What is neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is a non-invasive way to measure, monitor, and change brain waves. It provides the client with real time feedback on how their brain is functioning, allowing the client to make unconscious adjustments based on a positive reward system, or positive conditioning. It works without the use of medications. This is beneficial to many individuals who are sensitive to medications or want to try an alternative. All of this is accomplished while you sit back and allow your brain to do the work!

Who can benefit from Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback training helps relieve the symptoms of many conditions including:

• Seizures
• Addiction Recovery
• Sleep Disorders
• Anxiety and Depression
• PTSD
• Disruptive Behavior Disorders/Bipolar Disorder
• ADHD/ Autism
• Peak Performance
• Migraines
• Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injury

These conditions may lead to changes in brain waves and these changes are connected to other more noticeable symptoms. Doctors and therapists encourage patients to adopt new behaviors or thinking patterns with the intent of making changes to the underlying brain activity. Using neurofeedback therapy to restore optimal brain activity can be a more direct and effective way to improve symptoms and overall well-being.

Neurofeedback addresses the psychological and physical symptoms stemming from adverse life experiences. Neurofeedback is not just for trauma; it is also utilized for performance enhancement.

Why an intensive instead of a normal 50-minute psychotherapy session?

Intensives allow the opportunity to progress through your symptoms in a more succinct and focused way without the interruption of a 50-minute session. An intensive format may decrease overall treatment time because of time not spent on: a) checking in at the beginning of each session, b) addressing current crises and concerns, c) focusing on stabilizing and coping skills that the client won’t need after healing, or d) assisting the client in regaining composure at the end of the session.

If I’m already a weekly client, can I participate in a Neurofeedback intensive?

Yes. Neurofeedback intensives for current clients are available in modified formats and pricing.

If I already have a primary therapist, can I do a Neurofeedback intensive as adjunct therapy?

Yes. Perhaps you’ve a felt sense that something profound has yet to change, but you’re not quite sure how to shift all the way into a new experience of yourself with your current therapist. Maybe you now cognitively understand new things, yet your body is still confused, so you’re curious about how adjunct Neurofeedback intensive therapy can help. We will identify what format is best for you during your initial consultation.

What can I expect to accomplish in a half-day intensive?

A half-day intensive offers a multitude of resources and can help to either increase performance and confidence, or significantly decrease the devastating effects of single event trauma (e.g. negative cognitions, disturbing emotions and body sensations). By focusing on increasing Alpha frequency in the brain, we are quickly strengthening your ability to achieve a sense of peace and calming (the state of calm lives in our Alpha frequency!).

What can I expect to accomplish in a 3-day weekday or weekend intensive?

Participating in a 3-day (weekday or weekend) Neurofeedback intensive may create impactful change more efficiently than just weekly, 50-minute sessions or even one half-day intensive. We will identify what format is best for you during your initial consultation.

Can my insurance help pay for this program?

Yes. Many insurance companies reimburse a significant portion of the cost of psychotherapy.

For intensives and neurofeedback, I am considered a private-pay, out-of-network provider.  While I don’t accept insurance directly, your insurance plan may have out-of-network (OON) benefits, which means that they will reimburse you for a portion of our session cost.  You can use Thrizer to verify your OON benefits and submit superbills. I will provide you with a Superbill for all direct contact therapy services included in the program. Thrizer will manage the reimbursement process end-to-end for you to save you the insurance headache. Once you meet your deductible, you can request an instant reimbursement to skip the insurance wait or receive reimbursements in a few weeks via direct deposit.  You can create an account and get started at www.trizer.com.

I'm not ready for intensive work, so what happens in traditional neurofeedback?

We first start by running a QEEG (quantitative electroencephalogram), which gives us a full look at your entire brain. This is the best starting place for neurofeedback as it allows us to see what is or isn’t happening in your brain and lets us know where we need to focus during therapy.

During the QEEG, a cap with multiple sensors is placed on your head. Gel is used to help the sensors maintain a strong connection when connected to the neurofeedback equipment. Once you’re hooked up, you just sit back and relax while the equipment maps your brain activity.

After the QEEG, your brain map is sent to a team of neurologists for evaluation. Typically, we receive your report within 2-3 weeks and will schedule a follow up appointment with you to go over the QEEG results and coordinate your personalized neurofeedback therapy plan.

At the beginning of your neurofeedback treatment, you’ll come in once or twice a week. Sensors will be  placed on your head, tracking your brain activity and giving you a real time picture of what’s happening in your head. When the sensors perceive the targeted brain activity, the program will show you an image and you will hear the related sound. When the brain isn’t at the desired frequency, the screen gets dimmer and the sound lowers. Your brain will automatically start adjusting its activity to get the picture and sound back. It’s really that easy!

Over time, your brain learns these new patterns and can better maintain the desired frequencies on its own.

Does it hurt?

It’s not supposed to! Some clients might experience a slight headache, mild anxiety, brain fog, or feeling tired afterward, but nothing that lasts. If you feel anything odd during the session, please let the clinician know and we can adjust as needed. We will use this information to adjust sessions moving forward.

Why does traditional neurofeedback cost more than other forms of therapy?

Neurofeedback therapy requires specialized equipment, consultation with neurologists, and specialized training for the therapist.

• High quality equipment and the accompanying software helps your therapist gather the most detailed and accurate picture of your brain activity and allows a personalized, targeted course of treatment.
• Neurologists read and analyze your QEEG, checking for any medical issues to be addressed and extracting the key information to develop a personalized treatment protocol.
• Dr. Kaufman uses this information to identify your optimal treatment plan and prepare a summary with recommendations for you which is covered in-depth with you during the report review. This process can take up to 6 hours, though the client is only present for a small fraction of that time. The behind-the-scenes work is detailed and intensive with the purpose of providing the most beneficial treatment plan for each distinctive individual.