I was introduced to Nicole and Neurogenesis NFB through my girlfriend who had seen great results with her stress. She recommended that I try it too, since I had recently been having some ups and downs in my moods. I had the privilege of trying a session out to write about the experience. Here’s how it went!
I arrived a little bit stressed out with midterm jitters. I’ve been pretty overwhelmed with school, sports, a couple of jobs, and everything else that goes along with it. With all of my time commitments, I have become incredibly future-oriented. I am always thinking of how to be the most efficient I can with the 24 hours in my day; this type of thinking becomes really uncomfortable for me when I cannot make everything I have planned fit into my schedule.
When scheduling discrepancies like these happen, I get stressed out beyond belief. This stress manifests in various forms for me, like poor performance, angry outbursts, or even dissociation when I get lost in my head. As a long-time student-athlete, I have developed mental toughness that helps me to push through any aches, bumps, or bruises that I get. But when stress clouds my brain, I feel like I am slowly losing control of my world.
My session with Nicole at Neurogenesis NFB was awesome because it gave me the tools to help get my brain under control. When you sit down for a session, Nicole is there to talk with you just like a confidant or a friend, checking in with how things are going in your life. If you have any qualms about anything at all, Nicole is happy to discuss whatever is making you feel off. In fact, it’s a good way to start off your session because Nicole can then cater your session to fit your needs for that day.
In order to get this process going, Nicole set me up by placing electrodes on specific areas of my scalp to monitor my brain waves in real-time. The outcomes of neurofeedback depend heavily on electrode placement as well as the electric frequency and the the frequency of my visits. I don’t see any of that technical side until the session is over. Instead, I get to sit back and relax in a big, comfy chair while my brain and I watch a screen. It’s almost like a game in a way. When my brain waves are not acting how they should be, the dynamic image on the screen starts to move out of focus. But when my brain is firing on all cylinders and the neurons are communicating effectively and in-time with one another, the image will come back into focus. This process allows me to reign in control of what’s going on upstairs, because my brain can actually get feedback from itself.
I did not feel anything majorly different when I walked out of the office that day, but I started to see the results in action when I carried on with my life during the week. I was really having a hard time getting the timing right in my life, and more importantly, in my brain. I can say, that in my case, Neurofeedback helped me this week to get my timing back on track. I had a lot going on this week! But rather than letting the overwhelmingness ruin my mood, I perceived this busyness as a fun challenge, there was a subtle shift in my consciousness. It feels like that childhood game of matching shapes to their correct hole on the board: everything is clicking for me this week.
As I move forward in my pursuit of being the healthiest human I can be, I am going to keep attending neurofeedback sessions so my brain can get the exercise it needs to thrive. Though 30 minutes is a great start, I want to keep coming back in the weeks ahead so I can see if this science can really make a difference. The success of neurofeedback relies not just on what happens in the session, but also on the session length and the session frequency. In order to make sense of the tangled wires, I am going to have to keep practicing and practicing with Nicole until I learn how to untangle them myself.
In my next session(s), I am hoping that I can further experience my brain being regulated by neurofeedback and therefore bringing a sense of calm to my busy mind. I want to be able to self-regulate better than I have been able to in the past and I think that this is the right step for me. When I think about how much I have on my plate, I want my brain to automatically kick in and see it as a good thing rather than a stressor. I am looking forward to seeing how Nicole and neurofeedback can help me to steer my gut-reactions and impulsive thoughts into a more refined and deliberate thought process. Big things are ahead in my mental health progress and Neurogenesis NFB is to thank for giving me the tools to succeed!
If you're interested in coming in for a free trial session, Nicole will be in the office this weekend! Nicole will be working this Friday (2/21), Saturday (2/22), and Sunday (2/23) til later in the day! We'd love to see you soon.