Frequently Asked Questions
PSYCHOLOGY
What is psychology?
The Canadian Psychological Association has a page on their web site with solid basic information about psychology and psychologists.
What is a psychologist?
The Ontario Psychological Association has general information that describes what a psychologist is and does.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
What is neuropsychology?
The American Psychological Association has defined neuropsychology as applying "principles of assessment and intervention based upon the scientific study of human behavior as it relates to the normal and abnormal functioning of the central nervous system." Neuropsychology "is dedicated to enhancing the understanding of brain-behavior relationships and the application of such knowledge to human problems."
What is a neuropsychologist?
The National Academy of Neuropsychology has prepared a definition of what a neuropsychologist is.
Essentially, a neuropsychologist has been trained in clinical psychology with additional training in understanding and assessing how the brain and behavior interact in normal and abnormal conditions. Neuropsychologists also use psychological methods to treat conditions that are caused by abnormal brain function.
BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION
What is brain injury rehabilitation?
Brain injury rehabilitation is an individually tailored collection of therapies, resources, and supports that is based on a thorough assessment of the individual and his or her personal background, his or her family and social milieu, the nature of the injury and its consequences, and the individual's goals, values, and aspirations. The configuration of services also depends on the person's age, severity of injury, and stage of recovery the person is at, and may occur in a hospital, office, home, or community. The National Institutes of Health in the U.S. held a consensus conference in 1998 and recommended that people with traumatic brain injury receive individualized rehabilitation based on their strengths, and that services should evolve as the person's needs change over time. People with moderate or severe injuries may receive rehabilitation that involves health professionals from many areas such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, recreation therapy, music therapy, nutrition, speech/language therapy, nursing, physical medicine (physiatry), neurology, psychiatry, and psychology.
BIOFEEDBACK
What is biofeedback?
An excellent source of basic information about biofeedback and how it may help can be found at the Mayo Clinic and the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.
NEUROFEEDBACK
What is neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback is biofeedback with brain waves. Sensors are placed on the scalp to detect the electrical activity of the brain, which is then amplified and displayed so that the feedback helps your brain learn to regulate its activity. No electricity goes into the brain during training. Neurofeedback helps you to improve mental function by closely monitoring your own brainwaves and using that information to shape growth and change in function. Brainwaves are associated with electrical impulses in the brain that are the basis of all mental, emotional, and behavioral processes. Different brainwaves patterns relate to various kinds of mental states. The neurofeedback equipment makes it possible for you to detect your brainwaves and the related mental patterns, and then change those mental patterns that are associated with problems and distress while enhancing healthy brain patterns that work for you.
What are brain waves?
Brain waves represent collections of brain cells that are firing in unison in a particular area of the brain at a particular frequency. Different frequencies in different locations of the brain can be associated with different mental, emotional, or behavioral states. Patterns of brain waves in two different parts of the brain may be more or less related, reflecting more or less communication between the two parts of the brain.
Why train brain waves?
A large and growing body of clinical work and scientific research has shown that neurofeedback is useful in addressing a variety of difficulties in thinking, emotional distress, and behavior. Ongoing research shows that neurofeedback is associated with improvements in health and psychological functioning.
What types of goals does neurofeedback address?
The International Society of Neurofeedback and Research has a comprehensive bibliography of conditions for which evidence supports the use of neurofeedback. The Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback has a document that evaluates the quality of evidence for neurofeedback for a number of concerns. Using standards from the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, and those from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the conditions for which evidence supports the use of neurofeedback include ADHD, addictions, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury and stroke, insomnia, depression, tinnitus, fibromyalgia, pain, and migraine headache.
Neurofeedback is also used to assist in psychotherapy and reprocessing emotional events.
Many people use neurofeedback for peak performance training. Such people may be elite athletes or people who play sports and want to improve their game. Students who want to perform better, artist and musicians, and those who have demanding jobs that require clear, focused, and flexible thinking also benefit from neurofeedback.
Neurofeedback aims to stabilize the brain's functioning, produce patterns of activation that are more within the normal range, strengthen brain performance in localized areas to address problems the person is experiencing, and improve the ability of the brain to flexibly shift into the right mental state for the right situation and stay there as long as desirable.
How do you do neurofeedback?
Sensors are applied to the head in various locations. The sensors are completely painless and noninvasive. The sensors in turn are connected to a computer which filters and amplifies the electrical signals from your brain. The signals are transformed into video displays and sounds similar to computer games that change and progress with your changing brainwaves. These changes and the information they communicate are precise and rapid enough to help your brain to adjust in healthy ways and become more able to flexibly respond to important situations. With practice, you get a feel for what it is like to be in the right zone or mental state, and then it becomes easier and easier to put yourself into that optimal zone when you need to. Sometimes the neurofeedback is done simply by watching and listening to the feedback. Sometimes with your eyes open, sometimes with your eyes closed. And sometimes neurofeedback is done while you are working on a mental exercise like reading or solving a puzzle that engages similar types of thinking processes to those you need to use in the situations that are important to you.
A neurofeedback training plan is formulated on the basis of a careful and thorough assessment which may take about three hours. The assessment involves mapping the brain and a clinical interview, and often includes a psychophysiological stress test, psychological testing, and review of reports from other health professionals. The training plan is individually tailored to your specific needs.
How often are the sessions?
Usually the sessions are twice per week and last an hour to an hour and a half. Sessions include a review of progress, about a half hour of neurofeedback, and planning how to apply what you have learned to the circumstances and situations of importance to you.
How long does it take?
Different conditions may take different lengths of time to respond to neurofeedback, though problems that have developed more recently usually respond more quickly. People often find themselves experiencing change within a few sessions. Some beneficial response is typically seen by ten sessions. Problems that are more complex or that have been long-lasting can take longer to respond. It is not unusual for a person to have forty or fifty sessions for changes to stabilize so that they will last after the conclusion of neurofeedback.
A neurofeedback session may run from an hour to an hour and a half, depending on whether it is combined with biofeedback or counseling.
How long has it been around?
Neurofeedback has been used for over 40 years. With developing research, more accessible training, and computer software and hardware that is more available, neurofeedback training is being used by a greater number of professionals.
Is it safe?
The simple answer is yes. Your individual responses to training are closely monitored during neurofeedback sessions so that adjustments can quickly be made to the training to avoid the possibility of temporary unwanted effects such as mild tension, drowsiness, or headache. In practice, there are few possible lasting side-effects when neurofeedback is delivered by a well-trained practitioner.
What is the experience like?
Most people find the experience of neurofeedback to be relaxing, enjoyable, and interesting. At first, the experience may seem to have a quality of developing passive awareness. As you develop more experience with neurofeedback, it becomes possible to more intentionally place yourself into the mental state you wish so that you are able to more effectively act in situations that matter to you.
Most people discover that they enjoy the process of neurofeedback because it gives them a sense of control that they did not realize they could achieve before. The support and encouragement from Dr. Davis that go along with the neurofeedback can be motivating as well.
What are the effects?
Neurofeedback allows you to more effectively regulate your mental and emotional states so that you can voluntarily put yourself into the most effective condition for peak performance in the situations that matter to you the most. Many people find that they can be more alert for longer, regain a sense of calm more quickly, and think more quickly with less fatigue.
Is it effective?
"In my opinion, if any medication had demonstrated such a wide spectrum of efficacy it would be universally accepted and widely used." Editorial about neurofeedback in 2000 by Frank H. Duffy, M.D., Professor and Pediatric Neurologist at Harvard Medical School, and Associate Editor for Neurology of the scientific journal Clinical Electroencephalography.
"Neurofeedback is on the cutting edge of the mind-body revolution. I believe it is one of the treatments that will keep us moving toward and era of new approaches of naturally managing our health." Candice B. Pert, Ph.D., former Chief of Brain Biochemistry at the National Institute of Mental Health, and author of Molecules of Emotion and Your Body is Your Subconscious Mind.
Most people respond well to neurofeedback and enjoy positive changes. Just as with health care interventions, though, there are some people who do not experience significant change with neurofeedback training, or who take some time to achieve substantial improvements. Overall, clinical and basic research studies have found significant positive changes in the majority of people who receive neurofeedback.
Why does it work?
Feedback of information to the brain about how it is working causes it to learn to make adjustments that improve its performance and gain greater flexibility of function. Neurofeedback is completely noninvasive, with the precision and quickness of the feedback effectively shaping the brain to respond more smoothly and flexibly. Once the learning occurs, the brain has a natural capacity to retain what it has acquired.
What happens after the training is done?
Usually the effects of training last without further effort. Sometimes it can be helpful to return for a session or two so that you can "recalibrate" your mental state, that is, refocus on what had been working well.
Does it last?
Research shows that the effects of neurofeedback may last as long as ten years. Sometimes a client may need to come back for a booster session.
How are the results measured?
Results are measured by standardized psychological tests of emotional functioning, thinking, and behavior. Individualized self-report scales are also used. Reports from family members or others can be valuable. EEG measures are also collected. Your own subjective description of changes is very important as well.
Can neurofeedback be combined with other approaches?
Neurofeedback can easily be used along with counseling, medication, and other therapies.
Where can I find more information?
Visit the Neurofeedback section of the Helpful Links page - that has a number of internet sites that provide a great deal of additional information.
How do I get started?
Call or write to Dr. Davis. You can arrange an initial assessment that will be needed to prepare a neurofeedback training plan, or you can make an appointment for a preliminary consultation before you decide to go ahead with neurofeedback.