Neurofeedback at ThinkWell

ThinkWell Therapy Center provides the gold standard of neurofeedback to Chandler, Phoenix and the East Valley .

Neurofeedback Setup

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is an innovative, drug free, solution that uses the brain’s neuronal activity in the form of EEG brain waves to inform the client about their brain function. Training involves using visual and auditory cues that help the client train their brain through a process called operant conditioning. It uses hundreds of small “rewards” (in the form of a visual cue and/or sound) that let the patient know their brain is regulating towards optimization. Over a series of sessions, the brain can function more efficiently resulting in significant symptom improvement and lasting results. This safe and non-invasive method harnesses the power of your own brain, without the need for medications or surgical procedures.


A Deeper Approach to Brain Regulation

When it comes to enhancing your well-being and maximizing results, not all neurofeedback is created equal. Here at ThinkWell Therapy Center, we pride ourselves on using the gold standard in neurofeedback treatment—19-Channel LORETA Neurofeedback and individualized treatment protocols specific to your individual brain. While some places may offer surface neurofeedback with just 1-4 channels, we understand the significance of reaching deeper into your brain’s intricate regions and activity. Our state-of-the-art 19-channel LORETA Neurofeedback system allows us to do just that. We can reach deeper structures to target those essential areas and full networks that other methods are not capable, providing a comprehensive and individualized treatment specific to your brain. Let us explain why this sets us apart from the rest.

Why Neurofeedback at ThinkWell Therapy Center?

 

Trained and Certified Experts with Experience

Our clinical director has 17 years of neurofeedback experience, trained in multiple neurofeedback and neuromodulation modalities, is a BCIA mentor, Licensed Mental Health professional, and has published several research articles in the Journal of Neuroregulation and Frontiers in Neuroscience.

Expertise to Analyze Our qEEG/brain Maps 

      We have the knowledge, training, and experience to evaluate brain maps ourselves to develop our own neurofeedback treatment plans. This also allows us to make changes as we go vs. other providers who do not have the knowledge to read qEEG, assess neurofeedback sessions, or make treatment plans adjustments if training goes awry. Effective treatment relays on assessing if your treatment approach is working. Needing to send brain maps out to other professionals limits the knowledge of treatment and ability to adjust and assist a client along their journey.

Neurofeedback BCIA Certified Mentor

Our clinical director is a BCIA Mentor and has trained several practitioners and clinics across the country. His in-house expertise guides a staff of BCIA trained providers vs. other providers that lack extensive training or basic certifications to train brains. Our caring certified staff help guide, assist and adjust throughout the neurofeedback journey.

BCIA certified providers

Our providers are BCIA certified or BCIA trained and working on certification with multiple years of experience vs. other techs and provider who may not have the necessary training, experience, or guidance to fully understand the nuances of training and modulating a brain.

Gold-Standard LORETA Neurofeedback

We use the gold-standard of neurofeedback. LORETA Neurofeedback allows us to train multiple areas at once, track progress, and measure outcomes, which most less systems are not capable of.

Tailored, Individualized Protocols

All brains are different. Using LORETA 3-D imaging software for our qEEGs/Brain maps allows us to identify areas of improvement for your individual brain. This allows us to use LORETA unique capabilities to develop a unique and tailored treatment protocol that fits you or your child’s specific brain vs. other systems which provide a one-size-fits-all training. Each brain is different and requires an individualized protocol to maximize results.


Why LORETA Neurofeedback Over Other Types of Neurofeedback?

LORETA is a 3-dimensional software that allows use to view the brain and locate the brain’s dysregulation. Using LORETA neurofeedback allows us to be accurate in our training by training the areas that need to be trained vs. other system that train general areas.

Train Deeper Structures

LORETA Neurofeedback allows for training structures deeper in the brain such as the anterior cingulate and the amygdala directly vs. other system that are only able to train surface activity.

Train More Areas at Once

LORETA Neurofeedback allows us to train 40 brain regions at once. The ability to train 40 areas at once focuses on training the brains physiology. The brain is organized is networks and communication systems. Training 40 areas at once allows us to strengthen an entire network that effects a symptoms (for example, the anxiety network, or the attention network). In contrast, lesser system are only able to train surface areas and are not able to account for how the downstream effects on the rest of the trained areas connected network.

Ability to Monitor Session Data During and After

LORETA neurofeedback uses a full 19 channel cap at each session which allows us to monitor the whole brain each session. We can review whole brain data after each session and assess change as we go vs. lesser system that only collects one channel of data and cannot adjust if there are side effects, if training isn’t working, and cannot asses for change as you go.

What Does the Science say about Neurofeedback?

ADHD is a disorder characterized by the inability to focus and or pay attention. It frequently comes with hyperactivity and other symptoms disruption to the individuals day-to-day functioning. In a qEEG, we are able to assess ADHD, frequently via the theta/beta ratio. Neurofeedback is then able to train the theta beta ratio to regulate the brains activity to focus and regulate when needed. Several meta-analyses have shown neurofeedback to be an affective treatment for ADHD, even when compared to medication.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1121-4

Anxiety and anxiety related disorders can be debilitating from those who suffer from it. Anxiety causes the individual to become more hypervigilant and attentive to otherwise benign people and situations around them leading to worry, distress, sleep loss, and associated physical symptoms. Anxiety is frequently causes intense comfortability and  fear that inhibits individuals from living and experiencing life to the fullest.  A qEEG helps us to identify dysregulations, usually increased beta, in the anxiety network leading to this hypervigilance and distress. LORETA Neurofeedback is able to monitor and train the anxiety network specifically to help regulate anxiety and calm hypervigilance.

https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-37.2.67

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition following life-threatening traumatic events. It is characterized by four symptom clusters, namely, re-experiencing of the traumatic event, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, general changes in mood and cognition, and hyperarousal (DSM-5). With neurofeedback, patients can unconsciously regulate brain activity associated with trauma via real-time monitoring and feedback of the EEG or fMRI signals. This will ultimately reduce hyperarousal for clients.

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6650780/

ASD presents different for each individual and can encompass a wide array of symptoms. A qEEG allows us to identify your or your child’s individual brain patterns and needs. LORETA neurofeedback allows us to target the specific area needs to regulate and improve ASD symptoms. Studies have shown that parental assessments reported improvement in all behavioral categories: socialization, vocalization, anxiety, schoolwork, tantrums, and sleep, compared with minimal changes in the control group and Autistic spectrum children who underwent neurofeedback training showed significant improvements in autism.

10.1300/J184v06n04_05

Sleep difficulties affect about two-thirds of adults in the US. Disruptions in sleep are associated with mood dysregulation, difficulty with executive functioning, anxiety, low energy, dementia, and other symptoms. Day-to-day this leads to not being present with family, poor work performance, and health decline. While sleep can be a complex system, neurofeedback has shown to affect and improve sleep quality, including decreased sleep latency and increased sleep duration.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.10.006

High performance can often be characterized by above average motivation, energy, cognition, drive, and talent among other traits. Many times these positive traits can have negative side effects that can be mitigated. For example, many athletes can struggle from performance anxiety. In the study below, a group of athletes showed a decrease in performance anxiety. Additionally, that same extra drive and energy that ignites high achievers can frequently results in difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and even irritability or aggression. qEEG brain mapping can help identify some of the maladies co-occurring with high performance. Neurofeedback can help regulate the brain’s overactive disruptive activity and allow for talent and positive qualities to shine.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313029420_The_effects_of_Neurofeedback_on_Anxiety_decrease_and_Athletic_performance_Enhancement

Did you know, that in many cases the full extent of TBI symptoms is not experienced until 1-2 years after the incident? Severe traumatic brain injury residual cognitive impairments significantly impact the quality of life. A qEEG/Brain map can help to map out these neurological effects and how the brain trauma has effect ed other areas or “spread” since the Incident. Neurofeedback is a technique successfully used in traumatic brain injury and stroke to rehabilitate cognitive and motor sequelae. Clear benefits of EEG-based neurofeedback were found in divided and sustained attention and several aspects related to visuospatial skills and the processing speed of motor-dependent tasks compared to traditional neuropsychological rehabilitation. EEG-based neurofeedback is an excellent complementary technique to be considered to enhance conventional neuropsychological rehabilitation.
 

 https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin2002047

Seizures can be debilitating  and add another element of fear by being frequently uncontrolled or unpredictable. The basic research literature provides ample data to support neurofeedback as an efficacious in clinical treatment. It is best clinical practice to include systematic mapping of quantitative multi-electrode EEG measures against a normative database to help identify locale of seizure activity. Regulating these areas with neurofeedback can help to reduce seizure activty. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-006-9002-x

Neural models of major depressive disorder and other mood dysregulations identify the contributions of the brains salience network to negative stimuli as a crucial role in mood disorders. qEEG brain/mapping can help identify the salience networks and other contributing brain regions to mood disorders. Neurofeedback has been shown to down-regulate response of SN nodes to negative material compared to a control group. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2016.01.016

qEEg/brain mapping can be particularly helpful in identifying your child’s brain regions affected by developmental delays. LORETA neurofeedback can help regulate these specific areas leading to improvements in your child’s specific developmental delays. Please see our speech difficulties, autism, and auditory processing sections.  Neurofeedback results with developmental delays have showed  clinically significant improvement regarding the accuracy and comprehension reading as well as spelling after NFT.

jmr. 2016;10(4):177-184.

qEEg/brain mapping can be particularly helpful in identifying difficulties related to reading and auditory processing. LORETA neurofeedback can help regulate these specific areas of the phonological loop allowing input information and information integrated through sight and language to improve reading ability and comprehension. Neurofeedback results with developmentally delayed children have showed  clinically significant improvement regarding the accuracy and comprehension reading as well as spelling after NFT.

jmr. 2016;10(4):177-184.

Neurofeedback techniques may be of special interest for adolescents and young adults due to ADHD and rising rates of anxiety and depression. Neurofeedback offers a way to seek regulation for children, adolescents, and young adults who are not interested in medication or traditional talk-therapy.

Addiction is a devastating disease affecting so many more than just the individual. While there are some qEEG markers for various types of addiction, many times there are other co-occurring symptoms associated with addiction. These can include anxiety, depression, executive function difficulties, poor self-regulation, and poor social skills. The advantage of a qEEG brain map we can examine how the brain is functioning after the chemical affects and how treatment can help the individual as a whole and not just the addiction. Neurofeedback can help to stabilize the brain, train self-regulation, and regulate these other comorbid symptoms. In a study of crystal meth addiction, the subjects reported to experience less addiction symptoms than their counterparts who were not engaged in neurofeedback.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-015-9281-1

Migraines can be a debilitating experience for those who suffer from them. In a study of 71 patients with recurrent migraines showed elevated beta in a qEEG brain map.  A study was conducted comparing neurofeedback compared to medication. 54% of the neurofeedback patients experienced complete cessation of migraines, while 39% experienced reduction.  In the control group 28% experienced a reduction while 36% experienced cessation. 
 
 doi:10.1177/155005941104200112

Many individuals with tinnitus have abnormal oscillatory brain activity in their auditory processing regions. qEEG brain mapping can help to assess these regions for abnormal activity. Neurofeedback is able to regulate these areas of the brain assisting in alleviating tinnitus. Specifically, increasing alpha reducing delta frequencies can play an important contribution in regulating tinnitus. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/s0079-6123(07)66046-4
 

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. In quantified EEG (qEEG), the AD patients have a increased amount of delta and theta activity with decreased alpha and beta compared with normal elderly individuals. It has been found that patients with AD who received neurofeedback treatment had stable or improved cognitive performance. F

 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neucli.2016.05.069

Neurofeedback training (NFT) is an effective intervention in regulating electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities leading to improvements in reading disabilities. LORETA neurofeedback can help regulate these specific areas of the phonological loop allowing input information and information integrated through sight and language to improve reading ability and comprehension. Neurofeedback results with developmentally delayed children have showed clinically significant improvement regarding the accuracy and comprehension reading as well as spelling after NFT. Another study has shown significant improvement in reading and phonological awareness skills. 

 https://doi.org/10.1177/1550059412451880

LORETA neurofeedback can help regulate these specific areas of the phonological loop allowing input information and information integrated through sight and language to improve reading ability and comprehension. Neurofeedback results with developmentally delayed children have showed  clinically significant improvement regarding the accuracy and comprehension reading as well as spelling after NFT.

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijdhd-2013-0005/html?lang=de