Action Trauma Conference, 17th June 2024
Reorganising neurocircuitry within a relational context; a revolutionary and empirically based model for psychological and physical healing
Dr Dawn Harris Consultant Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, Kedras Clinics
• Up to 70 percent of adults report experiencing at least one traumatic event in their lifetime (National Council for Behavioural Health).
• Approximately 70% of the world’s population have been exposed to a traumatic life event, and the resulting mental health problems represent a major challenge to public mental health services, globally (Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress, 2018).
• A study into childhood trauma (Adverse Childhood Experiences study, 2009) found that stressful or traumatic childhoods result in social, emotional and cognitive impairments that increase the risk of mental health difficulties, unhealthy behaviours, risk of violence or re-victimization, disease and disability.
• The ACE study also concluded that childhood traumas have an impact on neuroregulatory systems which impacts medical problems as well as behaviours from childhood into adulthood.
• Traumatized treatment seeking people have many symptoms that are not covered in diagnosis of PTSD.
• Anxiety, depression, self-hatred, aggressive behaviour against self and others, impaired capacity to experience satisfaction/pleasure/fun, problems with relationships and intimacy, shame, blame, guilt, attachment difficulties, inability to regulate physiological arousal, no sense of self, social isolation, dissociation, substance misuse issues.
• Physical problems – fibromyalgia, arthritis, cancer, auto-immune, chronic pain, tics, seizures and so on.
• Problems are viewed as co-morbid but are in fact part of a spectrum of trauma-related problems.
• What can we do to help?
• CBT
• EMDR
• CFT
• CRM
• Lifespan integration
• IFS
• Schema therapy
• DBT
• DBR
• Psychodynamic
• Now psychedelics
• Combination of the above and many others..
• No one size fits all – even though developers may say this.
• But my problem was this…
• I have trained in almost all the previous therapies
• Training is one thing, practice is another…
• Dissociation..
• Lack of embodiment/feeling
• High levels of emotional dysregulation
• Obstacles to change/engage..
• Frustration
• Burnout
• Speed
• Chess game?
• Tool kit – not enough
• So, I went looking for answers…
• Form of neurotechnology (brain-computer interface)
• Working with the brain’s ability to self-regulate
• Safe
• Non-invasive
• Quick
• Can be effortless for person in treatment
• Affirming/non blaming
• No need for telling story/long sessions of talking
• Overcoming obstacles can be easier
• Produces long lasting results
(Whatis) Neurofeedback?
(It’s)Physical Therapy for your Brain!
•Strengthens brain network communication
• Stabilizes/improves overall brain performance
•Creates meaningful reductions in emotional, physical, and behavioral maladaptive functioning
•Supports brain health and wellbeing
• ILF NFB does not tell the brain what to do. It relies on the brain’s inherent ability to selfregulate
• Trauma informed healing –providing the context for control, empowerment, safety.
• Different language
• Sensors
• Wires
• TV
• Paste/gel
• Need to know a bit of the neuroscience
• Success remains relational
• But don’t throw the baby out with the bath water..
Look into the mirror and what do you see..?
Brain (“Neuro“) – technical apparatus Mirror (“Feedback“)
Neurofeedback is a mirror for the brain. The brain is constantly seeking if and where it influences something.
“Did I cause that?“
Thanks to self-organization and plasticity the central nervous system learns to improve its autoregulation capacity by means of this mirror. (FDA: Relaxation)
Video, audio and tactile cues embedded into software generated animations, movies, Netflix, Disney plus, teddy bear/cushion.
These provide feedback to the brain about its own functioning. The feedback encourages the brain to self-correct.
Just like looking in the mirror and wanting to change something about our appearance.
Therapist asks TV to feedback information to brain at particular frequency indiviualised to each unique brain
As brain regulates, person feels calmer, relaxed and life feels easier..
Relationship remains the key component of success
What do clients say?
• I’ve had a really challenging childhood with follow-on effects.
• I read Bessel van der Kolk’s ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ in the hopes that it might help me move forward and it’s where I discovered neurofeedback.
• My first session was extremely powerful. Afterwards, I felt deeply relaxed, almost ‘slowed-down’. It was a new experience for me and showed me just how much nervous energy had been fuelling my day-to-day life.
• I have absolutely no regrets in starting a course of neurofeedback. I can’t kid you, it’s unusual and not at all what I expected, but the changes to my life, my mood and my behaviour are both subtle and profound.
• Over time, the general whirring of energetic anxiety that I had begun to accept as my normal has dulled to a low hum. My mind is clearer, my decision-making considered and reasonable. I’m able to listen to a conversation, where once I might have really struggled to take in what was being said.
• I have begun recommending NFB to almost everyone I know.
• This treatment has become the ‘missing link’ in moving beyond where I was to where I want to be. It has given me hope of a calmer, pain-controlled future. Even though this is what I came looking for, it’s a genuine relief that I have found it.
• My journey feels quite transformative. Discovering the passive nature of NFB, how it expedites the practice of deep focus, clear thinking, and takes me into a theta state that meditation practice doeswithout the 'effort' - has been transformational.
• The results have been incredible. My husband has said my reactions to things - all things, every dayhave been more measured, less reactionary and emotional, even from session one. I feel more measured, and calm. I can think straight and in order. My jumpy brain feels more focused and I'm generally more productive. I don't get stressed about frustrating situations that I've no control over.
• The biggest thing I tell people, that happened almost immediately, was a strong sense and physical of my nervous system 'dropping'. Like I let a huge breath out. Like my diaphragm actually dropped. The chest tightness has disappeared. And if I ever feel it rising, I seem to be able to calm myself. And it doesn't come up when I'm around certain family members who would literally transfer their stressy energy onto me!
• And my sleep - from the second session, I slept more deeply, not waking up. Most importantly, even when I've had a shorter sleep, I now wake up every day feeling rested and refreshed. I hadn't had that for a long long time. I'd often be dragging myself out of bed with a heavy head. And that has gone.
• Speech was often characterised by rambles or single words sentences, not interacting with the environment or contextual cues.
• Frequent tantrums, which involved aggressive and explosive behaviour, along with periods of shutdown during which communication was difficult.
• Heightened auditory sensitivity.
• Severe lack of sleep.
• He would answer questions accurately and even ask questions in return following the appropriate context (e.g., when he was only with his father, he would ask: “Where’s my mommy?”).
• Session 12, his ability to initiate speech became apparent (e.g., “Good morning mama, good morning papa”).
• Over 20 sessions, he experienced a significant reduction in tantrums and sleep deprivation, along with the improvement of contextual speech and communication skills.
• On return to school – no problems, continued to sleep, mum commented we had performed a “miracle”
A 40% reduction in the severity of the client's concerns after 20 sessions
A 13-percentile point improvement in Sustained Attention+Impulse Control and a 6-percentile point improvement in Speed+Consistency on a neuropsychological test.
Clients report a 37% improvement in their ability to manage the stress in their life
No Shows and Late Cancellations are only 3%
Premature terminations are only 12%
Clients rate NFB as a 4 on a 1-5 scale, and more helpful than just counseling or medications
58% reduction in SelfHarm/Suicidal Ideation
59% reduction in Discipline Actions at School
36% reduction in Academic Performance and Attendance Problems
82% reduction in drug and alcohol relapses
69% reduction in ER Visits for Medical Reasons
89% reduction in ER Visits for Psychiatric Reasons
89% reduction in Hospitalisations for Medical Reasons
91% reduction in Hospitalisations for Psychiatric Reasons
• People look forward to therapy sessions
• The no-show rate drops significantly
• Rapid and noticeable improvement of symptoms
• More relaxed work
• Achieve more with less effort
• Suitable for all presentations, regardless of complexity
Psychiatrist from Switzerland: "Neurofeedback is my personal antiburnout program".
Symptom based and not diagnosis based
Comprehensive assessment required (therapeutic standard)
Training protocols are 100% customised for each person
Average length of training: between 20 & 60 1-hour sessions
Can be combined insession with other therapies or provided separately; the former is more effective (anecdotal)
Enduring results can be supported by future booster sessions.
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Therapists rate NFB as being Quite or Very Helpful in 73% of cases. Only 2% said it wasn’t helpful at all.
Therapists regularly talk about how NFB makes their other therapeutic tools work much better.
Therapists report doing neurofeedback as less exhausting than talk therapy 03
• Most people in my experience
• Complex cases including personality/dissociative disorders, cPTSD/PTSD, insomnia, pain, neurodiversity, attention, TBI
• Co-morbidity
• FND, autoimmune, arthritis, hypersensitivity.
• Addiction, trauma, OCD, anxiety, depression
• Stay within own competency
• Sports performance
• Business
• School/work performance
• Military
What does the research say..
Meike Wiedemann, PhD & Bernhard Wandernoth, PhD
Source: Pubmed
• 42 meta-analyses (peer-reviewed journals) published from 20182023
• 36 (86%) of meta-analyses showed positive outcomes
• 713 total studies
• 444 (62%) studies were randomized controlled trials
• 29,158 total subjects (approx. split equally male/female, child/adult)
• Disorders covered: ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression, OCD,
• PTSD, Substance Use, General Combined Psychiatric DXs
• Combined results of meta-analyses reported overall statistically significant symptom reductions upon completion of training for many mental health conditions
• Peak performance (sports, business, general functioning)
• Bee Medic help to facilitate courses in 19 countries
• In 15 languages
• With 62 lecturers
• Patients love the neurofeedback
• So do the clinicians
• Foundation for reputation, acceptance and studies
• A veteran
• History of developmental trauma
• Medical discharge from the army – victim of IED explosion
• Various therapies, including residential nothing working
• Huge amount of medication
• Agoraphobia, significant levels of anxiety, depression, personality disorder traits (potential full but no diagnosis), lots of medication.
• Flashbacks every day/seizures at night – Dr’s could not identify a cause of seizures.
• Complex case
• Film crew
