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 or scalp. Neurofeedback is also called EEG Biofeedback, because it is based on electrical brain activity or impulses, the electroencephalogram, or EEG.

Traditional EEG Neurofeedback provides training in augmenting or diminishing specific brain frequencies, such as beta, alpha, theta, etc. This involves operant conditioning and focus and participation on the side of the client.

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. It directs the dominant frequency back to the brain, which has an overall calming effect on the central nervous system. With the LENS, the client doesn’t need to “do” anything, and there is nothing to learn.

LENS is a form of "disentrainment."

Self-regulation is a necessary part of optimal brain performance and function. Self-regulation allows the nervous system to function better and allows the brain to optimize its overall performance and activities. Self-regulation is a typical effect of LENS Neurofeedback.

A typical session with the LENS lasts 3-4 minutes, plus setup and cleanup time. 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 irritability, chronic pain or spastic movements. Children may need the support of a parent during sessions. This usually gets easier with exposure for fidgety types.

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. There is efficacy among practitioners working with symptoms of MS and chronic pain. These are all signs of Central Nervous System dysfunction which result in the body’s difficulty regulating its intercommunication systems which regulate movement, attention, relaxation and pain.

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 through the same sensor wires to the person’s skin as a form of "feedback." 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 maladaptive 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, i.e. the brain's innate ability to adapt, grow and change.

Neurotherapy helps dislodge negative feedback loops and suboptimal brain activity. The amazing part about this therapy is ~ the brain does all the work! Sessions are brief and gentle. The client usually feels nothing during the session, but can have a variety of reactions anywhere from immediately after to 48 hours post treatment. The side effects are minimal and the changes are lasting with some exceptions. 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 self-observations with the treatment. The client works collaboratively with the practitioner in deciding which directions to go. There is always choice in the process. And sometimes less is more effective on a given day. 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 with 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.

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 and cravings, suicidal behavior, anxiety and depression.

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

LENS treatment works well in conjunction with psychotherapy or other healing modalities. I offer LENS as a Tandem or Ancillary Therapy option for clients of psychotherapists or other health and healing professionals, who wish to incorporate the LENS into their treatment for trauma or other ailments.

A Typical LENS beginning: would include a one hour (50 minute) intake session and first initial treatment following with weekly, twice per week 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. Packages are available for cost savings based on 50 minute treatment sessions.

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