This system requires experienced clinicians trained in the Othmer method to develop and modify treatment protocols, which allows us to completely individualize treatment for each person and their current situation, symptoms, and brain responses throughout the treatment. A costly brain map is unnecessary for this type of neurofeedback treatment and system. There are no electrical currents or energy sent into your brain as both ILF and AT use electrodes to read and look at your brain waves.