Neurofeedback – How Many Sessions Does It Take?
Neurofeedback therapy helps treat psychological disorders, including ADHD, anxiety disorders, and even autism.
If you are planning to search for neurofeedback near me, one of the most obvious questions that come to your mind is the duration of the sessions. Regardless of the therapy modality, many people wonder how many sessions will they need to attend before meeting their goals.
What Is Neurofeedback Therapy?
Neurofeedback is a non-invasive treatment that encourages your brain to develop healthier patterns of activities. The therapy changes your thoughts and feelings and enhances the brain’s biological functioning.
Recent studies state that proper support strengthens your brain’s ability to change and adapt. The clinical term for this brain property is neuroplasticity, and neurofeedback encourages and speeds up the process. The treatment uses electronic instruments to convey certain physiological processes in the body.
How Does Neurofeedback Therapy Work?
Neurofeedback therapy uses an electroencephalograph (EEG). The EEG uses electrodes and sensors placed on the scalp to measure brain activity. It uses electrical patterns on the scalp’s surface every moment. The measurements reflect an individual’s cortical activities or brain waves.
Humans have four basic brain waves:
Beta waves: They are fast and low amplitude waves associated with alertness and arousal and engaged cognitive activity.
Alpha waves: These are slower and higher in amplitude than the beta waves, associated with non-arousal, mental coordination, mind-body integration, and learning. Meditation, taking breaks from work, taking a walk, and quiet reflection promote the production of alpha waves.
Theta waves: These waves are slower with higher amplitude than alpha waves. These waves are associated with memory, learning, vivid imagery, subconscious information, and a heightened awareness of internal signals. The waves generate when you perform consistent and repetitive tasks from which you can mentally disengage.
Delta waves: These are the slowest brainwaves with the highest amplitude. These waves are associated with deep, dreamless sleep, healing, and regeneration.
During the treatment, the practitioner tracks the activities of the brain waves. The patient receives the information through auditory and visual signals. The signals help the patient undergoing treatment to differentiate between desired and undesired brainwaves. Through the treatment, individuals learn how to maximize the production of desired brainwaves in any situation. You can even search online for the best neurofeedback near me and improve your brain’s functionality.
How Many Sessions Of Neurofeedback Do I Need To Attend?
Usually, a neurofeedback session lasts between 30 and 60 minutes, held twice or thrice a week. The experience differs between different facilities. The training period lasts not more than half an hour. The practitioners require extra time for sensor placement and adjustments.
No one size fits all, and the number of sessions required depends entirely on one’s individual goals. Neurofeedback therapy is a learning process. When you attend a session, your brain learns a bit about itself. You experience the changes as soon as your brain learns from the information it receives.
On average, people start experiencing the changes within six to ten sessions. For some, ten sessions are enough, while others require attending more sessions. If you are suffering from complex issues, you require attending more sessions.
The number of sessions you need to attend depends entirely on your brain’s learning capacity. After all, your brain requires training and knows what it needs. Once your brain learns something, it never forgets. Therefore, if you require a break from your neurofeedback sessions, you can pick it back from the point you left.
However, if you are experiencing any challenges, you might require to attend a booster session. The booster session reminds your brain of what it learned and starts functioning at its best. Some neurofeedback practitioners recommend attending at least twenty sessions for optimal brain functioning. Because, for some, it is enough to make initial progress, while for others, it might be a good start.
Today, most people are looking for a quick fix for everything. However, it does not favor them. Any therapy associated with healing and transformation takes time. Neurofeedback also helps heal and transforms the brain’s functioning without any medications. Every session of the therapy helps in relaxing and assists in resolving any psychological issues.