Catherine A. Boyer, MA, LCSW
Neurofeedback: What to Expect
New York, New York 10024
I’m going to do my best to give you a sense of what to expect during neurofeedback training. You’re also welcome to call me at 212-877-6923 or email with questions.
When you come for your first session, the first thing I’ll do is ask you what you'd like to have happen. I’ll also ask you a lot of questions so that we both have a clear understanding of what you want to see change. Usually in the course of this interview, we discover at least a few and sometimes several more possibilities for what might change in addition to the list you came in with.
For those of you who have come across an assessment process known as QEEG (quantitative EEG) that is often used with neurofeedback, there is no need for this tool when using NeurOptimal™. That’s a substantial cost savings for you. The QEEG is used to establish protocols for training. With NeurOptimal™ your CNS will be using the training in the way that is intrinsically right for you. There’s no guesswork involved.
The training itself:
Next, we’ll do our first training. You’ll be sitting in a comfortable chair with small sensors attached to your head with a water soluble conductive paste. There will be two sensors on each ear and one on each side of the top of your head. The sensors read the electricity on the surface of your scalp. During your first training, I’ll show you what your EEG looks like on the screen that I’ll be viewing.
Here is a short video about sleep deprivation and getting off sleep meds that shows NeurOptimal&trade being used.
During the actual training you’ll be watching a graphic (or, if you prefer, you can close your eyes); and you’ll be listening to music. You’ll hear very brief pauses in the music – this is the system giving feedback to your brain – and the image will also pause or change. The pauses in the music are the primary feedback (which is why it’s fine to close your eyes). Actual training time, not counting attaching the sensors, will be from about 15 minutes in our first session to a little over half an hour in a standard session.
One of the first questions most people ask is, "What am I supposed to do?" The answer is that there is nothing to do – consciously. Your central nervous system (CNS) – the brain and spinal cord – will do it all. Your CNS is hard-wired to take in information and use it to organize itself – with no conscious intervention required. It does this masterfully and in the way that is right for you. Nothing will be pushing your system in a direction. That is part of why this form of neurofeedback is virtually side effect free.
Because the CNS is utilizing the information it is given during the training in the way that is right for each person, changes in people’s lives usually take place quite seamlessly. (Click on the Client Comments tab for examples of this.) Your job will be to notice in between sessions what is changing in your life.
How will change happen?
Since every CNS is unique, the type, order and pace of change are also unique to the individual. Most often, people first report changes in improved sleep and lessened anxiety and reactivity, with other changes coming later. Some people experience changes after only one session, and almost everyone sees changes happening within five or six sessions. If that’s not happening, it will be part of our job to figure out what is getting in the way – and those things are almost always correctable.
Occasionally, side effects can happen but they are transient and usually just part of the change process. An example of a side effect might be feeling irritable or spacey for a short while after a session. Most people feel relaxed and calm after even their first short training.
How often will you come for sessions?
The majority of my clients come for training once a week. Some come two or even three times a week, especially at the beginning, because they want to see results more quickly. But either way, what we expect to see is that the changes you experience after each session begin to "hold" from one session to the next, whether you start out once a week or more often.
How many sessions will I need?
Because of the unique nature of the CNS, this isn’t easily predictable. There’s usually not a ceiling on how much benefit a person can get, so the answer to this question is really up to you. I have had people complete their training, happy that they got what they came for, having done less than ten sessions. And I have had people keep coming just because they were curious to see what would change next. In my experience, if your problems are a recent occurrence in your life, you’ll probably want ten to 20 sessions. If there are multiple problems or conditions that go back to much earlier in life, you’re more likely to want to stay for 30 or more sessions. The more sessions you have, the stronger the results.
Some clients choose to come back occasionally for a "tune up" or if they’ve had a particularly stressful set of circumstances in their lives. The majority, though, tell me they are ready to stop and then go on about their life with a brain that has learned to be more efficient, more flexible and more resilient. This process has the potential to have your brain be at its best.
One of the first questions most people ask is, "What am I supposed to do?" The answer is that there is nothing to do – consciously. Your central nervous system (CNS) – the brain and spinal cord – will do it all. Your CNS is hard-wired to take in information and use it to organize itself – with no conscious intervention required. It does this masterfully and in the way that is right for you. Nothing will be pushing your system in a direction. That is part of why this form of neurofeedback is virtually side effect free. 
