LENS Neurofeedback

What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that is targeted training of specific neuronal systems aimed at physiological rehabilitation. This type of biofeedback is typically provided by trained health professionals such as: doctors, psychologists, family therapists, or counselors. Such practitioners observe the brain in action from moment to moment and utilize that data to bring 'feedback' to the person by way of electrodes or sensors, which are placed directly onto the skin. Neurofeedback is also called EEG Biofeedback, because it is based on electrical brain activity or impulses, the electroencephalogram, or EEG.

Neurofeedback provides training in self-regulation. This involves calming the central nervous system. Self-regulation is a necessary part of optimal brain performance and function. Self-regulation training allows the nervous system to function better and allows the brain to optimize its overall performance and activities.

The Low-Energy Neurofeedback system or LENS is a specific kind of Neurofeedback that operates much more rapidly than traditional Neurofeedback and has qualities that make it much easier to use with people who can’t sit still for long periods of time. With the LENS, the client doesn’t need to “do” anything, and there is nothing to learn.

The typical session with the LENS lasts 3-4 minutes. The remaining time is spent discussing observations either prior to administering LENS or after the brief treatment. This means that the LENS works well for people who either cannot or will not pay attention to a computer screen for longer periods of time or who would have trouble with a cognitive therapy process due to issues with inattention or other issues pertaining to the central nervous system such as the inability to self-regulate or sit still.

Additionally, the LENS works much faster than traditional Neurofeedback with the number of sessions ranging from as few as 1 to an overall average number of 20 sessions.

The LENS works well with problems of the Central Nervous System, which can be numerous. These include: Symptoms of anxiety-depression spectrum, attention deficits, behavior disorders, various sleep disorders, headaches and migraines, lingering symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries or TBI’s, PMS and emotional disturbances. It is also useful for organic brain conditions such as seizures, the autism spectrum, and cerebral palsy. These are all signs of Central Nervous System dysfunction which result in the body’s difficulty regulating itself.

How does the LENS work?
I apply electrode sensors to the scalp to listen in on brainwave activity. This is non-invasive and the electrodes attach with a gel that washes off. The signal provided is then processed by the sensors through a patented computer application designed specifically for Neurofeedback. The computer application extracts information about certain key brainwave frequencies and through a patented process, brings this information back to the client though the same sensor wires to the person’s skin. The results are reduction and/or elimination of the symptoms, which previously interfered with a client’s quality of life. It is like holding a mirror up to the brain so it can see its own patterns. Recognition of these patterns allows the brain to decide, whether it is operating in an efficient manner or not, making its own necessary adjustments. This is due to the neuroplasticity of the brain itself (or the brain's own ability to adapt, grow and change).

This sort of therapy helps to dislodge negative feedback loops and suboptimal brain activity. But the amazing part about this therapy is - the brain does all the work! Sessions are brief (usually 3-5 minutes) and gentle. The client usually feels nothing during the session. The changes however are lasting with some exceptions and each individual’s experience will vary and number of treatments needed to experience changes will also vary. Most importantly the client is in control of how many treatments they receive, how frequently and how long based on their own experiences and self-observations with the treatment. The client works collaboratively with the practitioner in deciding which directions to go.

Often with this type of therapy, less is more effective and there is no ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to achieve optimal outcomes. Flexibility is built into the system.

What conditions does the LENS help with?
Cognition - Problems sequencing, memory, providing and maintaining attention, concentration, clarity and organization. More specifically:

Mood - Anger, sadness, explosiveness.
Motor - Lack of grace, problems of eye-hand coordination, balance, increased muscle tone (from spasticity) and tremor.
Motivation - Problems initiating tasks, shifting from one activity to another, and/or completing tasks.
Anxiety - Problems of anxiety system activity (too much uncomfortably-contained energy), persistent "anxiety", restlessness, rumination, agitation, distractibility, difficulty breathing, palpitations, tremor exacerbation, and sleep interruption.
Reactivity – Hyper-reactivity, hypersensitivity, multiple chemical sensitivities.
Pain - Brain-generated pain (mis-mapping the origins and qualities of signals), and vascular pain.
Addictions/Dependencies - Lack of clarity about emotions and self-comforting, defensiveness, argumentativeness and cynicism.
Fatigue - Fatigue; or fatigue as a phenomenon secondary to the effort of trying to overcome the pain and/or the above impediment to functioning more easily.
Performance Optimization - Increases in functioning in the above areas in absence of any diagnosis.

The LENS works well with symptoms of Central Nervous Symptom dysfunction. These include: symptoms of ADD, ADHD, Seizures and subclinical seizure activity, severely disruptive behavior disorders such as Conduct Disorder, Reactive Attachment and Bipolar Disorder, Autistic spectrum and pervasive developmental delay, Cerebral palsy, concussive injuries, PTSD, Acquired Brain Injury, and Birth Trauma.

The LENS works extremely well with the symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury, no matter how long ago the incident occurred. The trauma can be from a physical blow, a concussive injury, a psychological incident (PTSD), or any other incident(s), which results in a decrease in cognitive ability.

Many children have sleep problems that can be helped such as bedwetting, sleep walking, sleep talking, teeth grinding, nightmares, and night terrors.

The LENS can also be helpful with many of the symptoms of adolescence including drug abuse, suicidal behavior, anxiety and depression.

The LENS can also help in maintaining good brain function as people age.

In addition to Individual LENS treatment or LENS treatment in conjunction with psychotherapy or other healing modalities, I also offer a Tandem LENS Therapy option for clients of psychotherapists or other health and healing professionals, who wish to incorporate the LENS into their treatment with an existing client. *As the LENS can be an adjunct therapy with existing psychotherapy, when working with stuck trauma, and other maladaptive pathways in the central nervous system. We would work separately but collaterally, exchanging important confidential observations of the healing process or when the circumstance warrants a more intimate union I am happy to work alongside the client and practitioner (in the same room\office) establishing a collaborative and nurturing treatment environment. This might be helpful for persons with medical phobias or severe trauma who want additional personal support during treatment.

A Typical LENS beginning: would include a one hour (50 minute) intake session and first initial treatment following with weekly or every other weekly half hour sessions for treatment and processing symptom changes. Continued treatments go on for an average of 5-20 more sessions depending on the individual and desired results. You can stop and resume without losing results. Results achieved are lasting. Continued treatments after desired results are achieved are optional and based on client's continued self-observation and desire for additional or continued symptom improvement.