BY GRETCHEN MORSE
MIND
Gentleness and neurofeedback It’s self-care for these uncertain times
T
he uncertainty and change in our county and world with the recent pandemic can leave us feeling helpless. Practicing gentleness and good care with ourselves can be helpful. Be gentle about your unique emotional response and needs at this time. A healthy diet, movement and exercise (which can help those feelings to move!), calming breathing and meditation exercises are gentle and excellent self-care measures. For those prone to anxiousness, anger, sleep and mood issues, current times may be even more challenging. Neurofeedback is another way to help calm the nervous system, so that our bodies and minds can feel more balanced and regulated. Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback, which helps us to self-regulate better. Neurofeedback can help to re-balance the brain and nervous system,
and our reactivity to triggers. It is typical to need 20-30 sessionsof Neurofeedback, depending on the complexity of the case. Initial goals are to reduce symptoms, and then to repeat the process enough to solidify changes in the body. Changes are usually long-term, and the process is very gentle and safe. Neurofeedback is well-endorsed by the Mayo Clinic, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and leading trauma researcher, Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
which can be helpful for a range of emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms. It can also reduce stress,
Gretchen Morse, DMA, is Board Certified in Neurofeedback and serves on the Board of the Midwest Society for Behavioral Medicine and Biofeedback. For information, call her at 517/290-4965, visit her website at www.mmneuro.com , or “Like” Mid-Michigan Neurofeedback on Facebook.
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