What Is Neurofeedback?

Welcome to Reach Neurofeedback, a private practice based in West Los Angeles at 2001 Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica.

Neurofeedback is Brainstate Management Training, or is sometimes referred to as a “Self-Regulation” modality that can help with a wide variety of presenting symptoms. Training with Neurofeedback helps your brain and your Central Nervous System communicate and execute better, dramatically reducing many presenting symptoms and thus improving your quality of life!

Imagine your brain as a high performance race car, and the electrical systems of your brain and how it communicates with your central nervous system are the gears that help to “shift” the states of your brain and body.  When we have a driver that struggles with “shifting” that state due to any number of presenting issues; sleep disorders, headaches and migraines, attention issues, addiction, anxiety related or behavioral/emotional  issues (tantrums, anger management), stress, etc., we tend to find that life becomes more of a struggle, and things become more difficult, escalating the cycle.

Neurofeeback is a safe, non-invasive or medication based modality that helps to alleviate the symptoms that tend to present when our systems are not functioning optimally, blocking us from living full and complete lives.  Sometimes it is difficult to change the patterns our brains have fallen into, and Neurofeedback is a way to “re-train” your brain to perform better. It’s like going to the gym for your brain!

Many people have issues that do not respond well to medications or want to explore alternative solutions for their presenting issues, and research has proven that people with these issues have different brainwaves (EEG) than those without these issues.   Using this information, Neurofeedback helps to teach the brain to get more regulated.

How do we do this? We show the brain a picture of itself (the brain is quite self-absorbed), by placing sensors on the scalp to “show” the brain its activity.  The clinician sees the actual brainwaves, the client sees things in the form of a video game that the software is using to give “feedback” to the brain The brain receives a tone and/or image to let it know it is functioning better.   By showing the brain its ebb and flow, and allowing itself to “train” towards better self-regulation, the brainwave activity begins to shift towards more desirable performance. No electrical current comes from the sensors to the client, it is completely safe and non-invasive.  The frequencies that we work with and the placement of the sensors over specific parts of the brain are based on the presenting symptoms and our assessment of the conditions we are trying to improve.

Is this a “cure”?  When we are speaking of problems of dis-regulation, Neurofeedback takes the approach that there is not a disease to be “cured”, but that better self-regulation has proven to alleviate the issue.  When speaking of more organic brain issues, it is about getting the brain to function better. In either case, the word cure is not applicable.

Because Neurofeedback is a way to retrain the brain, the brain will hold onto these skills. We typically start with 20 sessions, with a minimum of twice weekly, and re-evaluate at that time to see if more sessions are needed. Sessions are between 30 and 45 minutes of actual time on the software, and clients tend to find it very enjoyable. You really won’t “feel” anything as we are working at a subconscious level where the brain is processing this information on its own. It is a passive process, you don’t have to make it work.  More degenerative type conditions like Dementia or Parkinson’s may require ongoing treatments, as would something like the Autism spectrum where there are ongoing issues with the system. Most clients see results surpassing their expectations, since their current states have become so “normalized” they are frequently surprised at how much they improve.

At Reach Neurofeedback, we strive to make Neurofeedback accessible to all, and as such you will find that our rates are offered at a discount compared to other providers.  Please look around our website as there are many helpful videos, links to clinical research, etc.  We offer a free consultation over the phone, and be sure to ask us about our free assessment and 1st session offer that comes with a multisession purchase.

Thank you for considering Reach Neurofeedback as your provider in the West Los Angeles area, we look forward to speaking with you soon!