FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Get answers about neurofeedback
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What is Neurofeedback Anyway?
I get asked that question several times a week .Hi, I’m Dr. Randy Cale, a licensed psychologist in New York and Florida, and having a neurofeedback practice, I get lots of inquiries because parents, individuals, they’re reading about the effectiveness of neurofeedback and blown away by some of what they’re reading. Because neurofeedback is a technology that actually changes very gradually in incrementally the way the brain works. There’s no forcing, there’s no coercion, so they’re interested, what is neurofeedback?
So, I explained it in this way, neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback, now often, that’s not helpful right. What is biofeedback? biofeedback happens when we take a signal that the body, in the case of neurofeedback, the brain is emitting, that is below the level of conscious awareness right. We don’t perceive it, we read that signal and then, we use amplifiers to make it significant enough that we can read that.
Biofeedback and Neurofeedback
And with biofeedback and neurofeedback, when we’re wanting that signal to go down, for example, in a case of brain waves, we might want them to if we have a high theta, in the case of anxiety or ADD and we want that to come down. we then read that brainwave and when it by its own natural course drops just the tedious amount in the course of daily functioning right. We read it, we reward the person who’s doing neurofeedback so they get a tone or they get an increase in brightness, there are various ways we can reward the brain for that, and over time, the brain puts together these reward signals and understands that that’s the direction we want to go in.
Now, the brain will not move against itself, it will only move in ways that feel better, that’s why we don’t have side effects with neurofeedback, and why when there is significant change that tends to be sustained and that brain actually gets better and better over time. So, let’s go back to what is neurofeedback, it’s a form of biofeedback, there’s nothing put into the brain, there’s no coercion, there’s no signals, there’s no electrical impulse, there’s no risk then, very very little this people get tired sometimes, they get headaches but that’s the sign.
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How Does Neurofeedback Work?
It’s another one of those questions I get asked several times a week. So, first understanding that neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback providing a signal a reward signal to the brain when brain waves move in a healthier more functional direction. Now, that signal then over time causes the brain in most cases to incrementally, gradually reorganize brain waves into a healthier more functional brainwave pattern, and so many people ask doesn’t tell me how it works, how does that work.
What we believe is happening, is that brains tend to like novelty, and so when the brain starts to realize that it gets a reward tone every time there’s a movement in a healthier direction. It tends to absorb that reward tone and start moving in that direction. Now, this is a slow gradual process over time, and every brain varies a little bit, but it’s an operant conditioning model because when that brain wave, let’s say we had a brain wave that we want to bring down right. it’s too strong this happens with a lot of kids and adults with ADD, it’s often present with anxiety, panic, OCD, these kinds of things.
Neurofeedback to Feel and Function Better.
So, imagine this theta wave, it’s very strong, and we want to bring it down, so the neurofeedback is providing a reward tone every time that dips, and over time because it is an upper and conditioning model. The brain then responds to that reward in incrementally very slowly changes that brainwave.
Coincidentally with ADD, anxiety disorders, in certain locations that theta wave can be five or six standard deviations above where it should be which is significant, I mentioned that because it’s simply a matter of time than to retrain that brain wave into a healthier brainwave form. So, in essence how does a biofeedback work, it’s not injecting any electricity, it’s not doing anything invasive to the brain, it’s simply rewarding the brain for finding a better brainwave pattern in doing this repeatedly and through upward conditioning that brain then becomes reorganized in ways that feel better and function better. I hope that helps this is Dr. Randy Cale, take care now.
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The Answer Varies Considerably.
Almost everyone wants to know how quickly will I receive some results? Well, the answer varies considerably. It is rare however, that you get to 15 or 20 sessions without beginning to feel a result. Now, that happens occasionally, it depends on how severe the condition is, how many years it’s been going on, if there’s been consistent years with sleep deprivation, depression, perhaps a head injury then it can take a little while longer, but generally you would think that most people would see results within 15 to 28 sessions.
Conditions, Dysregulation, and Neurofeedback.
Many are seeing pretty remarkable results in that period of time, but it’s difficult to set x patient expectations around that number because brains very greatly conditions vary greatly and the amount of dysregulation varies greatly. So, best to think of neurofeedback as something that involves months of training in order to get the sort of change the pervasive change and make the difference that we’re trying to make.
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Why is Neurofeedback So Effective?
It’s the question I get, when parents or individuals have done the research. They see neurofeedback is now rated, there’s a level four or five intervention for many mental health disorders and many of the struggles we deal with ADD, anxiety, OCD, depression, those sorts of things. It’s by the way, level five is as high as it gets with mental health interventions and many therapies maybe medications are two or three. So, it’s getting more and more attention despite the fact that it’s not the Quick Fix like taking a pill right. So, neurofeedback when people ask why is it so effective it’s an interesting question because they know it’s proven its effectiveness. So, the answer is really interesting, because with neurofeedback, we’re not forcing the brain to do anything right, we’re not throwing a drug in there, we’re not throwing some electrical impulse into the brain. Instead, all we’re doing is allowing the brain to do its natural thing, and let’s imagine we have a brain wave Theta that’s running very strong and we want that Theta wave to come down because it’s associated with more ease, more happiness, more enjoyment, less ADD, problems focusing, less issues with anxiety in general.
Not Forcing But Rewarding the Brain with Neurofeedback.
So, in neurofeedback, we’re rewarding that brainwave when it naturally comes down just a teeny bit so that incremental reward creates this very gradual organic natural shift in the brain, we’re no forcing the brain we’re only rewarding it for a state an emotional psychological state that it’s already discovered, that state change by the way, is below the level of our awareness in that moment. That’s why we have to add up reward session after reward session after reward session in order to get the brain to change. But when it does change and it begins to move, the brain is reorganizing you know pathways are reorganized communication patterns are reorganized neurons begin to expand their connectedness the 100 billion neurons in the brain that have the capacity to connect up to ten thousand each one can have ten thousand connections that all begins to expand. So that, when someone completes a course of neurofeedback training that is not the same brain personalities don’t change, individuals they’re they’re sort of core personality doesn’t change, but if if you were a depressed or angry person and you wanted to hang on to that most people don’t, that changes of course but the personality that you think of a childhood that does not really change.
Getting Better Doing Neurofeedback QEEG.
However, it’s a more neuroplastic brain, it’s a smarter brain, it functions better cognitive skills improve kids gain 15, 20 points in IQ. So, it’s a brain that is actually functioning better, it’s communicating better, it’s doing better and we can tell all that because we do quantitative EEGs, we’re able to map the brain and we can watch it and see those changes over time. It’s quite extraordinary now this is one in a series of questions I’m answering about neurofeedback, you’ll see a list of those below if you want to check out some of the other question.
If you’d like to speak to me personally, I’m happy to give you a bit of time, you can call my office, fill out or fill out the form online to choose a time that fits for you. I hope you reach out, I’d be happy to answer more questions, if you have them again, it’s Dr. Randy Cale, I look forward to hearing from you take care.
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How Does Neurofeedback Help With So Many Psychological Disorders?
Neurofeedback works to help our brains function better so we can feel healthier and perform better. Research and clinical experience have proven that. Neurofeedback is effective in helping ADD, ADHD, anxiety, OCD, sleep disorders, depression, foggy brain, mild cognitive impairment, and more.
How is one technology so consistently helpful with various mental health conditions? Let’s explain how this works. Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback that’s focused exclusively on brain wave feedback. Thus, we monitor naturally occurring brain waves in real time with neuro feedback technology, and provide the brain with immediate feedback signals. This signal over time, encourages the brain to reorganize brain waves incrementally and gradually into a healthier and more functional brain wave pattern. No pain intense effort or forceful demands are placed upon the individual or brain.
Not Coercion or Force But Rewarding with Neurofeedback.
Neurofeedback doesn’t try to coers the brain into change, instead of effort coercion or force, neurofeedback rewards naturally occurring changes in the brain. Thus, over time, small incremental changes accumulate allowing brains to reorganize in healthier directions with better regulated brain waves. Let’s say, we have a brain wave that we want to bring down because it’s too strong which is often the case in kids and adults with ADD, anxiety, panic, OCD, and similar disorders.
In this case, neurofeedback will provide a reward every time this brain wave dips in its natural movement patterns up and down. Over time, the brain responds to this reward and reorganizes resources and communication patterns to produce a more regulated brain wave. When producing more regulated brain wave patterns, symptoms reduce over time. Thus, we can improve various cognitive and mental health conditions because neurofeedback produces these changes through the brain at different locations with different protocols.
It’s important to note that brainwave dysregulation is present for every mental health condition with each disorder having relatively predictable characteristics. Thus, whether it’s attentional issues, sleep problems, ADHD, depression, or various anxiety disorders, these predictable patterns are measurable and changeable with neurofeedback.
The Power Source of Neurofeedback.
In essence, the power of neurofeedback comes from its inherent optimization of momentary states that the brain is already discovered. If there’s magic here, it flows from neurofeedback ability to notice and instantly reward the preferred brain wave pattern. The brain gets better and symptoms dissipate as the brain follows the rewarded of direction. These accumulated changes are profound within the brain if we allow the brain the opportunity to learn and correct itself naturally with neurofeedback.
With better regulation of brain waves, the brain calms and focus is more natural and sustained, impulsivity declines, sleep improves, and thoughts become quieter and more satisfying. These changes occur gently naturally and slowly over time to create a more stable improved state within the brain that’s highly resistant to decline, you can learn more by visiting our website CapitalDistrictNeurofeedback.com.
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You Can Train Your Brain At Home With Neurofeedback
I could not have imagined 10 years ago, being able to offer some technology, a methodology that would transform your brain, in a way that your whole life could change in a matter of months. Not in some superficial way, not with medication or being attached to a therapist for the rest of your life. But in a way, where your brain actually changes the organic structure of your brain.
Hi, I’m Dr. Randy Cale, I’m a licensed psychologist, and owner of Capital District Neurofeedback. The technology that i’m talking about is neurofeedback, and today specifically, I’m talking about home training using neurofeedback equipment in your home. Well, neurofeedback has been around for decades, and the research on the efficacy or success rates continues to improve year by year. There are a number of reasons for that, including changes in technology, the capacity to do a QEEG or map of the brain, and innovations in how we are able to apply that technology toward change.
The Availability and Comfort of Neurofeedback at Home.
But the bottom line is: while neurofeedback was delivered in large clinical settings for decades, and it was very difficult to get any sort of valuable or useful technology at home. We now have that capacity to give you equipment that will transform the underlying structure of your brainwave patterns. So, it probably doesn’t surprise you if you have anxiety, if you have depression if you’re you your child has an attention deficit disorder, if you’ve had a head injury, any sort of brain disorder that when we look at that there are variations in brain weight patterns that are outside the norm, and if we can get those brainwave patterns to come closer to the norm, we function better depending on where it’s located, and what’s going on in the brain, that might be a relief in anxiety, it may be a lightening mood, it may be a better ability to focus sleep improves.
Now, almost all of this can be done in your home, where every day, when you train or as often as you train, your results reviewed. In my office, I go over how it you perform, make adjustments to the training, and it’s as if you were here in the office training. So, when I said 10 years ago, I couldn’t imagine it it’s really true, these innovations and technology have made it so that we can now offer this training at home, monitor the training, provide feedback ,make adjustments, and the beauty is, it’s more, it’s cost effective because you don’t have a tech who’s managing it all, and secondly you can train more often than you can practically train coming to an office because you could train four, five, six, seven days a week on certain protocols, and therefore, get results more rapidly.
Bring Neurofeedback Into Your Home.
So, if you’re interested in more information on how this technology works, how you might bring it into your home, and any general questions about neurofeedback, please reach out our contact information is located on the page here but just in case it’s (518) 606-3805. Jennifer is my assistant, she’ll set up a free call. So, alrighty, I hope to hear from you and again reach out if you have questions. take care now.
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What Conditions Have Proven To Be Responsive To Neurofeedback?
That is a great question, I get asked that one a lot as well. You can imagine that, if there’s a way that we can change fundamentally, the structure of the brain, the biochemistry of the brain, the way the brain is organized and communicating, but any of the conditions that are created by struggles in the brain, could be altered through such a technology, and generally speaking, we find that that’s true for neurofeedback. The range of conditions goes from ADD, ADHD, anxiety, panic disorders, OCD, to depression, sleep disorders, migraines, are improved dramatically even seizures are improved.
In more recent years, it’s been proven that neurofeedback helps with Alzheimer’s disease. So, as you begin to think about whether or not your situation or your child’s situation can be improve with neurofeedback. I would say chances are, it can be, is anything effective 100% of the time, no, but in our clinic, it is often the case that we get remarkable change provided that parents and clients are willing to have a conversation about what it takes to become more forward focused in the way that they organize their home, their life, and their parenting strategies with their kids, and that’s something we help our clients do here.
Neurofeedback As Level Four or Five Intervention.
In the last year to two years, neurofeedback has been categorized as a level four or five intervention for many mental health disorders, now level five is as good as it gets with mental health issues, so level four or five is an excellent, excellent result. It’s an excellent treatment and very few treatments can come close to that, particularly because with neurofeedback when treatment is completed, things do not deteriorate ,if you go off medication, if you’re in therapy almost any other treatment six months or a year later things are worse neurofeedback it is not that way.
Neurofeedback, The Best Interventions With No Side Effects.
Because, in essence, we’ve reorganized this brain, we’re taking a brain that’s kind of uh it’s not communicating well, it’s shut down and over time the brain then reorganizes and it’s functioning better and it’s more about learning growing machine at the completion of treatment provided a full treatment course is completed. So that brain is better able to learn, to grow, to function, to cope, to thrive, to feel better and function better in so many ways.
So, what’s very exciting as the research over the last 10 years has proven that neurofeedback is among the best interventions out there with no side effects and remarkable capacity for sustained growth over time. Hi I’m Dr. Randy Cale, if you have more questions, you can reach out to my office I’ll be happy to set up a consult and speak with you. If you decide to choose neurofeedback, I wish that you’d give us a call and give us a chance to serve you or your family, take care now.
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The Big Question…Will My Insurance Cover Neurofeedback?
Well, it’s an unfortunate answer because the answer is typically no, your insurance will not cover neurofeedback or biofeedback. The reason is that many insurances do not understand neurofeedback and when I’ve made attempts to educate them their medical staff will not examine that research. So, often you’ll find insurances will not cover neurofeedback. Now, if you happen to have Beacon Health the Empire plan with New York State, it’s a huge exception, you want to give us a call, it has remarkable coverage for you and your children.
But unfortunately, that most insurances do not, some of the Blue Cross, Blue Shield policies cover neurofeedback a bit, but in New York state for example, CDPHP MVP will not cover neurofeedback. Now, if you happen to encounter a therapist who is willing to build this as Psychotherapy while doing your feedback, some folks do that.
We do not do that practice because it’s certainly a borderline ethical practice in my view, and the best way to find out whether or not this is really legitimate is simply to call your insurance company, tell them that you’re going to be doing sessions with them which involved primarily neurofeedback or biofeedback, and ask them if it’s covered, and if it is that’s great, and if it’s not then you kind of understand what is uh what it typically is the case for many of these insurances.
The Good News…Neurofeedback Training At Home.
However, the good news is that, in recent years, there’s been a dramatic shift in the field and not it involves the capacity to do home training. Most of our clients, train at home, often training five to seven days a week, and in doing so, they’re able to bring down the cost because we’re not having to use our space and technician. They can schedule it anytime they want and they can increase the frequency and thus, outcomes improve. It often makes for many people the issue of insurance less important.
Of course we’d like to have insurance covered but if it doesn’t when you do home training it’s a much more affordable technology to use and to bring about change for kids and adults. If you have questions about this, feel free to reach out to me, I’m happy to set up a consult and answer any additional questions. This is Dr. Randy Cale, and I look forward to hearing from you, take care now, thank you.
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ADHD/ADD Kids Driving You Crazy.
Hi there, were your kids driving you a little bit crazy before COVID and now with COVID. Being hunkered down, trapped in your home quite often, you’re ready to lose your mind. Hi I’m Dr. Randy Cale, I’m a licensed psychologist, and the owner of Capital District Neurofeedback.
If your child was diagnosed with ADHD before COVID or even during COVID, and now you’re having to see right up front in your face, what that looks like to try to manage it’s likely you may be ready to jump out the window or get on a train to Arizona perhaps. More importantly, however, and more realistically, you’re probably seeking help. So, it’s important to know that neurofeedback is one of the tools that brings about transformation in the underlying structure of the brain. So kids with ADD, we don’t cover up symptoms, we don’t medicate them with all these side effects. Instead, we actually change the way the brain functions and with that, their behavior changes, with that their attitude, their ability to focus things that we haven’t been able to change before are actually changeable.
Does it happen overnight? No, neurofeedback involves a biofeedback mechanism where we retrain the brain incrementally as brainwaves fluctuate, and let’s say for example, someone with ADHD, perhaps, they have an alpha pattern that is too strong. Well, that’s it’s not a consistent pattern like this that brain waves moving up and down constantly. So, what happens is with biofeedback, neurofeedback we’re able to monitor this and when that brainwave goes down a little bit, we reward the brain we give a reward signal.
Neurofeedback Proven to Help with ADHD and ADD.
So, when we provide that reinforcement, we’re actually able to change that brainwave pattern over weeks and months. Again, it’s not something we can do in a few days because typically when we do a map of the brain we do something called a QEEG or quantitative EEG that gives us a very comprehensive and some ways quite complex view of the brain. But it’s also like seeing the reality of things so that we know where to train, how much to train, and what outcome we’re seeking that ability to do a QEEG in an office setting has transformed the efficacy and results we get with ADHD for example.
If you have more questions, reach out my assistant’s Jennifer she’ll set up a time for us to speak, it won’t cost you anything that number is (518) 606-3805. if you have any questions about the research, by the way you can look at the tab upper right, click on that tab, and you’ll see that there are dozens and dozens of studies covering all sorts of brain disorders.
Almost anything, that is a dysfunction in the brain, neurofeedback has been proven to offer value even with traumatic brain injuries, depression, anxiety, a wide range of concerns so you might want to check on that tab you can see the research on ADHD but you can also see lots of other studies that cover other disorders, and once again if you have questions, please reach out, I’m Dr. Randy Cale, I appreciate your time, take care.
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Dr Cale, Is It True That Neurofeedback Improves Brain’s Neural Plasticity?
The answer of course, is yes ,it does improve neuroplasticity, in fact that’s when neurofeedback is all about. Most brains that come into our practice, have been sort of shut down right, their lockdown might be a better word, communication between major areas of the brain are sort of locked in unhealthy patterns and a variety of factors have created some constriction where the brains intentions, desires its outcomes what it’s thinking does not line up with what the client wants.
The brain seems to be creating more anxiety, more dis-ease, more Depression, more sleep issues, and the client just wants to sleep and feel better Thrive. So, the brain’s objectives and the individual’s objectives are often not lined up together, so, neurofeedback, very gently over time, in a very organic natural way, simply rewards a brain as it moves into a healthier and more functional brain weight pattern. There’s nothing forced upon the brain, there’s nothing no electrical impulses put into the brain, which is why there are no side effects, very few side effects with neurofeedback.
Neuroplasticity Changes With Neurofeedback.
So, we’re rewarding the brain as it naturally discovers increment by increment, teeny increment by increment over time as it discovers that healthier more functional brain wave pattern. When this happens, neural pathways change, biochemistry the real structure and organization of the brain changes. We know that neuroplasticity changes with neurofeedback partly because there are images of this which have been captured as neurons actually reach out and expand during neurofeedback sessions. But more importantly, at the end of training for kids for example many kids gain 15 to 20 IQ points and adults are able to focus and function better their cognitive skills improve they are able to filter out things that they couldn’t filter out before, they feel better, they function better, they do better at work.
All sorts of data prove and point to neuroplasticity neuroplastic changes in the brain. So the bottom line is yes that’s what neurofeedback is all about. I’m happy to answer more questions if you have them. This is one in a series of questions about you neurofeedback, you’ll see a link below to some of those other questions but if you want to speak with me personally, you can call our offices at the number listed or you can fill out a form on our website and choose a time that works for you. I look forward to speaking with you, again it’s Dr. Randy Cale, take care now.
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Can You Improve Your Performance on the Court or in the Courtroom?
Stay tuned for a few minutes. I’m going to talk to you about a couple of technologies. The first is heart rate variability training, you see heart rate variability training showing up everywhere these days, a lot of people are talking about it. It’s important because I run into this over and over again. It’s important to understand that there’s a nuance to heart rate variability training, and does involve more than just watching a YouTube video of a screen going up and down and you’re breathing to this.
Now, can many people get an improvement in heart rate variability that way? Probably so, but it’s better if you use biofeedback equipment to measure heart rate variability and to make sure that you’re making progress because I find many people are not despite months of using heart rate variability breathing. However, the literature is remarkable on this, with sustained practice using biofeedback equipment, heart rate variability improves many factors related to not just to staying calm and at ease under stressful conditions: say you’re playing tennis, or you’re playing golf, or you’re an attorney, or a surgeon, or your performer, a musician, it doesn’t matter. Being able to to stay calmer under stressful condition improves the quality of life and enhances performance.
Using Neurofeedback or Heart Rate Variability(HRV) Training.
We see that every time I open up a Golf Digest or tennis magazine, I see another golfer who’s using neurofeedback or heart rate variability training. So, heart rate variability is proven to work it’s just that it’s important to understand that you need to get the right technology and that practices required, and when you do so, performance improves. By the way, heart rate variability is worth paying attention to if you’re interested in longevity because heart rate variability is one of those predictors as we age, a life expectancy for a variety of reasons so it’s worth looking into heart rate variability. I’ve already mentioned quickly and casually, neurofeedback at our Clinic, we combine heart rate variability and neurofeedback training which neurofeedback training well that’s brainwave biofeedback training.
We use a technology where we can map the brain, we can see the areas that are dysregulated, and then we retrain those brainwave patterns over time. Whether it’s ADD, whether it’s true ADD, ADHD, or just problems focusing whether anxiety gets in the way, whether you’ve got a busy mind. Sometimes underlying mood state to play an order in performance. But typically, it’s anxiety, and anxiety related correlates that get in the way of performance.
Combining Neurofeedback and Heart Rate Variability(HRV) Training.
So, with the combination of neurofeedback and heart rate variability training, we train the body and the brain and performance improves greatly, you’ll see this mentioned with many elite performers now because it’s become part and parcel of the sports psychology training that most psychologists use with their elite athletes and performers.
if you’re interested in learning more about heart rate variability training and neurofeedback, please set up a time to speak with me, you can call the number listed to the side or you can fill out the form on our website and set up a time at your convenience for us to chat. Well, if you do have questions again, reach out I look forward to chatting with you, I also have a number of other articles about heart rate variability and neurofeedback, you find on the website so please check those out if you have some time, take care now.
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Why Choose Neurofeedback?
Actually, the answer is very simple and straightforward, 40-45 years of research, over that time, the results from neurofeedback have consistently improved the efficacy rates get better and better such that now neurofeedback is a level four or five intervention for many psychological disorders which we don’t have other high quality interventions for, anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD. By the way, level five is as good as it gets. So, there are hundreds of studies that have supported these conclusions and yet it’s often not well known because a.) it’s not a pharmaceutical agent and most clinicians aren’t that aware of it b.) it takes time it’s not a quick fix, and we’re a society that tends to like those quick fixes.
But unlike therapy, medication, other treatment techniques, and the research is really clear if you look at this by the way, you things might improve for a bit but when you in therapy a year later most people are worse than they were when they began therapy, medications ,you don’t even have to stop medications they kind of have a significant placebo effect and then they begin to drop it when and then people want to change have another type of medication another type of medication. So, but the bottom line is: there are no side effects with neurofeedback, well very rare people get tired a little bit and sometimes they complain of headaches, but there are no serious side effects because we’re not coercing the brain, we’re not forcing anything upon the brain, it’s a very organic process where the brain moves into a better function, better feeling State, very temporarily and we take that opportunity we seize that opportunity to ceaselessly, ceaselessly reward every one of those and the brain then learns from that over time.
Here’s Why Use Neurofeedback:
So, the bottom line is, we have this whole list of reasons why you would use neurofeedback a.) it works b.) there aren’t side effects c.) it’s sustaining the results last typically and most of the follow-up studies suggest because what’s happening is we we’ve taken a brain that was locked down right, it’s kind of working against itself and as we free it up with neurofeedback. it appears that in many cases, that brain is functioning better six months later or a year later for many kids with ADD, kids with anxiety.
When they go through a full treatment of neurofeedback, the results suggest 15 to 20 points Improvement in their IQ. That’s a full standard deviation of improvement so there’s a list of reasons why you would choose neurofeedback, keep in mind that neurofeedback produces this incremental change over time, incremental improvements, and so if you’ve imagine a stock chart where the stock is going up right, that’s what it looks like it’s sort of add a little bit of jumps and then dips and jumps but it’s not a straight course it never is, but the results are consistent, they are compelling and it is an extraordinary technology provided that it’s coupled with an understanding of how to shift the environment so that everything that’s high in our child is doing supports a more forward-focused change process which is what neurofeedback is all about. Hope that helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out, take care now.
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Is this going to change my child’s personality? One of those questions, not the most frequent question I get asked, but it’s a fairly frequent question and understandable because most of us are in love with our children’s personality most of the time. However, if you’ve got a childhood Who’s acting out occasionally has ADD, who doesn’t want to listen perhaps defiant. Probably, that’s wants to hold on to that strength right, we want them to keep that strength, and so I understand where the question is coming from. The answer of course is that personalities do not change with neurofeedback.
If a child or an adult is inherently angry or sad and that anger and sadness is relieved, it is sensed there’s a difference right in in that human being, child or adult, but their personality doesn’t change. So, the good news is that you can pursue neurofeedback with great abandon to relieve anxiety, ADD symptoms, OCD, depression, sleep issues, brain fog, cognitive performance, all those improve with neurofeedback and the underlying personality remains intact. But who doesn’t want to feel more ease right, who doesn’t want to have more happiness, more joy, more satisfaction, not just as an adult but for our children, so, neurofeedback opens the door to such ease, better performance, and more satisfaction.
If you have more questions, feel free to reach out, you can fill out the form on our website, choose a time that works for you and I’ll be happy to speak with you or call my assistant at the number beside the screen here and she’ll set up a time for us to chat, also have a a bunch of other questions that have answered regarding neurofeedback, you’ll see the link below, feel free to check those out as well. I do hope I hear from you and I look forward to that conversation. Take care now.
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Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy what is it? This is a great question. In recent years, I was introduced to a technology that was developed in Europe and Asia. It’s a technology that utilizes the pulsing of electromagnetic waves at a very very very very very low level. But the frequency of the pulse appears to based on over 3000 studies in Europe and Asia. Appears to be a look rejuvenate cells because these pulses are absorbed by the ATP the source of energy in the cell, and sort of reinvigorates the cells.
While, initially quite skeptical when I heard this, I then spoke with several clinicians out of respect and they were having extraordinary results, and so we’ve now incorporated this into the clinic and we have found the same thing. It’s quite extraordinary technology with no risk attached. Again, FDA has determined that the that pulse is so low that it’s imperceivable yet that pulse when it specifically focused on the particular aspects of the human body it has a hundreds of protocol options it produces remarkable results.
Studies now being conducted in the U.S one last year, for example, had such success with anxiety disorders in adults, that most of the participants in the study withdrew by the three-quarter point way in the study because they were having no current anxiety symptoms. That’s unheard of in our field of course. So, I hope you’ll look at the white paper that is included on our website which explains in more detail bioregulation therapy or pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. Look at that white paper, I’ve also got some additional videos on the website which help to explain it.
But the bottom line: is for anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, aggressive disorders, and many physical conditions, the pulse electromagnetic field therapy literature suggests that that you will get very positive results and we’ve found that to be true genuine. Iif you want to speak with me about this, you can set up a phone call or you can fill out the form on our website and pick a time of your choosing ,I’d be happy to chat with you about my experience with it but I encourage you do your research.
Notice that a few studies are in the U.S but they’re becoming more and more frequent now that it’s become more widespread, most of them come from Europe and Asia, but there are solid studies, many of them double bind and other laboratory studies. So, I encourage you to check it out, it’s an incredible technology with remarkable capacity to bring about change, the device that we use in our office is the mercedes of PEMF devices and it’s actually a biofeedback device reads where the body is at and then determines that pulse rate based on what the body signature is, and in that way it qualifies for biofeedback reimbursement if your insurance happens to cover such as Beacon Health with New York State and some other insurances.
Anyway, if you do have questions reach out I’d be happy to chat with you, this is Dr Randy Cale, I look forward to hearing from you, take care, thank you.
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Mouth can ask, will neurofeedback work for me? Now, if I knew the answer to that question, 100% of the time, I’d get paid a lot more and uh you and I both know I can’t answer that for certain. However, neurofeedback works through a process of rewarding brain waves as they naturally change your altar. Over time, we see that almost everyone responds to neurofeedback.
Now, some respond a little more rapidly, some it takes a little more time, but if you look at the research, despite some of the naysayers, you’d see that study after study whether we’re looking at ADHD, depression, anxiety, head injuries, recent studies on dementia and Alzheimer’s show that brains typically change as long as we consistently reward changes or movement toward a healthier brainwave.
And so, again, we don’t know for sure but I can say that with 98% of the folks who work with our practice, they have seen growth and Improvement and that’s been a consistent pattern over the years. So, if you have questions reach out, I’d be happy to answer them.
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Anxiety disorders are one of the most common problems that we face today, particularly given the impact of COVID on everyday life. However, it’s often useful as we enter this discussion to distinguish anxiety from stress, with anxiety being the more subjective psychological experience of worrisome thoughts, fears, combined with noticeable discomfort in the body, often in the chest area. Anxiety can be present when there’s no immediate event considered to be stressful, and the internal discomfort eventually leads to sleep loss, fatigue, and other physical or mental symptoms. On the other hand, stress is experienced with a range of rather immediate symptoms such, as anger, frustration, irritability, fatigue, poor sleep but all in the context of some identifiable stressor. A big job interview, getting the kids out the door, even preparing for a party would be good examples of potentially stressful events. The body gets aroused trying to prepare for and handle the stressful event. When the event’s over, the sense of stress is relieved, and so is the anxiety.
Now conditions of chronic stress can lead to more serious struggles with not only ongoing anxiety but worsening physical symptoms in the body: digestive, endocrine, and circulatory function start to break down rather quickly under such circumstances. In the end, both persistent stress and anxiety have many negative effects on the body. However, mental health professionals often fail to appreciate the detrimental impact upon the brain itself. There are many well-documented neurobiological consequences of chronic stress or anxiety, they’re without question, but often we do not think of this as a problem that dramatically changes brain biology and physiology. In fact, this is fundamentally why we develop anxiety disorders, it is not some momentary flash in the brain when we have anxiety, there’s a fundamental change in how the brain operates at a chemical or neurological level. Thus, anxiety worsens not because we keep choosing anxious, fearful, obsessive, or even panicky thoughts, it’s because our brains have shifted from their healthy patterns to abnormal ways of functioning.
Again, we didn’t choose this, and it’s very very difficult, if not impossible, to simply choose our way out of it. These abnormal patterns causing the anxiety evolve in response to what we’ve experienced, what we’ve learned, what we’ve eaten, how we slept, and what was modeled to us as children. While the ‘why’ is ultimately more complicated than we can cover here, the real issue is what can we do about it? Despite the many shortcomings of medication as a long-term solution to anxiety, drug therapy is often the treatment of choice. Between side effects and loss of efficacy, usually leave adults and children with more anxiety than less anxiety. As time goes on, cognitive therapy also yields benefits, but again, outcomes are variable, and any positive results decline after treatment ends.
Both therapy and medications are best seen as coping method, rather than bringing about permanent changes in the brain to relieve anxiety once and for all. Here’s where neurofeedback becomes important if you or family members struggle with any form of anxiety disorder because there is hope for lasting relief. From generalized anxiety to OCD to panic disorders to PTSD, neurofeedback shows promise that bringing about permanent, lasting change in the brain that often relieves anxiety-related symptoms for good. Potential clients will ask, how does neurofeedback work? Is it painful? Are you going to put stuff into my brain? The answer is actually quite elegant and beautiful.
First, it’s not painful, and there are no documented detrimental side effects long-term from neurofeedback — with hundreds of studies. Secondly, nothing is put into your brain, you do not get zapped with electrical signals or anything like that. Instead, what happens is that neurofeedback simply gives your brain very, very precise feedback signals in response to small changes in your brainwaves. It is important to know that while your state of mind may seem to change slowly, the brain is actually in constant flux. Changes in brainwaves occur not in seconds but in hundreds or thousands of seconds. In other words, your brain is constantly moving in ways you do not recognize. But neurofeedback equipment not only recognizes that this but signals you when any change occurs. Thus, when the brain makes a very tiny incremental move toward a healthier brainwave pattern, the neurofeedback equipment makes a tone that is essentially a yes signal to the brain.
Now oddly, our brains are remarkably consistent as they are seemingly wired to learn from this neurofeedback signal, almost regardless of our past experience. With a bit of time doing neurofeedback, our brains evolve by responding to those signals. By the way, we call this operant conditioning, and it’s a very consistent outcome. So, within a few weeks the brain alters its prior ways of functioning and moves toward healthier patterns. For the neurofeedback client, they may start to sleep better or feel a bit less tension in the chest. The OCD client starts to reduce rituals, or has fewer ruminative thoughts, panic episodes start to decline, and fear over panic reduces. In general, fears and worries cause fewer problems in daily life, and there’s a lighter sense to life. All of these occur gradually and organically as the brain learns to go back to its natural, healthy state.
The bottom line is this: anxiety disorders need not be a permanent part of your life, or the life of those you love. There’s a reason to have hope now that does not involve lifetime of therapy or medication. Neurofeedback may be the answer you seek if you want the possibility of long-lasting change.
So, I invite you to call our offices now at (518) 606-3805 to set up a free consult if you want to learn more. Also, spend some time looking over the research on anxiety and neurofeedback at CapitalDistrictNeurofeedback.com. You’ll find that there are dozens of articles proving the efficacy of neurofeedback and reducing anxiety. This is really not in question. However, please note our clinic outcomes consistently exceed the results found in the research. We tend to get better results because our neurofeedback treatment is driven by the results of a quantitative EEG or QEEG. This is essentially a brain map which points to specific weaknesses or deviations in the brain, providing for very specific individualized treatment protocols. This is what makes the difference. The bottom line is if you want to learn more, please reach out to our offices. Dr Cale is available to answer questions and send you specific information if you want it. Please know that there’s a reason to be hopeful. There is light at the end of this anxiety-ridden tunnel and neurofeedback may be that light you’re seeking.
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Are you looking for some relief in these times of COVID from the building sense of doom, anxiety, stress feeling it in your body? Noticing it perhaps in the way you handle the kids, your work performance, sleep, all those things are happening to lots of people, and for many folks, you’re literally a medication, you’re aware of the side effects, you’re aware that year by year the impact goes down, and ultimately you understand that nothing is corrected with medication it’s covering up the underlying problems, and so neurofeedback, if you’ve explored that you’re on this website, you may be looking for a way to change your brain so you can feel better without medication and sleep better for many of you without medication and those results are quite possible.
Hi there, I’m Dr Randy Cale, I’m a licensed psychologist, the owner of capital district neurofeedback. i find we get lots of questions now about anxiety, the impact of COVID, how can I get relief, how can I help my kids, many teenagers who are struggling with anxiety. And so it’s important that to understand that that answer involves multiple variables neurofeedback being one of the answers that can provide a remarkable change because with neurofeedback we actually change the underlying structure of how the brain is functioning so we’re measuring brainwave patterns and typically with anxiety we see one of a number of characteristic shifts that push brainwaves outside of the normal range that they function in, if that makes sense.
In other words, when we’re doing well our brain waves work within a certain range for their magnitude and the frequency and when we start to struggle, those brainwaves begin to move outside the norm. Now, that move outside the norm can be caused by many variables: trauma, chronic stress, chronic sleep problems, poor food intake, but also nutrients, exposure to toxins, bad relationships, all sorts of things can cause that. The challenge becomes that it becomes a self-defeating a problem because these thoughts show up that are anxious thoughts we tend to give attention to it, we don’t know how not to in fact, and many times we’re at war with those thoughts which actually serves to do us great harm because we invest energy and thus feed the very thought we’re trying to eliminate.
if you decide you want neurofeedback and you’re going to pursue that as a treatment solution, one of the things that I do is I sit with folks either in person or via telehealth communication and we talk about strategies to make sure that you’re doing your part while neurofeedback is doing its magic so to speak, you do your part to align forces so that you get maximal results. In closing, let me just emphasize if you or family member struggles with anxiety and COVID making things worse, and you don’t want to cover it up with medication, please give us a call, again my number here is (518) 606-3805 feel free to give me a call, I’ll be happy to help. Take care, I look forward to speaking with you bye-bye now.
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Hi there, are you somewhat tired of hearing these frequent answers on how to get better sleep?
I understand. If you’ve been struggling with sleep for a while. There is no easy answer and you probably know that. Everything you tried may work for a while give you some relief but nothing seems to make a real change. There is a reason for that. Your brain is actually in a different state that is a normal state. We know that to be true.
Here at Capital District Neurofeedback, we are able to do a quantitative EEG of everybody’s brain who comes in that QEEG we call it give us a map of the brain and we know for folks who chronically struggling with sleep. They’re predictable patterns that starts to show up and these patterns calls also to the operations of the brain waves.
There is a need to move that brain back to its normal state so that you can then sleep comfortably, easy on a consistent basis. Here’s what happen, when we are not sleeping well, all the toxic build up from the day, cells that are using neuro-transmitters to fire and then relax, fire and relax.
The by product of all that is a waste product and the brain rids itself of waste during sleep. So, if the garbage truck don’t carry out the garbage day after day sometimes month after month, year after year. And then that waste creates information on the brain and this creates a whole cascading set of problems which means that all those simple solutions are not going to work.
Hi there, I’m Dr. Randy Cale, I’m a licensed psychologist and the owner here at Capital District Neurofeedback. I want to offer a promise however if you to sleep better and get all the benefits that come with better sleep: improved mood, decreased anxiety, better relationships, not as reactive, better focus, and everything get better with better sleep. And neurofeedback is one of the tools that offers some promise for actually changing and structure the brain of what’s going on in the brain so you begin to sleep better.
Study after study shows that sleep tends to be improve with neurofeedback training. So, while the complexity of that process takes some time to explain I’m not gonna do that in this video. I’d be happy to talk with you in details if you have more questions. My phone number is (518) 606-3805 and my assistant Jennifer she will setup a time for us to chat. Please give us a call I’d be happy to speak with you answering questions and get the things rolling so that you can begin sleep better. I do look forward speaking with you. Take care now.
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Hi there, were your kids driving you a little bit crazy before COVID and now with COVID. Being hunkered down, trapped in your home quite often, you’re ready to lose your mind. Hi I’m Dr. Randy Cale, I’m a licensed psychologist, and the owner of Capital District Neurofeedback.
If your child was diagnosed with ADHD before COVID or even during COVID, and now you’re having to see right up front in your face, what that looks like to try to manage it’s likely you may be ready to jump out the window or get on a train to Arizona perhaps. More importantly, however, and more realistically, you’re probably seeking help. So, it’s important to know that neurofeedback is one of the tools that brings about transformation in the underlying structure of the brain. So kids with ADD, we don’t cover up symptoms, we don’t medicate them with all these side effects. Instead, we actually change the way the brain functions and with that, their behavior changes, with that their attitude, their ability to focus things that we haven’t been able to change before are actually changeable.
Does it happen overnight? No, neurofeedback involves a biofeedback mechanism where we retrain the brain incrementally as brainwaves fluctuate, and let’s say for example, someone with ADHD, perhaps, they have an alpha pattern that is too strong. Well, that’s it’s not a consistent pattern like this that brain waves moving up and down constantly. So, what happens is with biofeedback, neurofeedback we’re able to monitor this and when that brainwave goes down a little bit, we reward the brain we give a reward signal.
So, when we provide that reinforcement, we’re actually able to change that brainwave pattern over weeks and months. Again, it’s not something we can do in a few days because typically when we do a map of the brain we do something called a QEEG or quantitative EEG that gives us a very comprehensive and some ways quite complex view of the brain. But it’s also like seeing the reality of things so that we know where to train, how much to train, and what outcome we’re seeking that ability to do a QEEG in an office setting has transformed the efficacy and results we get with ADHD for example.
If you have more questions, reach out my assistant’s Jennifer she’ll set up a time for us to speak, it won’t cost you anything that number is (518) 606-3805. if you have any questions about the research, by the way you can look at the tab upper right, click on that tab, and you’ll see that there are dozens and dozens of studies covering all sorts of brain disorders.
Almost anything, that is a dysfunction in the brain, neurofeedback has been proven to offer value even with traumatic brain injuries, depression, anxiety, a wide range of concerns so you might want to check on that tab you can see the research on ADHD but you can also see lots of other studies that cover other disorders, and once again if you have questions, please reach out, I’m Dr. Randy Cale, I appreciate your time, take care.