My History with Neurofeedback
As a psychologist specializing in trauma treatment for the past 30 years, PTSD has been a particular focus of my work. I began incorporating neurofeedback into my practice after attending a conference with Bessel van der Kolk, who emphasized the importance of neurofeedback as a component of trauma treatment. He noted that while psychotherapy is essential, many trauma symptoms arise from a chronically dysregulated nervous system—something talk therapy alone cannot always fully resolve. He described the common “ceiling” clinicians encounter in trauma therapy and explained that this occurs when the mind is engaged in treatment, but the brain remains dysregulated. For clients with severe or developmental trauma, psychotherapy alone can feel, as he put it, like trying to do therapy with someone who is still “being chased by a bear.”
Motivated by this insight, I pursued training in neurofeedback and began integrating it into my clinical work. The impact on my clients has been profound. Many have been able to more effectively use the skills we practice, process trauma more fully, experience enhanced outcomes with EMDR, and regulate their daily functioning with greater ease.
One protocol I frequently use for PTSD and developmental trauma was developed through collaboration between Bessel van der Kolk and Sebern Fisher, a leading neurofeedback practitioner and author of Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma: Calming the Fear-Driven Brain. This protocol targets right hemisphere temporal and parietal sites, inhibiting high beta activity associated with hyperarousal, inhibiting theta activity associated with intrusive memory recall, and rewarding sensorimotor rhythm (SMR), which supports embodiment and centeredness. In our clinic, this approach has repeatedly helped reduce or eliminate nightmares, flashbacks, dissociation, and unwanted memories, while supporting a calmer and more present nervous system.
Trauma often leads to a complex combination of physical and emotional symptoms, and treating these patients requires coordinated, multifaceted care.