Neurofeedback Training Co. Denver provides three training options; rent, schedule a session (now available in both Denver and Boulder, Colorado), or buy a system. If you want to discuss your concerns and determine whether neurofeedback training may be appropriate for you, click here to schedule a 15 minute phone consultation with Denver Neurofeedback Trainer Kate.
What does a typical neurofeedback session look like?
During a NeurOptimal session you will wear ear clips (3) and two small sensors on the sides of your head. These pick up the delicate electrical activity of your brain. You relax and close your eyes and listen to music or watch a movie. NeurOptimal processes your brain signals very rapidly and when it detects them moving into an “instability”, the music or movie pauses very briefly. This is the “feedback”.
Consciously of course, this has no meaning for us — in fact we may not even notice them. But unconsciously our brain understands the mathematics behind the timing of the pauses, which act a bit like a “rumble strip”.
The brain adjusts its activity without any effort from you (you can be completely zoned out if you want), to stay “within” the rumble strip. The brain does this on its own — NeurOptimal® doesn’t tell it to. Imagine you are walking along a path on a cliff side, in the dark.
You’d probably be floundering. But then a flashlight is shone showing the cliff edge. The flashlight doesn’t tell you what to do, but now you can use the extra information you have (the location of the cliff edge) to walk more certainly along your path.
The brain learns from the information it is given until over time and without your conscious awareness or effort, it learns to organize itself more efficiently. And this manifests in your life by blocks dropping away and life just seems easier.
Do I need a brain map or QEEG before starting?
No. NeurOptimal is a non-agnostic neurofeedback device. The expertise is built into the system and therefore no protocol, brain map or qEEG is necessary. The system communicates directly with your brain without an outside “expert’ neurofeedback trainer.
What’s the purpose of the music when training with the NeurOptimal system?
How neurofeedback works is actually not about the particular sound or sight but rather how the orienting response of the brain gets triggered by stopping the music or visual display. We are “bio-hacking” by interrupting the habitual patterns of the brain through the use of the brain’s natural information gathering process, the orienting response.
It’s triggered by interrupting the music which triggers the awareness response of the automatic functioning CNS to come into the present moment.
This serves as an opportunity for the brain to see it’s habitual mal-adaptive choices and then to correct them, hence the resolving of symptoms such as living in a constant fearful and worrying state, which is the body’s fight / flight response, which is only supposed to be used when here’s an immediate threat to the body’s safety.
When the brain sees this habitual choice is inappropriate for the here-and-now it will change course.
So while there is the necessity for sound it’s not the particulars of it, that make the neurofeedback effective; it’s the interruption process at the exact millisecond the brain is about to change states (read by the EEG patterning of the brain) and perform an action that is key for the ‘feedback.’
Home Neurofeedback Sessions
During a neurofeedback session, is it OK if I do other things while training?
Yes! The NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback Trainer does not require you to place your attention on the training screen in order to run a successful session. The feedback comes primarily through interruptions in the music/audio. If you can hear the music, then the training session will be successful. You can read, sleep, meditate, look on a ipad/iphone whatever you feel inclined to do.
If a child is training make the training enjoyable and relaxing and change it up from time to time! Here are some activities that are recommended: draw, play a board game, build legos, read or talk even play a game on an ipad/iphone is ok to do! IT STILL WORKS!! If your child is busy and not enough time during the school-week, do a session while your child is doing his or her homework!
A regular neurofeedback program lasts 33 minutes and the in-office visit takes a total of 50 minutes. However, when renting the equipment for home use, an extended version 44 minutes is also available. It’s the same training, just 10 more minutes of a work-out, or a nap for yourself! (No data has proved the extended version is better so if you are only doing the regular session, that is perfectly fine).
How many sessions do people typically have?
The number of sessions varies depending on why the person is training for. When clients have more stressors (or not having a good sleep or healthy diet regimen) they often need more training. In general most clients train somewhere between 15-30+ sessions.
Some people fall in love with the training and decide they want to own a system, like buying a treadmill for home use. Those people are often interested in optimal health, and want to keep their brains in top performance.
Why do we recommend that a parent also train if they are renting a machine primarily for their child’s concerns?
Your child’s brain/central nervous system (CNS), is learning to assess current needs from gathering information in the here-and-now, rather than using habitual information/neural pathways. Brain problems (associated with high stress levels) are the result of maladaptive brain responses that are based on using habitual information/neural pathways to function not realizing that those responses are not appropriate to the present task. (For example, why should the brain produce an “worrying” and fearful state when their is no threat?) A major shift through training is your child’s brain learns to be in a state called regulation: calm, alert, and open to the here-and-now, and only become active only when their is an event that needs action.
This process of learning is sped up when a primary caregiver’s brain is also learning the same process of being regulated–calm, centered, open. Why? Because just like you see in pack animal behaviors, children’s brains tune themselves to their caregivers’ brains. If the parent is worrying, the child will also be worrying. If the parent becomes calm the child’s brain will also shift, like tuning forks resonating with each other.
Have Questions? Ask Our los angeles Neurofeedback Trainer!
Learn more about brain training and the best neurofeedback options for you. Schedule a 15 min free consultation with Kate.
