The Brain Keeps the Score. It also shapes our Future.
All physiological self-regulation is ultimately initiated by the brain in anticipation of changing needs. Sensory input and memory capture present and past; our brain has the ability to model potential outcomes for what’s next and prepare the body, including its own cerebral blood flow.
Our Default Mode Network of key neural hubs provides us with the ability to abstract, that is, to reflect on the past and imagine the future, or next event. Activation of this network is in constant flux with our Salience and Task Positive Networks. This serves to update our model of the world around us, and the possibilities for next action.
Flexibility is key to living in the moment, adapting to changing circumstances and shaping the future in the best possible way.
Personalised Brain Training helps us optimise our use of resources and set new trajectories.
Alpha Theta neurofeedback training guides the brain through gentle oscillations between alpha and theta dominant states. The idea is that memories are accessed during theta dominance that can then be safely processed during alpha modulation.
Theta and alpha refer to different frequency bands of prevalent brain activity. When the slower, theta, is dominant, our brain is typically closer to sleep and our cortical activity is lower, in favour of more basic, sub-cortical structures. Alpha is a state of disconnected relaxation, and represents the core organisational frequency of our cortex. Each state activates a different part of the salience network, and reflects a mental transition between awake and pre-sleep, or shifting from extra- to intrapersonal based processing.
A session is usually thirty minutes, or multiples thereof, as the brain takes a few minutes to settle before commencing its alpha – theta modulation. The transitions between alpha and theta dominance are often visible on the EEG monitor, as they appear as ‘cross-overs’ every few minutes. Should a participant transition into actual sleep, delta activity will increase visibly. Sufficient mental calming before starting alpha theta training helps maximise training effects.
Alpha Theta training is done in a quiet room with minimal sensory input. The feedback is auditory, as two different but related soundscapes (e.g. waves vs. waterfall) smoothly transition, indicating to the brain which state is prevalent (alpha or theta). Participants describe the experience as intensely relaxing, sometimes emotional, and compare it to a power nap, feeling mentally and emotionally refreshed.
Neurofeedback Alpha-Theta training can be combined with guided imagery to address and process more complex, specific issues. It can also serve as a complement to cognitive psychotherapeutic approaches. Additionally, alpha-theta training has been shown to improve creativity and musical performance.
In preparation of Alpha Theta training, we recommend Personalised Brain Training based on a qEEG brain map.
Trauma and anxiety cloud our perception and curtail a positive outlook. We discuss the various manifestations of each lower down this page.
Left untreated, a negative feedback loop can ensue: We lose synchrony with our environment, resulting in reduced drive, motivation, activity, interaction, recuperation (sleep) and functionality. What’s more, this traps us in a cycle that makes effective social contact more difficult, and thus deprives us of further options.
Trauma and Anxiety are a result of inefficient sensory processing. The understanding of our environment which we obtain from our senses does not relate to that experienced by others. We become unable to synchronise and share a reality, a core requirement for human interaction. It is a road to isolation, in particular perceived solitude.
Perception and emotional response start in the head, though their manifestations can quickly become physical. Pain perception has clear neural correlates. With a Kaiser Neuromap we can identify dysrhythmia of relevant brain areas, both emotional and physical, and then train these with neurofeedback.
We are restoring the brain’s ability to digest past events, look positively into the future and engage effectively in the present. It is a forward-looking approach that is also holistic – as well as training brain areas responsible for arousal, mood and vigilance, we restore focus, drive and motivation, thus restoring self-confidence in a multi-faceted way.
With a Kaiser Neuromap, we can assess vulnerabilities and treat these with neurofeedback in a non-invasive, enjoyable and medication-free way.
Neurofeedback lets us train dysrythmic brain areas. Rather than engaging the conscious mind, which slows us down, we are training preconscious processes.
With sensors comfortably fitted to the brain areas we want to train, we detect brainwave patterns real-time while watching a movie. When these patterns are inefficient, the volume drops momentarily. This is the feedback we are giving our brain, it is solely auditory or visual, and the sensors are for measurement only.
The brain area we are training recognises this – while our conscious mind is focussed on the movie – and adjusts its behaviour to restore the normal volume. With repetition, throughout a session, learning occurs.
Meanwhile our conscious mind is solely focussed on the film showing on the screen; the training process is passive in this sense and all that is required of the person is to be engaged by the movie of choice.
Sessions can last from fifteen minutes to over two hours when tolerated. We generally achieve substantial calming in session that make previously unthought of film durations now attainable.
Camilla had been diagnosed with anxiety, panic attacks, associated insomnia and mild depression. She was prescribed two anti-depressants – Mirtazapine and and SSRI – which she was able to reduce to a minimum dose over time. During the last three years however, she had six relapses, each following a similar pattern: Stress (emotional and work-related) and fatigue precipitated intrusive thoughts and worries, setting off a familiar path of insomnia; consequently higher anxiety, increased stress levels leading to panic attacks and depressive symptoms. The first few episodes were stabilised by resuming Mirtazapine, which helped restore sleep. The subsequent ones however failed to respond, taking months to stabilise sleep and reduce anxiety, which involved having to take time off work. In addition, she began to have somatisations, beginning in the spine and ultimately reaching her face. Migraines began to reappear when she became excessively tired.
Guided by a brain map, we began doing neurofeedback training twice a week. Camilla’s sleep became sound after the second session – “I feel pleasantly knocked out” – and she decided to reduce her Mirtazapine dose gradually in accordance with her prescribing GP. After eight sessions (four weeks) she was on the lowest dose, and even this left her feeling very groggy in the morning. Camilla had regained confidence in her ability to fall asleep, and stopped using Mirtazapine completely. Her anxiety levels were at their lowest, and she had began to work again, leaving a corporate environment to work with children in a mental health setting – a stressful yet engaging and meaningful activity. Her motivation had reached new levels, and she felt stable and confident, which showed in her stance and demeanour.
Ten sessions of neurofeedback training (each two hours) were sufficient to stabilise Camilla, restore her ability to sleep, and the confidence therein, as well as improving sense of self-worth, focus and motivation. She has not felt the need to use Mirtazapine again since.
Three months later, Camilla reports a major improvement in how she is able to set boundaries, both at work and in her personal life, and not neglecting her own well-being.
An example of a one-week intensive neurofeedback training course in London produced the pictured result. We were able to stabilise brain function by eliminating crucial psychosis and trauma markers.
Cognitively, this manifested in a new sense of calm, groundedness and self-confidence. Sensory overload, auditory sensitivity and thought confusion were substantially reduced.
Note results may vary.
PTSD is essentially when we’re not expanding – when we are restrained in our ability to unfold our personality, ambitions and realise our dreams.
This can be precipitated by specific events, or an aggregation of contributing factors to our inability to self-nurture.
Our ability to find emotional security becomes impaired, and we begin to worry about the future, ruminate about the past. We become subtly detached from the moment and its meaning. This is the beginning of mental health issues.
Alpha Theta training provides a way of gently returning the brain from certain patterns of dissociation and process these with appropriate detachment and rationale. Neurofeedback training then helps the brain to restore functionality and resolve these in a forward-looking manner. We recommend ongoing neurofeedback training with alpha theta training.
The first indication that we are experiencing trauma / PTSD is when we find ourselves not living in the present. Enjoyment of the moment and social interaction is clouded by constant ruminations about the past, and worries about the future. We are unable to ‘let go’, relax, and grasp opportunities as they present themselves in the Now.
We are plagued by intrusive thoughts that bring us back to events in the past, which needn’t even be related to a traumatic event, but which remind us of some inadequacy and amplify our self-doubt. Feelings of shame and guilt come into the picture as well, further eroding our self-confidence. “How can I be happy and enjoy this after what has happened?”. Similarly, our perception of the future is shrouded in worry and fearful anticipation. Uncertainty is our greatest foe, our perception of safety is unhinged by any doubt as to what could happen next.
The absence of a plan becomes a concern, the lack of clarity as to what’s around the corner a burden. Negativity associated with the past deprives us of hope. We are thus unable to see uncharted territories ahead as an opportunity, and much rather dwell on impending threats.
Indeed, our system is primed to protect us, and we are in survival mode. This process becomes self-feeding as we become addicted to the hyper-arousal our sense of fear induces. Our sense of joy and looking forward to fun becomes clouded to the extent we forget and no longer yearn it. Detachment sets in, further isolating us from feelings that previously motivated us. This process can even start slow and subtly, yet the cycle is self-fulfilling and deprives us of the necessary perspective to break and get out.
In Personalised Brain Training, our definition of trauma is wider. We include for example perceived loss of social standing, which can be either the cause or the consequence of a traumatic event or development. The perceived loss of social position results in us feeling judged. We become hypersensitive to how people approach us, talk to us, deal with us.
This is a subjective concept, as it should be, given that trauma should be recognised as an issue of perception by the affected person, rather than a concept being ‘awarded’ by an unrelated party, though external affirmation can help and medical advice should be sought in any event. As humans, social recognition is a critical component of our biological drive to propagate. Attraction relies on this, which ultimately leads to bonding.
Consequently, there are numerous brain areas devoted to, or involved in, the assessment of our position with regard to others. When our self-perception is assailed, or even the viability of our self is questioned, we are naturally shaken. Various brain areas become dysrhythmic. These include areas responsible for our body control and awareness, and many therapies focus on engaging the body and somatosensory system with a view to inducing cerebral changes.
However, this is only a part of the picture – there are many, arguably more powerful neuronal centres in the brain that are affected by trauma, and with a Kaiser Neuromap and Default Network Training (together, Personalised Brain Training), we can assess the issues more accurately, completely and efficiently, as well as then successfully training the brain to overcome trauma and setting ourselves on course for a positive trajectory.
Another consequence of trauma is that we may feel unable to rationally assert a sense of safety. This is different to self-nurture, or an emotional sense of safety. When we are unable to talk ourselves down from a situation we lose the ability to effectively regulate our moods, to switch off when we need to, and ultimately can become excessively paranoid.
There are neural correlates for this behaviour, and we can asses this with a Kaiser Neuromap. Safety and assurance are core needs we are programmed to seek to fulfil. Authority and role models help us in this quest. When we become dysregulated in our ability to self-soothe, we are also compromised in our ability to find paternal guidance. As a result, we tend to over-idolise figures who seemingly exude strength and power, or disobey completely and become unnecessarily rebellious – both immature behaviour patterns. Resetting this balance is crucial to achieving calming, regulated emotions, reduced hypervigilance and controlling impulsiveness. Personalised Brain Training lets us achieve this.
When hypervigilance persists untreated, we face further problems.
Physically, our heart beats faster and harder, more of the time, which is a clear stress on our system.
Mentally, we become prone to developing intrusive thoughts, even when we are able to relax, and more so when we are stressed, where these can take on third-person character, a voice in our head. This can have a destabilising effect, not least because we are now spending energy ‘defeating’ other perspectives we are internally engaged with, and thus distracting us from the ‘now’. Being on hyper-alert can also make us more susceptible to feeling relational to sensory input, in that we feel that everything is directed at us, which can set us up for psychosis.
As we lose our ability to enjoy the moment, our social interactions suffer. Exercising our social brain keeps us alive and forms the basis for sound mental health. Our brains are adaptive, and we need to provide stimulus to maintain connections and sustain flexibility. Isolation deprives us of many necessary exercises. For example, brain areas that deal with face recognition also respond to affective interactions and the ability to discriminate between emotional content of faces. We need to keep training these brain areas through social interaction in order to maintain emotional recognition – it is not a surprise that perpetual mask-wearing heightens our social anxiety (aside from adverse physical effects).
Social recognition, a key component of our biological need to attract and bond, is driven by sensory interpretations. Again, we need to exercise brain areas that contribute to this, including language and speech generation and comprehension, auditory sensitivity, and monitoring rewards for actions, both directly and vicariously. Our mirror neuron system contributes towards learning from others’ mistakes or examples, and consequently the storage of social rules necessary for constructive functioning in a society.
Inclusion is imperative to establishing a healthy self-image or sense of self. This in turn is crucial to forming stable relationships with friends, family and forming healthy alliances necessary for personal and professional progression. When we lose our sense of belonging to a group or cause, we may become unstable in our self-perception and our relationships with others. The effect may snowball into perceptions of abandonment, feelings of emptiness and dissociation; this in turn correlates with mood dysregulation, impulsive and often dangerous behaviours, intrusive thoughts and potential self-harm.
With Personalised Brain Training, we can assess vulnerability to these traits as they manifest in functional brain area dysrhythmia that shows in a Kaiser Neuromap; with Default Network Training, an advanced form of neurofeedback, we can train these brain areas and networks in a holistic manner to help re-establish balance. This enables us to reconnect with our environment and re-enter a positive feedback loop.
Sleep is adversely affected by trauma. First, the mind needs to ‘let go’ in order to enter deeper sleep cycles, which is a challenge for many. Excessive rumination and intrusive thoughts can hinder this, as does the loss of our ability to rationally calm ourselves down. The depth of our sleep is governed by our ability to self-nurture and create an emotional ‘safe space’. Homeostasis during various sleep stages is governed by other parts of our brain, some still involving the cortex. With a Kaiser Neuromap we can detect dysrhythmia in the relevant brain areas and train these accordingly with Default Network Training (together, Personalised Brain Training).
Focus and organisation suffers as a consequence of sleep issues. This time, different brain areas are affected, which we can also train. When we are unable to concentrate and produce our best output, we become demotivated and our mood and sense of self suffer. Again, there are brain areas responsible for these aspects of being, for which we can again detect dysrhythmia and provide neurofeedback training. The process is holistic – many components have to work together effectively for us to function optimally.
Mood regulation suffers when we lose social integration, sleep and focus. Neurofeedback training found to significantly help 80% of people with depression by aiming to restore motivation, improving sleep and focus, and reducing anxiety.
There are numerous potential cortical contributors to depression, and with a brain map we can see vulnerabilities.
Neurofeedback training lets us address these as well as establish a generally improved sense of well-being in a holistic manner. he positive effects of neurofeedback training have been shown to be lasting. Neurofeedback is non-invasive and medication-free.
There are multiple types of anxiety, each correlating with one or more brain areas being dysrhythmic:
The primary issue of trauma affects brain areas that are activated during empathy and forgiveness. With these two qualities impaired, our emotional life suffers, as do our social capacities. With neurofeedback training, we can restore functionality of these brain areas. Another reason this is important is because we do not want to become oppressors ourselves. As we lose our sense of emotional investment in our surroundings, we become careless with regard to others’ feelings and needs.
Implicitly, we are now capable of unintended yet real behaviour patterns that can harm others, as we become deaf to feedback. Not only has trauma affected us, it now makes us perpetrators that pass it on.
Besides reduced social interaction and a less meaningful emotional life that is now more self-centred – and with the wrong type of therapy, becomes self-indulgent and self-perpetuating – we can experience a physical withdrawal from our environment. Dissociation can be momentary and intense, or subtle and ongoing to the extent that we are not even cognisant of it. Either way, our bodies retreat from sensations, analogous to our emotional withdrawal.
Many therapies aim to revive our sense of ownership of our bodies, and thus ultimately our life and future, by training our body awareness in various ways. Realising that our bodies are steered by our mind, specifically our cortex, we can train the relevant brain areas that govern our body perception and movement execution.
Neurofeedback training effectively complements these approaches by directly treating the areas involved in perception and interaction with our surroundings.
One of the first manifestations of trauma is in our bodies. Aside from heightened physiological arousal, a form of paralysis can override our natural motions and postures. Stress, and pain ensue, which can often be felt all around the body. Fibromyalgia is a variant of this phenomenon, as are headaches, chest pains, and chronic fatigue.
There are many techniques for combating this form of physical dissociation. Neurofeedback complements these by training the brain areas that instruct the body to behave in this undesirable way. It is a holistic approach, and we restore overall calming while providing the brain with rational and emotional capacity to overcome its challenges.
Dissociation is another phenomenon that can ensue, and this can be subtle and paroxysmal. Engagement of defensive mechanisms is triggered pre-, or subconsciously. This can compromise our ability to rationally self-soothe – the role of our prefrontal cortex. Instead, our limbic system is primed. We also lose our emotional sense of safety. The integrity of our Default Mode Network is challenged, as is the natural transition between its activation and that of the Task Positive Network. We are less able to regulate engagement with our environment and the neurological basis for our sense of self is under threat.
There are distinct brain areas regulating pain, physical sensations and our self-awareness, and we can train these with neurofeedback. We can also train brain areas with strong connections to sub-cortical structures that regulate our autonomic nervous system, including the amygdala and our reticular activating (or limbic) system. Our brain is ultimately in charge of trauma response, and with neurofeedback we can assess vulnerability to its various submodalities, and address these with training. This is evidence-based and effective.
PTSD inevitably presents with other mental health conditions to some level: Our sleep and sense of emotional security is impaired, potentially leading to focus issues, mood dysregulation, anxiety and a weakened sense of self and being part of a group.
Neurofeedback training has been shown to be effective for many of these comorbidities:
The vernacular description of ADHD has come to include many other issues than its core definition of distractibility and/or hyperactivity. We often find many other comorbidities, such as behaviour problems, impulsive aggression, rage, excessive stubbornness, various anxieties, mood dysregulation, sleep problems, dyslexia and inappropriate social skills.
With a brain map, we can assess vulnerability to a host of other possible issues, and then address these with neurofeedback training in a personalised manner. Furthermore, we have a chance at promoting structural improvements, such as prefrontal brain maturity.
Focus and Productivity have three core components:
– Concentration
– Planning and Organisation
– Motivation
Each of these three components is governed by a different brain area. When one or more of these regions is dysrhythmic, we are vulnerable to focus issues.
A brain map lets us identify vulnerabilities to each of these qualities.
With neurofeedback, we can train the brain.
Researchers conclude that neurofeedback training can be considered “Efficaceous and Specific” (Level 5) for ADD / ADHD.
Neurofeedback training was shown to produce significant improvement in attentiveness and impulse control.
It was shown to produce outcomes equivalent to those obtained with stimulant drugs.
The effects were shown to be long lasting.
There are many manifestations of anxiety, including social anxiety, panic attacks, excess body awareness (body dysmorphia), emotional hypersensitivity, fears and phobias.
Neurofeedback is an established, evidence-based treatment for anxiety.
It was found that neurofeedback training for anxiety and depression “results in enduring improvements approximately 80% of the time”
Confidence and social integration tend to improve accordingly, resulting in a positive feedback loop that helps shape new trajectories.
A brain map will reveal overactivity of brain areas responsible for monitoring consequences of actions (timidity, general fright and reticence); watching out for an abuser (bully); body and face awareness; and excessive self-monitoring. This helps us understand the potential presence of real threats and fear factors. We can also detect possible tendencies to develop unhealthy body awareness. Neurofeedback training lets us address this issues.
When we’re in a situation with other people and our understanding of the social dynamics and complexities is overwhelmed.
Hypervigilance as a result of avoiding a bully or abuser is another form of anxiety. We can detect vulnerability to this with a brain map.
Our brain interprets all sensory stimulus as directed to ourselves. We lose the ability to discern what is directed at us, and which matters or interactions are of no concern to us. This sets us up for panic attacks and ultimately psychosis. It also means we become singular in our perspective, unable to take on other points of view.
An extreme example is when we feel that too much is going on around us and we respond by having to turn the music down, explode at our environment or, potentially worse, retreating into tacit acceptance and self-deprecating thought. We can even feel that people are talking about us, and are convinced that we are the centre of every situation. This is highly stressful, resulting in anxiety and often deep depression. With neurofeedback, we can restore the brain’s ability to self-regulate efficiently.
Our episodic understanding of the situation, how we got there and what happens next, is impaired, and we are unsure of where we are and where we’re going. This hyperactivates our amygdala, and the sensation is highly emotional
We become prone to overly interpreting the emotional content of words and sounds, creating an air of prickliness and pushing people away without knowing it
Our Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS) is responsible for setting the right level of physiological arousal, or wakefulness, for the situation, and to remain stable there. When this is on overdrive, we are pushed further into fight-or-flight mode than necessary, thus heightening sensory sensitivity. Panic attacks are an extreme manifestation. We may also feel trauma-like body sensations.
Self-criticism overshadows motivation and confidence, and we become self-aware and distracted by negative thoughts and feelings. Some use acquired habits to distract from this. Our confidence, motivation and social interaction suffer as a result.
Over-attentive with regard to bodies, shapes and faces, and excessive monitoring of our own in relation to others, our self-confidence and social interactions suffer. There are neural correlates for this which we can train.
Studies have shown that there are neurological differences in people with Body Dysmorphia Disorder. By identifying neuromarkers, we can assess vulnerability using a qEEG brain map (Kaiser Neuromap), and then train the affected brain areas accordingly using neurofeedback.
The condition affects higher order visual processing areas, which relates to the emphasis on face and body recognition and the over-attention to detail.
Also, prefrontal areas pertaining to self-monitoring, risk-taking and empathy are activated differently in BDD.
Sub-cortical structures involved in reward processing see similar activations.
BDD has many comorbidities, including anxieties, social phobia, depression and OCD. Impulsive aggression (violence) and suicidal ideation are also common, as are intrusive thoughts.
From our experience, these issues show up as vulnerabilities on a Kaiser Neuromap, and we can work on them accordingly using Personalised Brain Training.
Sleep is adversely affected by trauma and anxiety. First, the mind needs to ‘let go’ in order to enter deeper sleep cycles, which is a challenge for many. Excessive rumination and intrusive thoughts can hinder this, as does the loss of our ability to rationally calm ourselves down. The depth of our sleep is governed by our ability to self-nurture and create an emotional ‘safe space’. Homeostasis during various sleep stages is governed by other parts of our brain, some still involving the cortex. With a Kaiser Neuromap we can detect dysrhythmia in the relevant brain areas and train these accordingly with Default Network Training (together, Personalised Brain Training).
Focus and organisation suffers as a consequence of sleep issues. This time, different brain areas are affected, which we can also train. When we are unable to concentrate and produce our best output, we become demotivated and our mood and sense of self suffer. Again, there are brain areas responsible for these aspects of being, for which we can again detect dysrhythmia and provide neurofeedback training. The process is holistic – many components have to work together effectively for us to function optimally.
Neurofeedback has also been successful in treating other sleep disorders, such as somnambulism (sleepwalking), obstructive sleep apnea (to the extent the cause is not physical), confusional arousals, sleep terrors, nightmares, nocturnal enuresis (bed-wetting), delated sleep phase disorder, insomnia and restless leg syndrome. Evidence is provided at practitioners’ conferences and has yet to be manifested in published research. The above disorders have EEG correlates, which provides an intuitive basis for understanding that we have a chance at treatment with neurofeedback training.
Different neural hubs are responsible for sleep onset and depth of sleep. We can identify vulnerabilities with a brain map, and train these with neurofeedback to help restore healthy sleep hygiene.
Sleep is usually one of the first things to normalise during neurofeedback training.
We have also seen improvements in other sleep conditions, such as enuresis and sleep apnea.
There are numerous contributors to depressive tendencies from a neural perspective. A brain map lets us identify possible cortical contributors, and we can train important neural hubs that affect our ability to regulate mood.
In this sense, neurofeedback is a next-generation treatment for depression. We seek to avoid reliance on medication, especially from an early age.
The effectiveness of neurofeedback training in treating depression is well-documented. Effects have been shown to be strong and lasting. Working on depression helps us re-establish our sense of safety in the world, and often correlates with our ability to fall asleep.
There are multiple components to Depression:
– mood regulation and stability
– motivation and productivity
– sleep and effective recuperation
With Personalised Brain Training we take a holistic approach: Key neural networks responsible for our sense of self, for focus and productivity, and for mood regulation are addressed during neurofeedback training. The process is non-invasive and medication free, as well as enjoyable as we use movies to embed the feedback.
Bipolar disorder affects one in five people with depression. Again, we can address brain areas responsible for maintaining stability, and help calming, particularly important during manic episodes, thus seeking to avoid psychosis. Also, given that more than two-thirds of bipolar disorder sufferers are misdiagnosed initially, identifying the presence of non-specific neuromarkers can aid (but not replace) the diagnosis process.
Our brain controls our movements.
There are various cortical, and sub-cortical brain areas involved in motor coordination. With neurofeedback, we are training the cortex. Many cortical areas have deep connections to the basal ganglia and cerebellum, and it appears that we are training these deeper structures implicitly.
In our experience, the following issues can resolve with neurofeedback training:
– motor issues, such as dyspraxia and lack of coordination
– stutter and speech production
– facial tics
– uncontrolled, compulsive movements and actions.
Before and after brain maps corroborate these findings; research has so far focused on neuromarkers for these phenomena, and suggest neurotherapy as an adjunct to traditional therapies.
Tourette’s Syndrome can involve many of the above issues, as well as lack of executive control, again an aspect we have seen improve substantially with neurofeedback training.
Neurofeedback calms the mind and we can address brain areas contributing to suicidal ideation and intrusive thoughts.
We look to improve sense of self, reduce anxieties and strengthen inhibition levels while reducing self-directed impulsive aggression.
‘Self-harm’ can take many forms, and beyond physical manifestations (e.g. cutting, suicidal thought or even action) it can be more subtle:
– Accepting less than what we’re worth, overly and unnecessarily acquiescing to the perceived demands of others when not at all in our own self-interest, self-deprecation
– an inability to defend one’s own stance and needs are often overlooked and can be very harmful to a person’s development, especially when repeated and consolidated into a character trait.
With a Kaiser Neuromap we can detect vulnerability to such behaviour, including suicidal tendencies or ideation.
This is not diagnosis and it is non-specific in that dysrhythmia of the brain area(s) responsible for this is a necessary, but not sufficient condition. Nevertheless, it is a worthwhile finding that can help prevent worse outcomes by prompting awareness and intervention.
With neurofeedback training, we have helped self-harming adolescents transition from ‘cutting’ and dissociation to becoming engaged young individuals who are able to stand their ground, maturely deal with setbacks and embrace the sense of being part of a community.
Neurofeedback is a complementary therapy and medical attention should be sought in cases of self-harm.
Neurofeedback for Autism has been shown to be safe, feasible and effective therapy approach to ASD across all ages.
Autism / ASD is a developmental disorder, and symptoms and comorbidities vary substantially across individuals. With a Kaiser Neuromap we can assess individual challenges and address these in a personalised manner with neurofeedback training. Aside from overall calming, which the Othmer method of neurofeedback training can address, Personalised Brain Training (Kaiser Neuromap – based Default Network Training) can train functional connectivity, making it a significantly more effective treatment method in our experience.
In particular, we can identify and train vulnerabilities to behaviour patterns:
– sensory integration: sensitivity to sound and touch, motor coordination, bodily and spatial awareness
– social functioning: social cues, taking turns, collaboration with others, social rules and boundaries
– self-regulation: mood and impulse control, impulsive aggression and rage, fear and anxieties, ability to self-soothe / self-nurture
The result is a calmer, better integrated child, who can maximise their true social and productive potential.
See here for more information on Personalised Brain Training for Autism / Asperger’s / ASD.
Autism is among other a result of functional connectivity issues between brain areas, and brain maps with neurofeedback training seek to address this.
Sensory integration can be improved with neurofeedback training.
Neurofeedback training has been shown to be a safe, feasible, and effective therapy approach to Autism Spectrum Disorder across all ages.
Multiple studies confirm improved cognitive flexibility, improved facial recognition, and better behaviour in every-day life as functional connectivity in the social brain regions improved.
A 9 point improvement in IQ was reported alongside decreased ASD symptoms including attention, anxiety, aprosodias, social functioning, as well as academic and intellectual functioning.
Sensorimotor behaviour (posturography) improved in children.
Psychosis is a state of mind where all sensory stimulus is interpreted as being directed to oneself.
While it is natural for infants and children to interpret the world this way, we grow out of this mode between the ages of 3-5. We can assist this important maturation step with neurofeedback training.
As we mature, we start to learn that not everything that’s happening in the world is directed at ourselves.
Feeling as if everything is directed at us results in anxiety and / or deep depression, and clouds our interactions with others.
It also reduces our ability to take on other perspectives, consider different views and be accommodating of others’ stances. This reduces people’s self-awareness and thus insight into the need for change and improvement, providing another obstacle to betterment.
Shocks, such as trauma, drug use (in particular, cannabis and cocaine) and isolation (such as lockdowns) can cause us to revert into this child-like state, without us noticing.
Psychosis is a state that can occur, and recur, in persons diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Trauma and neurodegenerative conditions. Note however that it is not a necessary condition for any of these.
Schizophrenia comprises a wide range of thought disorders, which ultimately affect an individual’s ability to share a reality with others. Causes can be trauma, emotional or physical; drug use; stress; genetics.
With neurofeedback training we aim to restore a healthy sense of self; flexibilise the social brain; and ameliorate comorbidities such as intrusive thoughts, mood disorders, focus and attention issues, paranoia and anxieties; and psychosis.
Each person is different: with a Kaiser Neuromap we assess individual vulnerabilities and train these with neurofeedback. Personalised Brain Training enables the person to unfold their genius in a socially reciprocal manner.
Neurofeedback is medication-free, non-invasive and evidence-based.
Schizophrenia is an elusive term: its definition allows for wide subjective interpretation, and resembles almost an ‘other’ category for mental health disorders not elsewhere defined more strictly. Whether overlap and/or comorbidity, the following addresses the phenomenon resulting from dysrhythmia of key Default Mode Network nodes and thus a disintegration of the neurological definition of ‘self’. Labelling can have deleterious consequences for a person’s self-esteem, and it risks association with worse symptoms and manifestations than experienced.
In Schizophrenia, the formation of a neural basis for a ‘self’, the Default Mode Network, is impaired, as is its ability to anti-correlate with the Central Executive Network. Key nodes of these networks are often dysrhythmic, impacting the ability to self-sooth and self-nurture.
Thought disorders, delusions or hallucinations are signs of not engaging sufficiently with the outside world. These have neural correlates which we can detect with a Kaiser Neuromap and then train with neurofeedback.
Many other pathologies ensue, including trauma, mood dysregulation, sleep and focus issues, and other personality disorders are at risk of developing as the social brain breaks down.
With neurofeedback, we aim to restore social functionality, launching the person back into a virtuous cycle of affirmation and productivity with others.
Daniel Webster has done week-long intensives with clients, where substantial progress was made in reducing psychosis and trauma symptoms. This was ascertainable with before and after Kaiser Neuromaps, corroborating positive functional connectivity changes. These were confirmed cognitively by the clients and their families.
Neurofeedback is a form of complementary therapy and works alongside medication and psychotherapy, as well as calm-inducing approaches aimed at re-socialisation and maximising of interpersonal function.
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) was first described in the 1940s, refined in 1993 and finally received a specific diagnostic code in October 2022. It is characterised by exercise intolerance and near syncope upon standing upright, elevated pulse (tachycardia) by 30-40bpm within 10 minutes of standing up, fatigue, anxiety and light-headedness. Often misdiagnosed as chronic anxiety or panic disorder, the group of symptoms comprised by PoTS has a biomarker and increasingly considered an autoimmune disorder, rather than only autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Specifically, increased levels of cytokines and chemokines characteristic of an innate immune condition were found, similar to autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, type-1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
The condition affects females five times more frequently than males, mainly between 15-25 years of age, with over one million affected in the US alone. PoTS symptoms can persist for years, though half of patients find that orthostatic symptoms and functional impairment subside within five years, and of thost most within 1-2 years. It is estimated that 2-14% of Covid sufferers go on to develop PoTS, while 30% of long Covid patients, especially women, meet the diagnostic criteria.
A client presenting with PoTS like symptoms, recovered within three months of starting neurofeedback training, to the extent that the tachycardia was fully under control and anxieties had subsided substantially. Clinical studies will have to prove correlation. Notably, physical symptoms became manageable, from being previously incapacitating, in a relatively short period of time. This result is encouraging, especially with regard to the speed and extent of recovery, and neurofeedback has been shown to be effective for anxiety. Also, in this person, other neurological issues could be detected with qEEG.
Every person is different and has a unique way of responding to being shaken out of their perceived safety. A brain map shows us which brain areas have become dysregulated, and we then train these with neurofeedback. We use David Kaiser’s Default Network Training, which is an advanced method superseding the Othmer Method / ILF. Training the brain this way shows it what it it’s like to be functional again, over it, able to get on with it. With practice we become able to reform our trajectory and regain a sustainable, self-reinforcing, positive environment.
As a result, we are no longer trapped in the recursive, debilitating loop of intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviour and negativity. Instead we are able to live a positive, constructive and productive life while viewing our previous ‘hole’ with healthy detachment and self-forgiveness.
Trauma is a debilitating, negative state, both mentally and physically. Unresolved, we risk becoming desensitised, unempathetic and destructive, even possibly turning into abusers ourselves.
What’s more, many approaches to dealing with trauma are themselves riddled with self-indulgence and self-interest on the part of the provider – there is no end to disappointments and betrayals that can be unearthed in a person’s history, and unsurprisingly many psychotherapy approaches are lengthy and possibly self-reinforcing (re-traumatising). As a participant in such programmes, we are prone to developing our identity around our ‘trauma’, not least due to the time spent analysing this.
Personalised Brain Training takes a forward-looking approach to overcoming our current situation. It aims to restore functionality and positive feedback loops in the shortest possible time, without indulging in recollections of the past nor medicinal numbing. The future starts in the present, and neurofeedback training is for persons who actually want to get better and are willing to manifest their thoughts accordingly, with the help that brain training provides.
Neurofeedback for trauma and PTSD is evidence-based, effective, non-invasive and medication-free.
Neurofeedback is a form of complementary therapy and should not be seen as a replacement for conventional medicine. qEEG brain map-based neurofeedback training takes a more holistic approach to brain functioning, rather than just focusing on medical symptoms. It is not intended as a form of diagnosis nor medical intervention nor medical advice per the disclaimer.
With a Kaiser Neuromap, we can identify character traits, vulnerabilities and strengths.
Different brain areas and networks govern our behaviour. For example, there are parts of our brain which control mood regulation; spatial distractibility; physiological arousal; our sense of self; self-critical thoughts; anger and emotional attachment; and there are various sources of anxiety.
A brain map shows us which brain areas are behaving immaturely, and thus expose us to vulnerabilities or mental health issues.
Rather than fitting people into categories – diagnosis – we can assess vulnerability to behaviour patterns. Every brain is different. A brain map provides a more granular approach to understanding our strengths and weaknesses.
Neurofeedback lets us train dysrythmic brain areas. With sensors comfortably fitted to the brain areas we want to train, we detect brainwave patterns real-time while watching a movie. When these patterns are inefficient, the volume drops momentarily. This is the feedback we are giving our brain, short and instantaneously.
The brain area we are training recognises this – while our conscious mind is focussed on the movie – and adjusts its behaviour to restore the normal volume. With repetition, throughout a session, learning occurs.
Meanwhile our conscious mind is solely focussed on the movie; the training process is passive in this sense.
The drop in volume is subtle, so we continue to understand the flow of the movie. No current or electrical stimulation is fed to the brain; sensors simply read brainwaves and the feedback is purely audio-visual.
Rather than engaging the conscious mind, which slows us down, we are training preconscious processes.
This equips us with the ability to live in the moment and attain our potential (if we have to resort to conscious control, we are not living in the moment).
We take a holistic approach to healthy brain self-regulation, rather than categorisation or diagnosis.
Personalised Brain Training is an advanced qEEG brain map-based approach to neurofeedback training developed by the founders of the field. Taking Othmer Method / ILF training methods further, it employs Default Network Training protocols as developed by David Kaiser.
Neurofeedback training is an evidence-based complementary therapy. Its efficacy was first demonstrated some 50 years ago, and with advances in technology, training protocols have become more efficient and the feedback method – watching movies – thoroughly enjoyable.
Neurofeedback is evidence-based. It’s first application was discovered in 1971 when it was used to resolve intractable epilepsy.
There are over 2,000 peer-reviewed research reports on PubMed demonstrating efficacy across a number of pathologies.
In the US, it is an accepted complementary treatment for many challenges.
Gamma
| 31 – 100 Hz | |
Beta · Concentration, interaction, focus, higher cognitive tasks · Higher beta frequencies are also associated with fear and anxiety, fight or flight | 12 – 30 Hz | |
Alpha · Quiet mind, flowing thoughts, slight detachment, meditative state · 10Hz is a natural rhythm particularly at the back of the head with eyes closed · Serotonin release | 8 – 12 Hz | |
Theta · Dream-like state with vivid imagery; creative, gateway to the unconscious · Stage 1 sleep and also present in REM sleep · Deep state meditation | 3 – 8 Hz | |
Delta · Dreamless sleep stage 4 · Bodily recuperation · Growth hormones GHRH and PRL released | 0.5 – 3 Hz |
With Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training, we are putting the mind in a state where it can relax and start healing. Alpha Theta neurofeedback training holds the participant in a state of deep relaxation, where memories can safely surface and as a result be processed. The concept is that traumatic memories are put into long-term storage, where they can be recalled from, without the adverse emotional state attached to them.
Another key advantage of alpha theta training for trauma resolution is that most of the digestion happens at a subconscious level – we are not asking someone to relive their trauma, but rather enable the brain to order such experiences by itself.
In thirty minute sessions, eyes-closed, we feed the brain information about its own state – specifically, whether it is in alpha or theta state, and importantly, we allow the brain to choose its own path. The brain inevitably chooses to slowly oscillate between meditative alpha and more dream-like theta. It is during the transition between these mental states that the brain appears to digest trauma, mostly at at subconscious level.
Through headphones, binaural frequencies are used to show the brain which state is dominant, accompanied by relaxing music and other sounds that help it orient itself. Unlike in binaural meditation, e.g. binaural theta waves, we are not trying to stimulate the production of certain frequencies, but are more interested in showing the brain simply where it is operating. It is in fact important that we don’t resort to meditation while doing alpha theta training.
After half an hour of this deep yet relaxing experience, we slowly arise with the feeling of having had a power nap.
A study by Imperial College, London, and the Royal College of Music showed that students advanced effectively one or two years in musical maturity with a mere ten sessions of Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training.
In this 1999 study at Imperial College, London, Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training was compared to other standard supportive services and relaxation training techniques and exercises. Students of the Royal College of Music, London, were evaluated on their musical performance, having received ten sessions of Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training. Only the Alpha Theta Neurofeedback Training subset demonstrated gains in musical performance, and these gains were substantial and systematic:
Overall Quality | 14% |
Musical Understanding | 16% |
Stylistic Accuracy | 14% |
Interpretive Imagination | 17% |
Total Average Musical Improvement | 15% |
These impressive gains as judged by blind evaluators represent a substantial improvement. All aspects of musicianship were positively, and greatly affected, including physical ability as well as creativity and insight.
Source: Othmer / Gruzelier
J Gruzelier also finds in a 2014 study that Alpha Theta training benefits both advanced instrumental and novice singing abilities, including improvisation – beyond the outcome of the previous study with elite conservatoire musicians.
Alpha Theta neurofeedback training reduced anxiety in competitive ballroom dancers, as well as increasing cognitive creativity.
Alpha Theta neurofeedback training has also been successfully used in treating addiction / substance abuse issues, with nearly half of participants having experienced the Peniston effect – a subsequent allergic reaction to alcohol or other psychoactive substances.
A qEEG recording takes about 45minutes for a 20 minute recording.
A cap with 19 sensors is is fitted to our head and gels inserted to ensure connectivity. The sensors only read – there is a tiny voltage on the surface of our head that these pick up. The gels are easily washed out later. This is also the last time we wear the cap (until a remap after ten sessions); training is done with single sensors.
We analyse the data with Kaiser Neuromap software which gives us a unique view into character traits and vulnerabilities.
Findings are presented in a separate one-hour conversation where we discuss the key elements.
We use a movie of choice as the feedback mechanism – our conscious mind engages with the film, and feedback is delivered by small changes in volume or picture size.
Our pre-conscious mind adapts its behaviour to preserve the more comfortable volume and picture size, and learning occurs.
Volume changes are slight, not stop-start, and the process is enjoyable.
Key is that we are interested in the movie – our conscious mind is engaged with the content, which forms the reward, and our preconscious mind – without our conscious effort – changes its behaviour in response to the feedback.
A two hour training session allows us to do 90-110 minutes of neurofeedback training during which we can work on various brain sites.
This captures an entire ultradian rhythm cycle and corresponds to the approximate duration of feature film movies.
We can start with shorter sessions as appropriate, mainly with children.
Ideally, we do two or more sessions per week to start with.
We would expect to see responsiveness within the first few sessions and remap after twenty hours or about ten sessions.
Generally, we would expect to doing twenty sessions over two months, though this can vary substantially.
We can also accommodate intensives, where we do two sessions per day over a number of days, and have had good results with these.
Personalised Brain Training is a non-invasive, medication-free way to address cortical imbalances. With a Kaiser Neuromap, we understand which brain areas are dysrhythmic, and train these with the most advanced neurofeedback methods.
This provides a more granular approach than categorisation into pathologies. In fact, many mental health issues present in combination with others, and the diagnostic approach can set rigorous hurdles that often result in distinct labels that don’t necessarily capture the entire picture.
The vulnerabilities exposed by a brain map may manifest in various combinations of behavioural and mental health issues. With Personalised Brain Training we look at the brain as a whole. Treatment is non-specific with respect to psychopathologies. For ease of navigation and understanding, the following applications are listed below, along with research evidence, in their separate domains.
Personalised Brain training for mind and soul