Neurofeedback —Harnessing neuroplasticity for brain optimisation
Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback (Othmer Method)
Neurofeedback is a non-invasive way of helping the brain regulate itself more effectively. For those living with the effects of trauma, anxiety, disrupted sleep, chronic stress or difficulties with attention, neurofeedback can help the nervous system find a steadier, calmer baseline — reaching aspects of regulation that talking alone sometimes cannot.
The Approach
Illumine Psychotherapy uses the Othmer Method of Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback, developed by Siegfried and Sue Othmer at the EEG Institute. The approach works at the deepest, slowest level of the brain's regulatory system, drawing on the brain's natural capacity for change — neuroplasticity — to support gains that endure.
How It Works
Small sensors are placed on the scalp to monitor your brainwave activity. No electrical current is applied; the sensors only measure your brain's activity. Your brain's activity is reflected back to you through a film or visual display, which the brain uses to learn to regulate itself more effectively. The process asks nothing of you consciously, and most clients find it deeply calming.
An initial block of twenty sessions is recommended, ideally once or twice weekly. Those with more complex presentations or neurodevelopmental conditions may benefit from a longer course — often in the range of forty to sixty sessions.
What It Can Help With
Neurofeedback may be helpful across a wide range of presentations, including:
- PTSD and complex trauma
- Anxiety, panic and chronic stress
- Depression
- Sleep difficulties
- ADHD and attention difficulties
- Acquired brain injury and concussion recovery
- Chronic pain and migraine
- Emotional dysregulation and dissociation
- Autism spectrum presentations
- Developmental trauma and attachment difficulties
- Addiction and substance use
- Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia
- Peak performance
The strength of the research evidence varies considerably across these areas — strongest for ADHD, anxiety and sleep, with a growing body of evidence for trauma.
In its review of evidence-based psychosocial treatments, the American Academy of Pediatrics has rated neurofeedback (EEG biofeedback) as a "Level 1 – Best Support" intervention for ADHD.
In an initial consultation, we'll discuss whether neurofeedback is likely to help in your case. Neurofeedback can be offered on its own or woven into a broader therapeutic plan
Neurofeedback and Trauma
Neurofeedback is increasingly recognised as a valuable complement to trauma therapy. By helping to settle the nervous system at a neurophysiological level, it can lay the groundwork for the deeper processing that therapy makes possible. Bessel van der Kolk — psychiatrist and author of The Body Keeps the Score — has been among its prominent advocates, pointing to neurofeedback as one of the more promising avenues in the treatment of trauma.
The research of Dr Ruth Lanius, Professor of Psychiatry at Western University and a leading trauma researcher, lends weight to this: her team's randomised controlled trials of EEG neurofeedback in PTSD have found reductions in symptoms alongside a normalising of activity in the brain's core regulatory networks.12
References
- Nicholson AA, Ros T, Densmore M, Frewen PA, Neufeld RWJ, Théberge J, Jetly R, Lanius RA. A randomized, controlled trial of alpha-rhythm EEG neurofeedback in posttraumatic stress disorder: A preliminary investigation showing evidence of decreased PTSD symptoms and restored default mode and salience network connectivity using fMRI. NeuroImage: Clinical. 2020;28:102490. ↩
- Nicholson AA, Densmore M, Frewen PA, Neufeld RWJ, Théberge J, Jetly R, Lanius RA, Ros T. Homeostatic normalization of alpha brain rhythms within the default-mode network and reduced symptoms in post-traumatic stress disorder following a randomized controlled trial of EEG neurofeedback. Brain Communications. 2023;5(2):fcad068. ↩
More Information on ILF Neurofeedback
Video on neurofeedback by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Trauma Psychiatrist
Video on Neurofeedback by Bell Street Shelter Salvation Army
