Managing Expectations with Neurofeedback Training
Many of our clients come to us seeking to add neurofeedback to their mental health regimen. We tend to get a lot of folks that have tried traditional talk therapy and still feel they are not seeing the difference they were hoping for. Since this is a very different approach to mental health for many people, it is important to manage expectations as you begin this process. Informed by my own extensive neurofeedback training as well as my experience helping many through this process, let me give you a few tips to ensure you are entering into this process in a realistic way.
Neurofeedback requires commitment. This is not a one-and-done kind of service. Change that occurs in the brain has to be reinforced over time. If you are trying to sew a quilt, you can't just run the needle through once or twice, having a thread or two pulled together, and expect to have anything you can curl up under. You have to repeatedly thread that needle many times to build something. Similarly, you can't go to the gym one time and expect to build those muscles the way you want to. You have to start a habit. Then, long lasting change can occur. Taking advantage of neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to change) through neurofeedback requires repeated exposure. We recommend a minimum of weekly sessions for at least 20 sessions to see long lasting change. Some clients want to speed their progress forward more quickly and thus schedule more frequent sessions or choose to take a rental unit home so they can train every day.
More long standing, complex issues require more training. If you have an extensive history of trauma, for example, you likely will benefit from more than 20 sessions. Everyone's brain responds in a unique way to neurofeedback. When you are "done" depends on your goals. I highly recommend taking home a rental unit for those who anticipate needing more sessions, so that you do not need to spend 52 weeks to get in 52 sessions.
Neurofeedback works best when combined with other healthy lifestyle behaviors. If you are not doing anything else healthy for yourself and look to neurofeedback to fix all your problems, expect to see limited results. I see this principle played out consistently in my clients' results. Those who look to their one hour a week in the office to make a difference in the other 167 hours of their week, without changing those 167 hours somehow, often experience limited results. Research has shown that neurofeedback is most effective when used in combination with counseling. This is one of the many reasons we specialize in combining these approaches. Some say that neurofeedback is like tuning the guitar, and counseling is like learning to play the guitar. Neurofeedback is also more effective when combined with other healthy choices such as good nutrition, sleep habits, consistent exercise, and meditation. The application of what you're learning in counseling, healthy coping skills and caring for your body is essential to see the full benefits of what neurofeedback can do for you.
Written by Mary Beth Stevens, LPCC, BCN