We understand that you may have questions about biofeedback and our other services. Please find on this page some of our most frequently asked questions and if you still have questions, please do contact us.Contact Us

FAQ

1Will my insurance cover this kind of treatment?
It is highly unlikely that insurance will cover this kind of treatment, as insurance companies still consider these modalities to be “experimental”. As such, we are not contracted with any insurance companies, and will not be able to help you pursue insurance reimbursement at this time.
2Why should I choose Austin Biofeedback and EEG Neurofeedback Center?

We are one of the most experienced EEG Neurofeedback and Biofeedback clinics in the US, helping our clients meet their goals since 1981. Our four licensed therapists have combined clinical experience in neurofeedback and biofeedback of 93 years!

Our neuro/biofeedback therapists are all licensed mental health care providers in the state of Texas, and are also BCIA board-certified in neurofeedback and biofeedback. BCIA is the nation’s oldest, most respected professional certification board for biofeedback and neurofeedback, with strict requirements for education, experience, and board examinations to reach certification status. Some clinicians are only “certified” by the manufacturers of the equipment/software that they use, and some are not licensed to treat mental health diagnoses at all.

Our technology is state of the art. We are advanced practitioners in the use of multiple kinds of neurotherapy and biofeedback equipment, including traditional surface EEG neurofeedback, swLORETA live z-score training (whole brain neurofeedback), High Performance Neurofeedback (sometimes called “microcurrent” or “low energy” neurofeedback), NeuroField pEMF and tACS, Vie-light photobiomodulation, heart rate variability training, and more! Rest assured, we have a lot of “tools” to choose from.

Neurofeedback and Biofeedback are not “one size fits all” therapies. As such, we never use “canned” protocols. Our training plans are highly individualized and customized for each individual that we work with. We do not use the exact same protocol or equipment/software system with every client who comes in. We make decisions based on our clinical expertise and customize the program to fit the client’s needs and goals. We have a variety of equipment available to meet those needs, and our licensure means that other therapeutic interventions like psychotherapy are available too.

We love what we do! It is our great honor to apply our passion for mind-body technologies to helping our clients meet their goals. We take pride in our outcomes, and have thrived for almost 40 years as a word-of-mouth referral business. We look forward to helping you on the path to change.

3What kinds of health problems or other concerns can biofeedback help?
Hundreds of different diagnoses and developmental or learning concerns can benefit from biofeedback and EEG neurofeedback therapy. We can also help enhance the performance of athletes, top students and executives focused on achieving their potential.
4What is biofeedback and why is it helpful?

Biofeedback is the use of biomedical instrumentation to show an individual in real time, exactly what is going on inside them, in precise detail. This information not only provides the therapist clues to the physiological conditions underlying symptoms or performance concerns but it also provides you, the client, with tools to help you learn to control your own internal systems consciously, without medication.

These hidden streams of internal activity are usually thought to be out of the reach of voluntary control but while watching and listening to the feedback and being coached by a trained therapist, you can learn to control them easily. With practice, the skills become routine and the biofeedback is no longer needed to exercise control. This learning process provides you the flexibility to control your own biological responses, and ultimately, gives you more resourceful ways to respond to physical or emotional situations. Biofeedback is not only applicable for health concerns. The process can also be used very effectively to increase performance levels in many areas of life.

5What kinds of things does biofeedback monitor?

The biological activity monitored for biofeedback therapy may include things such as muscle tension levels in areas of the body or specific muscles. For example, our assessment process can determine how tense particular muscles are (even at rest) and which ones chronically store the most tension. We can determine which muscles are most reactive when a person is upset and if a person can really relax them to clinically healthy levels. It is not uncommon for people to even feel tension during sleep. These often unrecognized tension patterns are a common cause of hypertension, insomnia, headaches, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and other health concerns.

Changes in peripheral skin temperature reveals information about problems in the cardiovascular system. Galvanic skin response (changes in the skin’s ability to conduct bioelectrical currents) reveals information about what’s happening in the endocrine system (changes in hormone levels or blood chemistry). Brain activity, respiration, blood pressure, heart rate variability, blood oxygenation levels, and other measurable indicators all reveal clinically useful information and therapeutic pathways.

6How is a person connected to the biofeedback equipment?
Biofeedback is non-invasive with no physical discomfort. No electrical currents are ever put into your body. Biological activity can be easily and comfortably monitored through small pickup sensors attached to the body, usually with tape, gel, or a conductive paste.
7What is EEG neurofeedback therapy?

EEG neurofeedback therapy is also called EEG neurotherapy, EEG biofeedback or brainwave biofeedback. The feedback instrument used is an electroencephalograph (EEG) which monitors brain activity. This form of biofeedback is focused directly on retraining brain function in ways very specific to the particular diagnoses or conditions being addressed. It is a comprehensive training system that promotes growth and change within the brain at cellular, functional, and neurotransmitter levels.

EEG neurofeedback therapy can help you develop increased mental stamina and flexibility. That in turn gives you more and better options when responding to tasks or situations that are part of your daily life. For example, it can enhance a student’s ability to concentrate and to study more effectively for longer periods of time. EEG neurofeedback therapy can also help to resolve test anxiety.

EEG neurofeedback therapy offers help for a long list of health problems. In cases of seizure disorders for example, EEG neurofeedback therapy can reduce or eliminate the need for medications to control seizure activity.

8What advantages does EEG neurofeedback offer compared to drug therapy?

EEG neurofeedback is non-invasive with no significant negative side effects. It resolves problems instead of temporarily suppressing them. The patient's own internal systems develop the ability to perform well on their own, without having to depend on drugs. In some cases, patients can thrive on reduced dosages of medication and in other cases medication may be eliminated.

It is important to note that for all patients, management of medications and dosages remains entirely within the purview of the prescribing physician and the patient. When EEG neurofeedback therapy begins to take effect, the patient may begin to experience signs of over medication. It’s important to keep your physician informed so your dosage of any prescribed medication can be monitored.

9What is your success rate for QEEG-guided neurofeedback training?
Our overall success rate shows improvement and goal achievement in well over 90 percent of cases. In the same way one achieves success in an exercise program, success in therapy is driven by personal commitment. State-of-the-art QEEG-guided EEG neurofeedback training is usually successful if the patient takes an active role in therapy. The length of time necessary to reach a goal varies with individual clients.
10How does EEG Neurofeedback therapy work?
EEG neurofeedback equipment monitors electrical activity produced by the brain. A neurotherapist (a licensed EEG neurofeedback professional) can correlate this brain activity with symptoms, conditions and behaviors. Feedback derived from this information in visual and auditory form is provided to the client. This feedback is designed to challenge the client's brain to improve specific functions, in specific areas where it is not currently performing as effectively as it could. Over time, the brain's ability to perform these activities becomes stronger to help alleviate symptoms.
11Why is EEG neurofeedback therapy an effective treatment modality?

Because it taps into the natural mechanisms that make a brain learn and grow and heal itself. EEG neurofeedback therapy, in some ways, is like weight-lifting. If you challenge a weak muscle to lift more weight than it is used to lifting and you repeat the exercise over and over, the muscle, in time, develops the ability to lift the heavier weight.

In the same way, EEG neurofeedback therapy challenges certain areas of the brain to perform specific kinds of brain activity more effectively. Repeat the exercise over and over, and in time, the brain develops the ability to perform those activities with less effort and for longer periods of time. The areas of the brain targeted for feedback and the specific kinds of brain activity chosen for development depend on presenting symptoms, conditions and the stated therapeutic goals of the individual client.

12How long is a session?
Most sessions last 45-minutes, but the actual time doing biofeedback or EEG neurofeedback varies depending on the number of sites selected for feedback and also the consideration of natural brain fatigue. Feedback periods following the monitoring session rarely exceeds 30-minutes.
13Will you ever be putting electrical currents into my brain or body?
No. With both biofeedback and EEG neurofeedback, the sensors will only be transmitting information from you to the feedback equipment. Feedback only comes back to you as visual and auditory signals from the computer monitor and speakers or headset.
14How many sessions will it take?
Every client’s situation is unique. Some clients can begin to see alleviation of symptoms quickly (after 10 training sessions) while others may require longer training programs. Some conditions such as stroke rehabilitation or autistic spectrum disorder may call for substantial periods of therapy. EEG neurofeedback therapy is a process of retraining the brain. With consistent training, clients will feel improvement building to the point where their therapeutic goals are reached. It is our goal to help our clients reach that point as quickly and effectively as possible.
15Once training is complete, will I need to come back?

Gains made in therapy will transfer into day-to-day life and are usually retained. Generally, clients will find themselves more resilient and resistant to the stressful events that may come up in their lives after therapy but on occasion, events in life cause a client to feel that they are slipping into an old pattern. If so, they can come in for a short tune-up and soon be back on track.

For especially traumatic events that may occur after therapy, such as divorce, loss of employment, death in the family, or discovery of serious illness, psychotherapy and other kinds of counseling interventions that are a part of our integrative services along with biofeedback and EEG neurofeedback, can be instrumental in helping our clients to get their lives back under control.

Other post-therapy influences such as serious stroke, head injury, or other physical trauma may dramatically alter brain function and thus affect the improvements from previous therapy. Additional EEG neurofeedback therapy specifically targeting these injuries directly can be very valuable.


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