Neurofeedback Therapy in San Diego
Your brain is an incredible supercomputer, processing billions of electrical signals every second. But like any complex system, it can sometimes fall out of balance. What if you could peek under the hood of your mind, see those electrical patterns in real time, and learn to fine-tune them?
At Achieve Concierge in San Diego, we offer a cutting-edge treatment that allows you to do just that: neurofeedback therapy. This innovative approach helps optimize your brain’s functioning by providing real-time feedback on your brain wave patterns. It’s a noninvasive, medication-free method for enhancing your mental wellness and improving your cognitive performance.
What Is Neurofeedback Therapy?
Neurofeedback therapy, also known as electroencephalography (EEG) biofeedback, is a noninvasive treatment used to measure and enhance brain wave activity to optimize brain performance, modulate dysregulated patterns and alleviate mental health symptoms.
Neurofeedback therapy harnesses the brain’s innate neuroplasticity — its ability to adapt and change — to help it function in a more healthy and balanced way. It can help individuals better manage the symptoms associated with numerous mental health concerns, including:
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Insomnia
- Trauma
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Substance use
- Process addictions
- Brain injuries
Neurofeedback therapy can also assist with bolstering overall academic, occupational and sports performance outcomes. It is a safe and effective treatment that can be customized to help you overcome whatever concerns you’re facing to help you focus, relax and feel better.
What Are Brain Waves?
Brain waves are the electrical impulses produced by the activity of neurons within the brain. These waves are how brain cells communicate with each other, enabling everything from basic functions to complex thoughts, emotions and behaviors. The brain generates these waves at various frequencies, which are categorized into different types based on their speed:
- Delta Waves: These are the slowest brain waves, typically associated with deep sleep and restorative states of the unconscious mind.
- Theta Waves: Commonly linked with states of meditation, light sleep and creativity, theta waves represent a bridge between the conscious and the subconscious mind.
- Alpha Waves: Present during calm, relaxed, yet alert states, alpha waves are often associated with activities like daydreaming or practicing mindfulness.
- Beta Waves: These are high-frequency waves active during our waking state when attention is directed toward cognitive tasks and the outside world.
- Gamma Waves: The fastest of the brain waves, gamma waves are related to information processing and are crucial for learning and memory.
Brain wave patterns can become disrupted, negatively affecting mood, behavior and thinking. Neurofeedback therapy helps regulate brain wave activity by providing real-time feedback to individuals about their brain wave patterns, training the brain to function more optimally.
How Does Neurofeedback Therapy Work?
Neurofeedback therapy is a form of biofeedback in which electrical sensors monitor brain wave activity as a patient receives live audio and/or visual feedback. With this feedback, individuals learn and develop a new set of self-regulation skills to improve mental health symptoms.
During a typical treatment session, patients might play a game or watch a video while their brain activity is measured with EEG sensors. When their brain waves are in an optimal range, the game or video will function perfectly. But if brain wave patterns are abnormal (slow, unfocused, etc.), the game or video will fade from the screen, and the brain rapidly corrects itself to keep things running smoothly. Once the brain learns these new patterns, positive associations lead to measurable changes in areas like attention, self-control, emotions and behavior.
Neurofeedback therapy is backed by years of research and offers an effective alternative for those who are worried about the side effects of certain medications or for whom medications have stopped working. It can also complement traditional modalities and be incorporated into existing treatment plans for higher success rates and more comprehensive results.
Benefits of Neurofeedback Therapy
- Appropriate for children and adults
- Can alleviate the symptoms of numerous mental health conditions
- Helps improve focus, sleep and mental clarity
- Highly personalized and based on each person’s brain activity
- Retrains the brain for lasting positive changes
- Creates new pathways that remain after treatment
- May be effective when medication alone isn’t helping
- Can be combined with other therapies or treatments
- Noninvasive and nonpharmaceutical
- Evidence-based results backed by years of research
Ideal Candidates for Neurofeedback Therapy
Neurofeedback therapy is unique because it can help anyone, from children to adults. In children, it is often used to help with ADHD, behavioral issues, developmental delays and academic performance. For adults, neurofeedback therapy can improve the symptoms of various mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression and panic attacks.
At Achieve Concierge, we can determine if you are a good fit for neurofeedback therapy by conducting an initial brain mapping session to evaluate your symptoms and brain health, then develop a personalized treatment plan just for you. The exact protocol used may vary depending on your needs and goals — patients with anxiety, for example, may receive different neurofeedback training than those seeking help for depression or trouble concentrating.
While almost anyone can benefit from this cutting-edge therapy, the most successful patients are those who are willing to commit to the process and work together with their provider to achieve optimal results. Ideal candidates should also keep an open mind, practice good self-care and adhere to any other mental health treatment plans already in place. While some patients may notice an improvement right away, neurofeedback isn’t a “quick fix” and often works best when combined with other therapeutic modalities like psychotherapy.
Neurofeedback Therapy at Achieve Concierge
Neurofeedback therapy is performed using EEG sensors and a computer program that runs a personalized treatment protocol tailored to each patient’s goals. During each session, you’ll be presented with visual or auditory stimuli that provide instantaneous feedback based on your brain activity, reinforcing helpful brain wave patterns to promote a balanced mental state.
Neurofeedback therapy is completely noninvasive. EEG sensors are placed on the scalp, providing 45-60 minutes of brain wave training with each treatment session. You might receive eyes-open or eyes-closed feedback. With eyes-closed training, you’ll enter a deep state of relaxation and receive auditory feedback. With eyes-open training, you’ll watch images on a screen paired with sounds, which shows when you are “in the zone.” With practice, the brain will learn new pathways for achieving optimal functioning, improving your overall well-being.
Schedule a Consultation at Achieve Concierge Today
At Achieve Concierge, we offer neurofeedback therapy sessions to help patients retrain their brains and harness the power of neuroplasticity. Our highly trained therapists and clinicians are happy to teach patients about all aspects of neurofeedback therapy and deliver the right treatment protocol based on their unique needs. To schedule a neurofeedback therapy consultation, please complete our online contact form or call us today at 619-393-5920.