Neurofeedback is an innovative treatment that can help people learn to manage the symptoms of mental illness. Plus by APN uses neurofeedback in Malibu to teach clients coping skills and strategies to help them deal with all negative mental health symptoms.
Neurofeedback in Malibu: What Is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback is a clinical intervention that utilizes advanced brainwave technologies to help people progress in their mental health treatment. Using a device known as an electroencephalogram (EEG), neurofeedback provides real-time information about your brain’s response to different stimuli.
The EEG can read and display your brainwaves in real time with specialized electrodes placed upon the head. Typically, EEGs measure five types of brainwaves, each associated with a different state of consciousness:
- Gamma – stress and intense focus; heightened problem-solving
- Beta – thinking, decision-making, and alertness; focus and complex thought
- Alpha – quiet thought; meditative relaxation and peacefulness; calm alertness, awareness, and learning
- Theta – deep relaxation and sleep; daydreaming and immersive creativity
- Delta – deepest sleep, healing, and regeneration; lack of consciousness
Each type of brainwave has a specific purpose. Sometimes, stress, trauma, and depression can disrupt the brain’s electrical activity and cause overactivity or under-stimulation. The strain causes dysfunction and dysregulation, manifesting in various mental health and psychiatric conditions.
But neurofeedback can help you retrain your brain so you can make more progress with regular therapy sessions.
How Does Neurofeedback Work?
Plus by APN neurofeedback in Malibu uses several methods to retrain the brain. The electrodes measure brainwave data and respond with easily understandable outputs, such as colors, the brightness of a screen, or an audio tone. When you focus your attention on particular stimuli, you can better understand how your brain works.
By getting real-time feedback about how your brain responds to different stimuli, you can recognize what triggers specific mental states – and ultimately learn to regulate your brain’s responses.
What Does Neurofeedback Treat?
Neurofeedback is used as a tool to treat mental health issues, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- Traumatic brain injury
- Insomnia
- Substance use disorders
Neurofeedback is not a cure for mental health issues; it’s a tool to help people manage symptoms and get to the root of mental health issues so they can build healthy coping techniques and make more progress in therapy.
Benefits of Neurofeedback in Malibu
Neurofeedback is completely non-invasive, meaning it doesn’t require taking any medications or undergoing any surgical procedures. The treatment focuses on helping people understand their brains so they can apply conscious effort to change their physical and emotional states.
Essentially, neurofeedback rewards the brain for successfully activating target brainwaves. Over time, neurofeedback sessions reinforce optimal brain function, helping the brain find a natural balance that encourages better regulation.
Neurofeedback Treatment Goals and Outcomes
Providers can utilize various neurofeedback protocols to help with different mental health concerns.
For example, people with mental health conditions can focus on activating alpha brainwaves, which can help them calm down and find peace during stressful situations.
Additionally, neurofeedback can work as a tool to enhance productivity, creativity, and cognitive processing speeds. Learning to activate beta brainwaves, for instance, can help people dial in their focus and avoid distractions during important tasks.
Alternatively, theta brainwave activation can tremendously benefit people with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Restful sleep is an excellent tool for preventing and even disrupting the negative feedback loop between sleep and substance use.
Neurofeedback can help people begin to feel better through natural and non-invasive means.
What to Expect from Neurofeedback in Malibu
Neurofeedback uses different tools to help people struggling with mental health challenges. No two neurofeedback sessions are the same, but here’s what you can expect from Plus by APN.
Determining Eligibility
The process starts with a free call or live chat. A member of our contact center team will gather your information and send it along to our Neurofeedback team.
You will receive a call from a Plus by APN team member to assess your story and discuss treatment options. We’ll also run your insurance benefits, discuss payment, and take steps to see if you are qualified for treatment.
Preparation
A neurofeedback session typically lasts 45 to 60 minutes. Before beginning your first neurofeedback session, your provider will prepare the room and environment to be as relaxing and comfortable as possible. They will inform you about the treatment process, answer any questions you have about the procedure, and help you complete an intake assessment.
Connection
Treatment with neurofeedback in Malibu is completely non-invasive. A technician will place electrodes on top of your head, and no needles, incisions, or medications are required to begin therapy.
You’ll sit comfortably in a chair while the technician fits you with sensors on different areas of your head. These sensors do not stimulate the brain in any way – instead, they measure your brain’s electrical signals while you look at different images, listen to music, or play a video game.
The sensors send information to a computer, which processes the feedback and transforms it into an understandable output.
Stimulus
With the electrodes attached, neurofeedback can begin in earnest. The electrodes read your brain wave activity and project this information to a screen or headphones. You’ll be able to see your brainwaves in action during each session, and your brain will learn how to engage with the stimuli to produce healthy brain activity.
Neurofeedback is often compared to a video game because you can see whether you successfully activate the target brainwaves while striving toward the desired goal.
Feedback
Throughout treatment, you will gather information about how successful or unsuccessful you are at controlling your brain waves. Your brain faces a clearly defined goal, easily interpreted through visual or auditory stimuli.
For example, achieving a relaxed state may make a screen turn a particular color, such as green. Feeling anxious or restless may turn the screen red. It’s your job in neurofeedback to keep the screen green and analyze what is helping to facilitate that process.
Debriefing
At the end of each session, you’ll talk with a technician about your experience and progress. If you need additional support, your treatment team can help you make decisions about additional therapeutic modalities.
Real-World Applications for Neurofeedback
Changing a color on a screen may not seem like an innovative mental health treatment, but neurofeedback sessions can help you develop skills with real-world applications.
Neurofeedback trains your brain so that you can practice the processes that help you relax in stressful situations, learn how to fall asleep more effectively, or activate focus for productive tasks.
How Long Does Neurofeedback Last?
A typical neurofeedback therapy session lasts about an hour. Most people won’t begin to notice results until they have completed several sessions spread out over several weeks.
Your treatment provider will monitor your achievements throughout your sessions and track your mental health progress.
Neurofeedback Treatment Experience in Malibu and Beyond
If you’re struggling with a mental health challenge, Plus by APN can help you with neurofeedback in Malibu, at the Lodge in Edwards, Colorado, and our Concussion and Depression Center in Denver. Neurofeedback can help you gain control over your own brain and meet your wellness goals.
Plus by APN takes a whole-person approach to care, accounting for physical and mental concerns to address the root cause of mental health symptoms. Reach out to our team to learn more about the neurofeedback program at APN by filling out our confidential online contact form, calling 855.235.9792, or using the live chat function on our website.
Reference
- Marzbani, Hengameh et al. “Neurofeedback: A Comprehensive Review on System Design, Methodology and Clinical Applications.” Basic and clinical neuroscience vol. 7,2 (2016): 143-58. doi:10.15412/J.BCN.03070208
- Dadashi, Mohsen et al. “Effects of Increase in Amplitude of Occipital Alpha & Theta Brain Waves on Global Functioning Level of Patients with GAD.” Basic and clinical neuroscience vol. 6,1 (2015): 14-20.