Welcome to Neurofeedback Services Of New York. Whether you are just starting out with us or thinking about beginning neurofeedback training, here are some helpful explanations about what to expect in a session:
All new clients start with a private consultation with Mark Llewellyn Smith LCSW, BCN, QEEGD. The initial consultation appointment lasts for approximately 50 minutes and includes a preliminary discussion about your needs and what we can offer you here at Neurofeedback Services Of New York.
Mark uses this time to learn as much as he can about what it means to be you. He walks you through a comprehensive clinical assessment, provides you with a detailed description of the Neurotherapy process, and discusses the full extent of your expectations and how we can help you meet them.
Request an appointment →
The next step is scheduling an appointment for a Quantitative Electroencepaholgram (QEEG). This appointment sets the tone for your treatment strategy, allowing us to visualize the baseline activity of your brain, and to evaluate the appropriate treatment protocols based on the results. We tend to schedule this appointment for one hour. While the vast majority of our clients are usually in and out of the office in less than the scheduled time, more time can be needed in very rare instances. Please schedule yourself accordingly.
After the QEEG is completed, it typically takes anywhere from 7 to 14 days to process.
Once the QEEG has been processed, a follow up appointment is scheduled to go over the results and to discuss treatment strategies. If you would prefer, you may forego this review session and schedule your next appointment to begin your neurofeedback training.
Depending on the client presentation, we may also require one or more sessions of psychometric testing before neurofeedback begins in order to establish a baseline measure for neurofeedback therapy. Psychometric tests are simple, standardized assessment tools used to measure an individual’s cognitive abilities and emotional capacities.
Neurofeedback training is similar to the process of becoming physically fit. It takes many repetitions for behavioral change to become conditioned behavior. Just as a muscle builds new fibers to support heavier lifting, the brain builds new, functional neural connections through neurofeedback therapy sessions to support brain based behavioral change.
In order to ensure that these neuroplastic changes steadily occur, a twice-per-week schedule is the standard mandatory minimum for neurofeedback therapy. This frequency of training keeps the brain in an active state of learning and growth, allowing each session to progressively build on the last.
It is even encouraged to begin training at three times per week in order to quickly establish protocols and produce an effective treatment outcome. The more frequently you train – while always remaining cautious not to overwork the brain – the more quickly you’re able to establish what works for you!
Regardless of training frequency, all clients are consistently evaluated throughout their training in order to track shifts in symptom presentations and overall client experience. After several weeks of training, you may choose to discuss the option of adjusting (+/-) your training schedule.
At Neurofeedback Services Of New York we treat a wide range of clients, each with varying symptom presentations and complexities. In order for us to provide an adequate degree of treatment, all training schedules are specifically tailored to the individual, and are immensely important to follow in order to see a reduction in symptomatology. For simple client presentations a minimum of twenty neurofeedback therapy sessions must be completed in order for symptom reduction to last. Complex issues may need more training to produce satisfying, long lasting results.