We are proud to offer neurofeedback in the Niagara area via the NeurOptimal® dynamic brain training system. Already used widely in the United States, Canada, and the world, Reach Out Niagara FSS is now using NeurOptimal® system to help struggling families in the community.
The Executive Director of Reach Out Niagara FSS is Jodie Hiebert, MSW, RSW. Jodie has a keen interest in the neuroscience and how any brain can increase its efficiency through brain-training with neurofeedback systems. “People who have struggled for years with minor and major mental health issues are changing their lives with this technology,“ says Jodie Hiebert. “And what is amazing is that it happens in a natural, pain-free, and effortless way.”
NeurOptimal® FAQ
What is Neurofeedback?
NeurOptimal® was developed by Clinical Psychologists Drs. Valdeane and Susan Brown, Founders of Zengar Institute Inc. It utilizes an original Dynamical Neurofeedback® algorithm developed by the Drs. Brown, which is exclusive to NeurOptimal®. This innovative form of neurofeedback is not a medical treatment, but instead is a TRAINING for the brain. It does not require diagnosis, but rather it dances micro-second by micro-second with your brain offering it the information it needs to RE-ORGANIZE ITSELF. And when your brain does that, a whole lot of complaints drop away. You feel calmer, clearer, happier and able to function better in your life.
What is Neurofeedback (Video)
How does Neurofeedback work?
The NeurOptimal® system gathers electrical input from the brain, and the system is able to reflect this information back to the brain much like a mirror reflects your image back to you. It does not do anything active to the brain. This reflection is achieved by using a musical stream which briefly becomes interrupted when unhealthy electrical activity is detected. The brain is able to recognize the interruption in the audible recording and attempts to rid the brain of the errant or misguided electrical activity. This happens in millisecond encounters multiple times each second. It also happens in multiple parts of the brain. So, it in essence trains the brain by alerting it on anything it is doing that is not healthy. It is up to the brain to adjust and become a more healthy organ. It also is telling the brain what it is doing correctly. The brain has an inherent desire to be more organized and perfect. It just needs to learn what it is doing that is not healthy. This sensing of electrical activity/waves and the reflection back through audible music/interruptions is only achievable with the creative training software developed by Zengar.
Is Neurofeedback safe?
There are many reasons why NeurOptimal® is so safe.
When you are listening to NeurOptimal® you will hear brief micro-pauses in the sound. Once you settle in to a session, you might hardly even notice them. If listening to pauses in music were risky, our founder Dr. Val Brown jokes that you would have to hold the record companies liable for damages from old scratchy records! Certainly playing records in their hey-day did not seem to adversely affect millions of music lovers.
There is another reason though, that NeurOptimal® is so safe. Unlike other systems, NeurOptimal® does not train states of consciousness. Indeed, it does not do anything to influence any outcome. Instead it is up to your brain to use the mathematical information it receives, or not — as it will. For this reason NeurOptimal®is an extraordinarily safe tool for self-optimization. In fact, history of its use world-wide as revealed in two extensive surveys of our users indicate that we have now well over three million hours of safe usage under all our belts. And that number is growing exponentially.
Consider joining us. NeurOptimal® can help unleash your personal, social, spiritual, physical performance or academic potential. There’s little to lose and possibly much to gain!
What can Neurofeedback do for me?
Some of the most common reasons people seek out NeurOptimal® brain-training are:
· Wellness, academic, job, sports enhancement.
· Elimination or reduction of stress, anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, OCD, PTSD.
· Improvement of focus, attention, concentration, retention, reduction of test anxiety.
· Facilitate return of veterans into home and work life.
· Optimizing intelligence with improved brain function.
· As part of an anti-aging program.
· Enhancing creativity and awareness.
· Personal and spiritual development.
· Enriching partner, family and work relationships.
What happens in a session?
Once you've rented your NeurOptimal® unit, sit someplace (preferably a comfortable chair). You will apply two tiny sensors to your scalp and ear clips to your ears that are connected to a laptop computer that contains the NeurOptimal® technology. These sensors do not “do” anything to you. All they do is read your brain wave signals and allow the NeurOptimal to read the delicate electrical activity of your brain, much like an EKG reads your heart, while you listen to music. You can do nothing while this occurs, rest, sleep, play with your phone, read or play a game, it doesn’t matter. You will notive very brief pauses in the music, which indicate that NeurOptimal is at work, invisibly guiding you through a complex mathematical dance during which the challenge to your brain is varied.
Despite the complexity that goes on during a short session, no effort is required from you during sessions, at all! Simply relax and enjoy the 33.5-minute session while your brain re-organizes itself.
Because everyone’s central nervous system is different, it is not possible to predict exactly how your brain will respond to the NeurOptimal® system or how quickly, but because the Zengar company has over three million hours of experience with the technology, they offer predictions. The good thing is you will know pretty quickly when it is helping you, and we have progress tracking tools to help you document your training. Just as in learning to read, it is a process, and everyone learns and responds differently.
So, the most often asked question: How many sessions will it take for me to complete my training? This depends partly upon your goals. If you are training to feel better quickly, you might decide after 10-12 sessions that you have made enough gains and stop. On the other hand, if you are looking for lasting changes, 20-30 sessions is a better estimate. The good thing is you can stop at any time and always pick it up again later if you so choose. Any training you have done in the past will always serve you well should you do more sessions in the future — no session is ever wasted. After a period of initial training many choose to do monthly sessions to give their brain a regular opportunity to defragment – just like your computer! Or, like many, you may choose to do a session when you feel it’s needed. But in the end, it is always up to you, because it is YOUR brain that is doing the training, and it knows what it needs.
The
NeurOptimal® website has a survey that you can explore, which will show you how many sessions it takes to get what percentage of improvement, for a wide variety of complaints people present with, and see statistically the amount of improvement you can expect over time, helping you to make an informed decision about number of sessions.
How long will the positive effects last?
NeurOptimal is a learning task, like learning to ride a bike or learning how to read: Once you know, you can’t not know, so the effects will remain. But your brain is also living tissue, and it can get knocked off by challenges, hormonal changes, pollutants in the environment and the stresses of our everyday lives.
When this happens, a session or two can help you get back on track. Even if you come back many years later, the brain will recognize the NeurOptimal process and is reminded of the earlier shifts. It can find its way back relatively rapidly -– much more quickly than the first time you did the training. So, if you did a fairly complete initial training (say 20-30 sessions), and then have a major challenge like an illness, the loss of a job or a relationship, or even a head injury, your brain can quickly and efficiently use the information it receives from NeurOptimal to reorganize itself and find its way back. Once you have completed your training, you will always have NeurOptimal as a resource for your brain health.
What is the difference between Dynamic and Linear Neurofeedback
DIAGNOSTICALLY AGNOSTIC
· Instead of targeting specific symptoms, NeurOptimal® focuses on optimizing overall brain function. This approach naturally ameliorates most complaints, whatever their source.
NON-INVASIVE
· When you are training, no electricity, vibration or external signal is going into the brain. In addition, brain training with NeurOptimal® does not target specific areas of the brain nor does it push the brain in any direction by giving it goals to achieve, decided by an expert. In this way, NeurOptimal is globally effective while remarkably free of unwanted side effects.
100% NATURAL
· Each brain is unique and knows the best way to correct itself for improved efficiency. NeurOptimal® simply provides the central nervous system with information about its own activity, and given the right information, the brain can naturally optimize itself.
"I was looking for alternative ways for my daughter to help her improve focus. My daughter has now done 10 sessions (training once per week). I have seen her gain the ability to focus better, resolve issues better and take on tasks with less worry. I then personally began sessions of Neurofeedback for myself, hoping to reduce stress. I now feel a sense of distance from worrying and fearful thoughts and triggers that I previously did not have. This distance allows me to approach an issue from a tactical standpoint, working toward resolution, rather than overwhelming me. Both of our sessions are still ongoing, and we look forward to future results."
