How long does treatment take?
Different conditions respond to neurofeedback at different rates. At least twenty sessions are needed for the effects of the training to endure. It takes that long for new patterns of brain behavior to become established.
For example, ADD often requires forty sessions for the treatment to “take” and to last. Other conditions require more or less than that. It is always possible that some difficult cases may need active neurofeedback sessions for quite a long time, but this is the exception.
An attempt has been made for the training to be as “kid-friendly” as possible, and special stuffed animals can be included in the treatment to make noises or vibrations that provide feedback in addition to the computer screen. Some children have liked the effects of the training so much that they look forward to it. There are no dreaded shots used in neurofeedback as there are in visits to the medical doctor!
There are some ways in which being an educated consumer can speed up treatment. In the page describing what it’s like to get neurofeedback I speak of developing the ability to provide good information about yourself. This can help your neurofeedback therapist be more accurate in your training and reduce the amount of trial and error involved in finding what works for you.
In addition, reading about what has brought you into therapy will sensitize you to your body and mind, and will help you to provide more useful information.
Also, being consistent in your training is important. The sessions need to be consistent to have maximum effectiveness.
The possibility of home treatment.
Neurofeedback is safe enough that many people are able to transition to home sessions after being initially treated in an office. Neurofeedback is not a casual task, though, and any home training should be supervised by a clinician.
Home training requires a home unit to be either purchased or rented. Programming will be supplied on an ongoing basis by the neurofeedback clinician, along with monthly visits to the office follow the effectiveness of the training.
It also requires a computer and some basic ability to install the neurofeedback program and hook up the electronic equipment and electrodes. In cases where extended training is needed, however, it can save quite a bit of money and make neurofeedback much more economical and convenient.
