Neurofeedback in a Nutshell
Does daily stress and anxiety have you feeling foggy and like you’re not performing at your best? Or maybe you’re feeling more distracted than usual. It’s okay to feel these things, but what’s not okay is that all of this extra stress and tension has created unhealthy neural pathways in your brain, and information isn’t getting to where it needs to go. Thankfully, you’re not stuck there, especially when you turn to your friends at Grey Matters of Carmel.
We specialize in neurofeedback training – a non-invasive, holistic alternative to anti-depressants and other medications used to treat mental illnesses. We work with your brain to help re-establish healthier, happier pathways so that your brain can operate at its absolute best! Here is what neurofeedback is in a nutshell.
It’s All About the Waves
Your brain is made up of trillions of neurons that are constantly sharing information, not only in the same hemisphere of your brain but also across hemispheres. Sometimes, injuries, anxiety, depression, or other mental illnesses can cause disruptions, blockages, and even re-routes of key information. We can see this communication when we measure your brainwaves. These electrical impulses are measured in Hertz (waves per second) and have a wide spectrum of frequencies (speed).
Each brainwave frequency has its own responsibility, whether it’s to carry information about your emotions, physical movement, concentration, or creative expression. When the optimal frequencies of your brainwaves aren’t reached, you could experience hyperactivity or that sluggish, moving-through-mud brain fog. The brainwave frequencies we measure are:
- Delta
- Theta
- Alpha
- Gamma
- Beta
We also collect information on your beta and alpha brainwaves subsets, which gives us even more information about what’s causing your mental health symptoms, including ADD/ADHD, autism, and apraxia.
The Process Broken Down
Initial Brain Map
Your training doesn’t start at your first appointment, but we do collect a lot of information from you during that time. In addition to filling out our New Patient forms, we’ll also perform your free qEEG brain map. This allows us to see exactly the areas of your brain that are causing your problems. The mapping process takes about 15 minutes. We capture images from all over your brain, mapping out how brainwaves are firing and how your two brain hemispheres communicate internally and with one another. You’ll then have your follow-up visit where we will review your brain map together and the training process.
Begin Training
Once you’re ready to start your neurofeedback training, we’ll put you on a treatment plan that includes anywhere between 25-40 sessions. We guide you through every session where we focus on the reward-based system of the brain. Through these exercises, we help the brain develop or discover pathways unreachable by any other means.
Keep Up with Maintenance
We like to compare neurofeedback to riding a bike: when you don’t ride one for a while, it can be a little tricky getting back up in the seat, but your brain quickly remembers. And the more you practice riding your bike, the better you get. The same goes for neurofeedback. Once we’ve completed your sessions, you will feel and operate like a new person, but that doesn’t mean you can set it and forget it. If anything, regular maintenance and follow-ups are critical for long-term permanent change. But don’t worry, Grey Matters keeps up with everything that’s familiar to you and your brain, so it’s easier to get back in the seat every time.
Schedule Your Appointment Today!
Life is stressful enough – don’t let your brain add more to it. Here at Grey Matters of Carmel, we treat each of our patients like family, and your emotional and physical well-being is our top priority. So, if you’re ready to move past the anxiety, depression, and PTSD, then we’re ready to have you in our clinic. Give us a call today at (317) 215-7208.
