Why Neurofeedback Doesn’t Work
While the success rate of neurofeedback is incredibly high, there are sometimes cases where neurofeedback doesn’t create the expected positive impact. Why is that? Through years of experience and collaboration with other experts in the field, I’d like to review some of the most common barriers to success with neurofeedback.
1. Diet. The food we put into our body is what fuels our brain. Choose your fuels carefully. This is a topic I could dig into deeply, but I’ll stick with the basics. Two important factors for a healthy brain are low inflammation and a healthy gut. Inflammation is the arch nemesis of the brain. The foods we choose have the power to create/enhance inflammation or reduce/eliminate inflammation. The gut and the brain also have a very close-knit relationship, they say “healthy gut = healthy brain”. Choose foods that are whole, organic (when possible) and unprocessed. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store as much as possible. To read up on the topic, I recommend looking into Dr. David Perlmutter’s work, specifically his book “Brain Maker”.
We recommend taking a close look at your diet and making some healthy shifts while undergoing neurofeedback therapy. Your brain is making significant and important changes and needs the best fuel possible to get the job done! Feeding your brain Taco Bell and McDonalds is counterproductive. Your brain is working hard, don’t you think it deserves the best?
2. Hidden allergies. Allergies can come in many forms, mold allergies, food allergies, environmental allergies and much more. At the end of the day, allergies create one thing in the body—inflammation. Remember? The enemy of the brain. Many people have unidentified food allergies and sensitivities, which can trigger issues with mood, sleep, behavior, anxiety and mental clarity. Untreated allergies can hinder progress with neurofeedback. Seek counsel from a qualified naturopathic or functional medicine doctor if you suspect you many have undiagnosed allergies. Some local trusted sources are:
3. Underlying health issues. Common health issues that can block progress are thyroid issues, hormonal issues, Lyme disease, Hashimoto’s disease, leaky gut, heavy metals toxicity and other toxic exposures. Getting these concerns diagnosed and treated through traditional medicine can be very difficult. Again, I would encourage you to explore options that focus on treating the underlying cause of these issues instead of the symptoms. In my experience, naturopathic and functional medicine do this quite well. Check out this website for more information and use the search function to find a practitioner near you!
4. Giving up too early. How many people quit the gym before getting into shape? Real change takes time, commitment and patience. We tell all of our clients up-front, expect a minimum of 20 sessions in order to reach your goals. For some clients, 20 sessions is great! They feel amazing and the results they have stand the test of time. For others, depending on the client’s age, severity of presenting symptoms, length of time of symptoms and potential underlying factors (see above), their progress can take significantly longer. There are also nearly always “ups and downs” experienced throughout the neurofeedback journey. Our job as clinicians is to be your coach and cheerleader, celebrating milestones and normalizing bumps in the road as they come up.
5. Not applying skills/tools suggested in therapy. Yes, at the end of the day we’re all therapists here and we have been trained to spot unhealthy patterns and behaviors in your life. We have a lot to offer in terms of teaching coping skills, relaxation skills, stress management, boundary setting, self-care routines and lifestyle habits. Clients who expect neurofeedback to do all the heavy lifting while they make no personal changes to become healthier, are often left disappointed. Neurofeedback works best in clients who take their training and therapy seriously and work just as hard outside the office as they do inside our office.
Written by: Britney Cirullo, MA, LPCC-S, LICDC, BCN