Neurofeedback Training for Therapists in New York

As mental health awareness grows, therapists in New York are increasingly seeking innovative methods to enhance their practice. One such method gaining traction is neurofeedback training, an evidence-based approach that offers therapists a powerful tool to help clients manage various mental health challenges. This article explores what neurofeedback is, how therapists can integrate it into their practice, and the benefits it offers to clients.

Neurofeedback, also known as EEG biofeedback, is a technique that measures brain activity and provides real-time feedback to individuals. By using specialized equipment, therapists can help clients learn to regulate their brain function, leading to improvements in mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, and more.

The process typically involves placing sensors on the scalp to monitor brainwave patterns. Clients receive immediate feedback through visual or auditory signals, which can help them understand how their brain responds to various stimuli and tasks. Over time, this training can help clients achieve better self-regulation and improved emotional well-being.

Therapists play a crucial role in facilitating neurofeedback training. Here are some ways therapists in New York can incorporate this technique into their practice:

1. Training and Certification: Therapists should seek training and certification in neurofeedback to ensure they understand the underlying principles and protocols. The Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) accredits courses that can help therapists gain the necessary knowledge and skills.
   
   
2. Assessment and Personalization: Before beginning neurofeedback sessions, therapists can conduct thorough assessments to identify clients’ specific needs. This may involve understanding their mental health history, current challenges, and goals for therapy. Personalized training protocols can then be designed to address these factors.
   
   
3. Equipment Selection: Investing in reliable neurofeedback equipment is essential. Various devices are available, ranging from clinical-grade systems to portable units. Therapists should choose equipment that best fits their practice and offers the features needed for effective training.

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T7680 EEG-Z3 | Eeg Biofeedback Device

Thought Technology: EEG-Z3 is a pre-amplified electroencephalograph sensor with built in impedance checking and 3 modes of operation: regular EEG mode (2 Hz – 1 kHz), low frequency mode (0.01 Hz – 1 kHz) for evoked potentials and low frequency applications and DC mode (0 Hz – 1 kHz) for slow cortical potentials. Modes can be changed on-the-fly. Also includes DIN input connectors for use with standard EEG electrodes.EEG-Z3 is a pre-amplified electroencephalograph sensor with built in impedance checking and 3 modes of operation: regular EEG mode (2 Hz – 1 kHz), low frequency mode (0.01 Hz – 1 kHz) for evoked potentials and low frequency applications and DC mode (0 Hz – 1 kHz) for slow cortical potentials. Modes can be changed on-the-fly. Also includes DIN input connectors for use with standard EEG electrodes.

Product Price : $595.00

 Address:
109 Croton Ave,
Ossining, NY 10562, USA

Phone no. +1 914-762-4646

More Info : T7680 EEG-Z3 | Eeg Biofeedback Device

Neurofeedback Equipment for Meditation and Hypnosis

Some of the more common uses for neurofeedback equipment are helping people clinically for issues like ADHD, anxiety, insomnia, and depression.  I am going to discuss two other applications that might not be as common.  Meditation has been around for a long time.  Many people practice meditation.  Many others don’t think that they can meditate.  Some have tried unsuccessfully.  There are various types of meditation practices.  One type of meditation is guided, where the meditator follows a series of guided imagery instructions to help to put them into a relaxed state.  Another type of meditation is silent.  The meditator sits quietly, allowing their minds to be quiet as much as possible.  They are not expected to not think at all.  They are just instructed not to intentionally think and to allow any thoughts that do come up to pass.  More time between thoughts seems to be a goal of this type of meditation.

Using neurofeedback equipment, you can monitor the brain waves (Alpha and Theta) that should increase when a person is a meditative state.  While you are actively thinking, your brain produces less Alpha and Theta.  When your brain is in more of a resting state, it produces more Alpha and Theta.   The instrument produces a specific sound which serves as reinforcement feedback that notifies you that your brain is moving into the meditative state.  Hearing that sound more often lets you know that you are staying in that meditative state.  Practicing this type of training over several sessions can help you be able to sense internally when you are shifting into the meditative state.  Eventually you will be able to do it more easily without the equipment.

More Info : Professional Neurofeedback Equipment

U-Control | Best Biofeedback Devices

 

A sophisticated, yet simple to use, battery-operated unit, U-Control enables patients to self-train with prescribed exercises, at home, to re-educate pelvic muscles for better urinary or fecal control.

Two LEDs cue patients to tense or relax either for 5 or 10 seconds. Patients view their progress on an ascending or descending bargraph scale or 15 LEDs and listen for rising or falling variations in a continuous tone.

U-Control has an adjustable threshold setting to enable health professionals and patients to revise and report on their training programs as they progress.

Patients use a comfortable, reusable vaginal or rectal sensor in combination with simple biofeedback exercises to improve bladder and bowel function by:

• holding a steady LED readout or tone.
• intensifying muscle contractions above the threshold level
• repeating a preset number of exercises
• striving for specific LED readings or tones

U-CONTROL $ 420.00

More Info :  U-Control | Best Biofeedback Devices

Professional Peripheral Biofeedback BCIA Program

This innovative seminar is designed to teach clinicians biofeedback fundamentals and cutting-edge applications. This program covers all 42 hours of the BCIA Didactic Biofeedback Education requirement through powerful demonstrations of biofeedback and adjunctive procedures, imaginative hands-on lab exercises with multi-channel computerized equipment, professional multimedia presentations and comprehensive review materials. This program integrates personal hands-on training with equipment with didactic presentation.

Topics in the course include:

• • The foundations of biofeedback
  • Physiological basis and recording of surface electromyography (sEMG), temperature, electrodermal activity (EDA), respiration patterns (strain gauges and pCO2), electroencephalography (EEG), peripheral blood flow (BVP), heart rate and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and economic biofeedback approaches (including incentive inspirometers and scales)
  • How to identifying artifacts and determining appropriate recording
  • How to record and interpret data
  • How to perform a psychophysiological profile and pre and post data comparison
  • The use of adjunctive techniques such as progressive relaxation t raining, autogenic training, imagery, guided breathing, desensitization, mindfulness training, quieting reflex.
  • The role of home biofeedback devices such as EmWave, Unyte and GSR2
  • Overview of clinical and educational applications

  More Info :  Professional Peripheral Biofeedback BCIA Program
  

Is Certification necessary in order to become a practitioner?

 Technically no, at least not so far. In fact over 50% of practitioners are not certified and that includes some of the most successful in the field. Some of these uncertified practitioners could easily qualify for certification and some of them cannot.

Certification is a process, and fulfilling the requirements can take some time. The best strategy is to simply acquire the appropriate professional training such as the courses we offer, and simultaneously work on certification requirements. One does not get certified and then practice. The candidate gets started working with patients and then works down the certification requirements. We want to encourage all those who can qualify to go through the certification process. It can justify the cost and time from a marketing perspective alone.

What does a person need to learn to get started?

Depends on who you talk to. We have been answering this question from practitioners eager to get started since 1971. Biofeedback is already a vast and growing scientific art form. Obviously, one who hopes to master it is learning throughout his career.

• Learning the basic traditional biofeedback or neurofeedback skills.
• Acquire a comprehensive overview of the field.
• Understand what additional training will be needed in order to achieve excellence and how to acquire that training.
• Learn to operate equipment well enough to begin self training and the training of properly screened 'easy' clients.
• Understand ethical and supervision issues.
• Acquire enough training so that the potential practitioner can decide what equipment will serve their needs best.

Since 1971 we have brought professionals inexperienced in biofeedback to proficiency in short, inexpensive, intensive programs. As soon as the BCIA Certification Program was created we developed one of the most successful, time-tested and investment efficient BCIA Certification Training Programs in existence, and we are continuously improving it. We vigorously support the BCIA and urge everyone who can qualify to get certified as soon as it is practical.

 

More info : Neurofeedback & Applied Psychophysiology?

 

Another neuro-immune anomaly?

Following is another case history from one of the biggest rehabilitation hospitals in the US. A female meningenoma patient developed a pea-sized tumor which gradually grew to the size of a grape and then a plum. She underwent brain surgery and began rehabilitation because of neurological problems caused by the surgery. After several years the tumor reappeared and progressed to about the size of a plum again. She underwent another surgery. A number of years later the process repeated itself. The period of the three operations covered about fifteen years.

Sadly, the tumor reappeared for the fourth time and grew again to about the size of a grape and the patient was sent to the neurofeedback therapists at the hospital so that they could do the standard Traumatic Brain Injury protocol with her. They were hoping to improve her social skills and ability to initiate an action. The NFB therapists primarily employed a high frequency (beta) strategy with theta inhibit over the frontal lobes. They also did about three months of beta training over the site of the tumor. When they sent her for her pre op exam the neurologist was amazed to see that the tumor growth had apparently stopped.

This brought great relief because both the neurologist and the surgeon did not believe she would survive another operation; and if she did survive it they were sure she would be severely neurologically impaired. The neurologist said that they would look at her again in a year. Her family was euphoric because they had feared the worst. As of this writing she is stable and her next exam should be in about six months. So far, so good.

The trouble started when her mother began inquiring into what had been done this time that might have caused a better outcome. When she found out that the only thing different was the NFB she speculated that the NFB might be causing changes that had slowed the tumor growth and that continued NFB might even reduce tumor size. Naturally, she petitioned the neurologist and neurosurgeon to continue NFB with the patient. The neurologist asked the NFB therapist to do a literature search to see if anything like this had been reported and when it was clear that it had not he said that the whole idea was too absurd and in any case it was too experimental so he ordered NFB therapy terminated.

The mother was furious but unable to persuade them to change their minds. The neuro surgeon would not even return the therapist’s phone calls. There was so much resistance by the administration (neurologist and neurosurgeon) that the NFB therapists felt their jobs were in jeopardy. In fact, because of this episode and other similar conflicts, the neuropsychologist who set up and ran the entire NFB operation (at considerable profit to the hospital) has left and established a private practice nearby. There was apparently tremendous anger over the idea that the NFB therapists had suggested that NFB might have contributed to the stabilization of (or in any way effected) the tumor growth. To emphasize their point all tumor patients at the hospital are prohibited from NFB regardless of the reason (i.e., relaxation, education, rehabilitation, cognitive dysfunction, stroke, etc.). The mother is trying to find a way to continue NFB. It will be interesting to see what happens to the tumor and the patient from here on out.

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