Author Archives: Tamera

fMRI Neurofeedback Helps with Depressive Symptoms

Posted on by:
Neurofeedback No Comments

Neurofeedback research using fMRI technology has increased dramatically in university settings in recent years and is helping shed light on the ways that neurofeedback can be of benefit to individuals from all walks of life.

As Neuroscience News has reported, one recent fMRI study published in the journal Psychological Medicine and conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience of King’s College, London shows that neurofeedback helped lessen symptoms of major depressive disorder in people who are depressed without also having anxiety.

The study is small, but it demonstrated an efficacy equal to talk therapy. In particular, it showed that fMRI-guided neurofeedback reduced feelings of self-blame and increased self-esteem.

Functional MRI is primarily a research tool at this point, because fMRI is too expensive for most clinical practices. However, the real-time fMRI helped because it gave participants a way to see what is happening in the brain as they strategize alternative ways of thinking about their situations.

EEG-based neurofeedback also demonstrates real-time shifts in brain activity, albeit through electrical brain-wave patterns rather than magnetic resonance imaging.

You can read the Neuroscience News article here and the study itself here.

Cut the Chaos to Create Better Results

Posted on by:
Hypnosis Neurofeedback No Comments

One of my mantras is that neurofeedback does not happen in a vacuum, and that it works best when done in conjunction with other steps to improve your life. (If you’ve already taken steps to fix what ails your lifestyle, neurofeedback is going to be an excellent next step, and this post probably isn’t for you.) You probably already know what those steps are—seeing a psychotherapist or a doctor if you need one, eating more real food and less processed junk, getting out in nature, moving your body in some way, starting or diving more into your spiritual practices, and creating better sleep hygiene.

Despite hearing this, so many who share my perspective that neurofeedback is powerful and effectivive still expect it to be slightly magical. The truth is that neurofeedback works great at calming your nervous system, but it does not fix the crazy in your world.

You must start to work on reining in the chaos. In fact, one of my mentors, Peter Van Deusen, says that a person living in chaos needs to cut the chaos in their lives by about 25% for neurofeedback to work optimally. What does that mean? How on earth does one cut chaos if their brains need help? Isn’t this an awfully tall order?

Not really.

The hard part of cutting the chaos is admitting where it exists in your life, then committing to creating something better for yourself. So, if you are not sure where the chaos lies, here are a few ideas for where you can look to find it in your own life:

Start with the pain points.  What is bothering you? For example, are you not sleeping well? Sleep deprivation starts a cascade of problems that can lead to so many problems, from foggy thinking to irritability and even depression. If sleep is a big issue for you, of course neurofeedback can help relax your mind and body so that sleep is easier. However, if you’re staying up late because you’re gaming or binge-watching the latest thing that caught your eye, neurofeedback isn’t going to magically send you off to bed. You have to find your own system for regulating your time with electronics. Or, say your sleep problems are coming from stress at work. Neurofeedback may help you approach your work more calmly, but it isn’t going to make an excessive workload or mismatch between your talents and your job requirements suddenly disappear. It’s up to you to evaluate what is happening at work and how to tweak what you’re doing to smooth out the bumps. This doesn’t just apply to sleep; this works for whatever is upsetting you in life.

Examine your motivations. Why are you doing what you’re doing to create or tolerate or fuel the chaos? Is your life chaotic because you are overly busy trying to please all the people in your life and putting yourself last? Is it because you’re afraid that if you don’t keep up with others’ frenetic pace that you’ll somehow miss out on life? Have you simply lost track of the idea that rest and relaxation can restore your energy so that you can do more without getting overwhelmed? Are your boundaries off, so you find yourself taking on things you don’t feel you have the right to say no to or postpone?

Assess your self-care. Are you failing to take good care of yourself in meaningful ways? If so, it’s time to start practicing extreme self-care. This doesn’t mean bubble baths and a new outfit. It means doing the things for yourself that are nurturing and good for you. For example, every parent of a preschooler knows the price that gets paid when a child is allowed to stay up too late. The next day, they have a cranky, tantrum-monster on their hands. It’s even worse when children don’t have a regular schedule at all. We grown-ups aren’t all that different. We need a nice bedtime routine to feel our best. So, use the toddler example. Try thinking of yourself as that beloved child in need of the influence of a gentle, guiding parent. What would have to change to help you be the adult equivalent of a sweet, sunshiny, creative child having a great day? Do you need more veggies? A nap? Time to snuggle with a loved one? A good book? A three-day weekend? Coffee with a friend? A hike? Another way to look at is to stop thinking of ourselves as productivity machines and more like the beautiful people that we are.

Back in the early 1990s when I read Stephen Covey’s book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I was particularly struck by his seventh habit, called sharpening the saw. He writes the parable of coming across a man standing next to an old tree with a huge trunk, trying desperately to cut it down with a hand saw. The person who encounters the would-be woodcutter says to the man something to the effect of, “If you sharpen that saw, you could cut down that tree much faster.” The man responds that he doesn’t have the time to sharpen his saw because he’s got to get the tree cut down before sunset. Please let him be, because he has important work to do. It’s so easy for us all to be like that woodcutter and forget that when we sharpen our own saws in life, things get done faster, better, with more ease, and probably with more pleasure or satisfaction.

Not everyone who comes in for neurofeedback needs to examine their lifestyle and habits in this way, but for most of us, an occasional reminder to cut the chaos for ourselves or our children is a good thing. In fact, just writing on this subject has inspired me to schedule a half-day, in-home retreat for myself.

Writing on this subject reminds me of poet Mary Oliver’s famous quote, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life.” She also wrote, “having chosen to claim my life, I have made for myself, out of work and love, a handsome life. And can do what I want to with it. Live it. Give it back, someday, without bitterness, to the wild and weedy dunes.”

If you are ready to cut the chaos and create more of what you want in life, I can help with getting your brain on board, either through biofeedback for the brain as neurofeedback or by delving with you into your own depths via hypnosis.

Alpha and Attention

Posted on by:
Brain Science Neurofeedback No Comments

The alpha electrical frequency in the brain is called alpha because it was the first electrical brainwave pattern identified over 100 years ago. Despite being the longest-known frequency and the subject of intensive research, there is still much we do not know about it.

We do know, however, that it is generated in a part of the brain called the thalamus. We know that in well-performing brains, the alpha frequency activates when one’s eyes are closed. We know that alpha gets generated when one slides into meditation, and that it is the frequency that links internal and external awareness. We know, too, that when the peak of alpha frequency starts to slide down below its ideal state of 10 Hz, memory starts to wane, and by the time the frequency has slid down below 8 Hz, dementia may be present.

There is still a great deal that we do not yet know or understand about the alpha frequency. In the 1970s, training up the alpha frequency became the focus of meditators, to the extent that neurofeedback for awhile waned in credibility as being something only hippies explored. That led to waning interest in scientific study or application of brain training. As neurofeedback rebounded and expanded in the 1990s, alpha again became a credible topic for exploration.

Now, a team of researchers at the University of Oregon have published a study in the journal Neuron showing that the alpha-like frequency in mice corresponds with communication between two parts of the brain called the thalamus and cortex. A summary of this research in Neuroscience News suggests that researchers have previously considered this to be meaningless background noise, but those in the field of neurofeedback have long suspected that so-called electrical noise in the brain has purpose; we just don’t understand it all yet. Oregon researchers are now recognizing that what once was considered noise is likely meaningful. They found that when they disrupted the alpha-like signal coming from the thalamus of the mice they studied, the cortex (the outer layer of the brain associated with conscious awareness) could not create an attentive, information-sending state.

Because even in the field of neurofeedback, practitioners focus more on various states of the beta frequency instead of alpha when it comes to attention and focus, this research may open doors to exploring how the alpha state also affects attention and focus. This has implications for improving attention in those who struggle, such as individuals with a diagnosis of ADHD.

You can find the Neuroscience News study here and a summary of the study here.

 

 

 

Go Wild, by John Ratey, MD

Posted on by:
News and Noteworty Articles No Comments

Once I read Dr. John Ratey’s book, Spark, several years ago, I started recommending it to many clients and friends, to the point that I probably annoyed people. Dr. Ratey explains in Spark that vigorous aerobic exercise in the morning boosts cognitive performance, and he cites work done in the Chicago area with students who came to school early to work out before class. They showed significant increases in cognitive capacity, regardless of whether they came from privileged suburbs or impoverished inner city neighborhoods.

Given that it’s just one physician and one study, I get how people can dismiss it as not being relevant to them.

Now, though, I’ve read another of Dr. Ratey’s books, Go Wild. Most of the book provides an explanation for the final chapter, which are his recommendations for building health and well-being. Unlike many health books I’ve read lately, the build-up to his set of recommendations is interesting and straightforward. Moreover, it might just motivate you to make a change or two.

His first recommendation is to find your lever. By that, he basically means the first simple step that will serve as a domino to cause other unhelpful behaviors to fall away as easily as other dominoes in a row. His co-author, Richard Manning, suggests that for most of us, the lever to pull to start everything in motion is likely going to be food or movement.

For food, they advise eliminating sugar, grains, and any processed foods, and to do this forever, not just as a fad diet. Unlike other books on the subject, they don’t advocate for zealous adherence, just moving toward this way of eating.  For movement, they suggest doing something you like, especially if it involves being outdoors.  In fact, they emphasize the importance of being outdoors for well-being on many levels. They also stress the importance of sleep and good relationships.

I think most of us know the basic prescription:  eat right, move right, live right.  This book, though, makes it seem simpler to accomplish than other books I’ve read on the subject. It’s a good read for anyone looking to make changes without reading a dozen books on the subject of physical and emotional health.

Air Filtration Reduces Airborne COVID

Posted on by:
Covid-19 No Comments

I’ve had good-quality air purifiers in my office since last April, when it first became apparent that COVID-19 likely is transmitted through airborne particles. They are over-engineered, meaning that they filter the air faster and more than the CDC has recommended. I’m not an expert in air safety or air quality, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Now, researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK have looked at whether portable air purifiers help, and their discovery was YES, they do.

“When a team of doctors, scientists and engineers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the University of Cambridge placed an air filtration machine in COVID-19 wards, they found that it removed almost all traces of airborne SARS-CoV-2.”

You can read more details here.  Their cookies policy is a bit confusing. What I did to read it myself was to read on a laptop screen so that I could just scroll without responding to their request for information.

Brain Trainer International

Posted on by:
Neurofeedback No Comments

Since I first learned neurofeedback, I have been purchasing most of my equipment from a company called Brain Trainer International. Its founder, Peter Van Deusen, has studied with, ruffled the feathers of, and surpassed some of the most brilliant names in the business.  In my opinion, he is out in front of most other approaches to neurofeedback due to his emphasis on working to optimize brain functioning instead of trying to create a “normal” brain.

Pete is an interesting guy, and he is worth listening to if you have any interest in learning how to do neurofeedback yourself or simply want to understand more about what practitioners who adopt his approach do.

He recently appeared on a neurofeedback and neuroscience-related podcast called Neuronoodle.  You can listen to Pete on their website here.   You can also listen on YouTube.

 

 

 

Nutrition and Brain Health

Posted on by:
Brain Science News and Noteworty Articles No Comments

Sometimes, I wish I had nutritionist credentials, because, quite honestly, most people who come to me for neurofeedback or hypnosis could benefit from significant shifts to their dietary habits. It comes as a surprise to them when I mention that food affects mood and behavior, and that teaching themselves about what changes might help shift their problems (sleep, anxiety, anger, inability to calm oneself, etc.) would accelerate their brain-related work with me.

When someone has already committed to doing at least twice weekly, hour-long brain training in my office or the same number of hours once a week doing hypnosis, it is a tall order to get them to take additional time out of their busy schedules to make an appointment with a nutritionist. I get that.

At the same time, the people who end up with the best results from working with me are generally the people who are eating real food, focusing on good sleep, and moving their bodies regularly.  The foundation of all that is food, because food impacts one’s ability to sleep properly and to have the oomph to exercise or play a sport.

It’s outside my scope to dispense nutritional advice, but in an attempt to reach folks about the importance of fueling their bodies properly, I occasionally recommend books on food and nutrition that are worth taking the time to read. The title I’d like to recommend today is called Eat Smarter—Use the Power of Food to Reboot Your Metabolism, Upgrade Your Brain, and Transform Your Life, by nutrition expert Shawn Stevenson.  Stevenson is smart, and the level of detail he’s thrown into this book is mind-boggling. However, he has a terrific sense of humor and a way of approaching solid science that makes it approachable and easy to understand. It’s an easy read.

In fact, it’s so well-written that I find myself taking in information he presents much more easily than one would expect on this subject. For example, just before writing this, I texted a friend a detail I found fascinating while reading the book: Stevenson cited an Oxford University study showing that prison inmates who were provided with nutritional supplements for four months showed a 35 percent decrease in disciplinary infractions and a 34 percent decrease in violent incidents. He quoted one of the lead researchers as saying that a bad diet is a better predictor of future violent behavior than is a past history of violence. Wow. If dietary support can do that, imagine what else it can do! And, if a book contains information that you pass on like treasured trivia to a friend, you know it’s worth your time.

There is so much information in his book that could change your life if only you were to pick one or two things and try them.  But, if reading isn’t your thing, Stevenson has a podcast called The Model Health Show that addresses many of the subjects in his book.  His on-air personality is strong, so it may not be for everyone, but I have become an avid listener.

 

 

 

Shrinking and Enlarging Brains

Posted on by:
Brain Science No Comments

I knew that trauma and pregnancy change the size of the brain, but it turns out, changing seasons also affect the volume of certain structures of the brain. Several sub-cortical structures grow larger in the winter and smaller in the summer. Other structures, such as the cerebellum, are larger in the summer and smaller in the winter.

Researchers are slowly working toward understanding these seasonal shifts in both humans and animals, but the reasons behind these volume shifts remain a mystery. Discover Magazine published a story about this topic and recent discoveries, which is a short and interesting read. You can find the article here and one of the studies on which the story is based, conducted at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center in Connecticut, here.

Program Announcement: Adaptive Resilience

Posted on by:
News and Noteworty Articles No Comments

My friend Martha Brettschneider offers amazing courses in meditation, self awareness, and well-being. Her students come from around the country, and her seminars have most recently been well-received at the World Bank. If you are looking for ways to help you feel more adaptable and resilient to our ongoing stressful times, I encourage you to check out her current offering.  You can learn more about it below.

Disclaimer:  I have no financial or business relationship with Martha, meaning that I do not profit if you register for the course. I’m sharing because spreading the word about her is potentially beneficial to you.

 

As we move through fall and towards the holiday season with the pandemic still woven into our daily experience, we could all use a booster shot of resilience. Am I right?

That’s why I’m so excited to share with you that I have added a new program to my offerings next month: Search Inside Yourself’s Adaptive Resilience Series.

Why This Program?

Some of the latest neuroscience and behavioral research suggests that resilience – the ability to recover from adversity, adapt and thrive – can be systematically developed as a set of skills, especially in challenging times.
 
This virtual program will enable participants to build the useful behaviors, mental habits and micro-practices that promote personal resilience and also grow a culture of resilience in our relationships and social groups, whether that’s at home, at work, or in our communities.
 
Module 1: Developing Clarity (Monday, November 8, 7-8:30 pm ET)
Managing stress and overwhelm, and staying focused in difficult and uncertain times.
 
Module 2: Shifting Mindsets (Monday, November 15, 7-8:30 pm ET)
Mindsets and skills for adaptability and creativity in the midst of uncertainty and complexity.
 
Module 3: Influencing Change / Building Trust (Monday, November 22, 7-8:30 ET)
Creating a change-capable culture by growing empathy and psychological safety.
 
In each of the modules, emphasis will be placed on concrete and practical skills and tools that participants can implement immediately to boost resilience at home, at work, and out in the wider world.

What does it cost?

One of the great benefits of being a Certified SIY Teacher is that I have flexibility to offer discounts to my clients. This invite-only program (yes, this is YOUR invitation) is priced at $115, a significant discount from SIY’s public program price.

GO HERE to register. If you have questions, contact Martha Brettschneider directly at Martha@Damselwings.com.

Serotonin and the Gut

Posted on by:
News and Noteworty Articles No Comments

An article in Neuroscience News explores the brain-gut connection when it comes to mental health. They remind readers that 95% of all serotonin is produced in the gut, not the brain, and point out that researchers at Duke University are looking for ways to treat depression and anxiety by targeting serotonin molecules in the gut instead of the brain. Studies are ongoing in mice, and it is known that there is a sweet spot for the amount of serotonin—too much serotonin in the body can cause heart problems.  You may find the Neuroscience News article here.

Anger Alchemy, Four-Week Course

Posted on by:
News and Noteworty Articles No Comments

David Bedrick is a sensitive soul, exceptionally talented therapist, wise person, and all around nice guy.  In my email inbox today, I received an invitation from him to attend a four-week seminar he is offering in September called Anger Alchemy.

If you are on any kind of a healing journey, I encourage you to take a look at what David has to offer, not only in this particular seminar, but in general.  Here is a link to the Anger Alchemy class: https://santafeinstitute.davidbedrick.com/courses/anger-alchemy

Each week has a slightly different focus:  shame and repressed anger, inner criticism, angry words, and working with anger in the world. These topics are practically universal, I think.

If you are a client or former client of mine and opt to attend the seminars, please let me know what you think. I cannot participate due to my work schedule, but if I could, I would.

(Please note that I am not financially connected to David Bedrick in any way, nor did he ask me to post this. I simply think his gifts are worth broadcasting.)

 

Ten Strange Facts about the Brain

Posted on by:
Brain Science No Comments

I had several hours in the car by myself recently and decided to spend the time with a queue of podcasts I have been meaning to listen to.  One, called 10 Strange (but powerful) Facts About the Brain, was worth recommending to you.  Fitness and Nutrition expert Shawn Stevenson hosts this podcast, which lasts just under an hour.  The information is pretty basic if you already have an understanding of neuroscience, but for most people, the knowledge you’ll acquire is well worth the time you’ll spend.  Like almost all podcasts, there are a few ads, but they aren’t overwhelming.  You can access it here:  https://themodelhealthshow.com/fact-about-human-brain/ or search for it yourself on your favorite player.

Your Health, Big Food, Big Pharma, Climate Change, and Government

Posted on by:
News and Noteworty Articles No Comments

Metabolical, by Dr. Robert Lustig, is one of the most consequential books I’ve read in several years, and I strongly encourage you to put it at the top of your to-read list.

Dr. Lustig covers the waterfront when it comes to how nutrition affects health, particularly metabolic health, and how the food industry impacts our world. His argument basically boils down to the premise that it’s our food system itself that contributes to so many metabolic disorders and health problems, not our character or lack of willpower.  In turn, Dr. Lustig takes on the federal government for subsidizing sugar, corn, soy, and wheat; the food industry for taking food and transforming it into non-food; and even the pharmaceutical industry. He also connects what we eat with impacts on climate change.  If there is a sore spot or controversial topic related to what and how we eat, I’m pretty sure that Dr. Lustig has confidently trod upon it.

What he has to say about what he describes as three immoral hazards to our way of life is also powerful, full of details, and well worth all our time to consider.

His book is also a call to eat real food. I love his argument that there is no such thing as junk food; there is junk that can move through our bodies and there is food. In a podcast interview that was promoting this book, I heard Dr. Lustig say that he sometimes speaks at churches, and his nutrition advice breaks down to: eat God-man food, not man-made junk.  And, he points out that the truth about the quite confusing argument among the keto/paleo crowd and the vegetarian/vegan crowd is that as long as one is consuming real food and not processed junk (goodness knows there’s quite a bit of keto and vegan junk on the market), a person is likely to be healthier adopting either strategy than eating the Standard American Diet.  His advice reminds me of Michael Pollan’s advice to eat real food, mostly plants, and not too much.

This topic is of interest to me because the public is increasingly become aware of the link between what we consume and how we feel, both physically and mentally. In addition, I have experienced that my clients who improve their diets improve their physical health, mental health, and outlook on life.

As usual, if you are a client of mine, you are welcome to borrow my copy of this book. If you’re not, please go find a copy. You may not agree with everything Dr. Lustig has to say, but you will be better informed about a system that is broken and harmful.

Is Hypnosis Against My Religion?

Posted on by:
Hypnosis No Comments

The notion that hypnosis might not be in alignment with major religious teachings and could potentially be evil was about as far away from my thinking as could be.

I have been prepared to talk about whether it works, how it works, under what conditions it works, and for whom it works. When I heard the assertion that hypnosis opens the door to evil, it was so far outside my way of thinking that I was shocked when I heard it. It never occurred to me that this might be a legitimate concern for anyone.

Because the context in which I heard the suggestion that hypnosis is demonic was in a Christian setting, I want to take just a moment to note that the word hypnosis does not appear in the Bible at all. Words like trance and vision do appear.  The disciples had visions and had things come to them while in a state of trance (for example, see Acts 10:10, Acts 11:5, and Acts 22:7), and these were positive experiences.

So, let me be clear: hypnosis does not undermine the teachings of any mainstream faith practice.

Hypnosis is simply a way of getting your subconscious to align with your conscious desires. It helps people achieve goals and live more the way they want to live. It’s a personal development and growth tool. That’s it.

It cannot make you do something you don’t want to do. It cannot turn you into something you don’t want to be.  Hypnosis most definitely does NOT make good people more susceptible to evil or immoral influences. 

Anyone who says otherwise likely does not understand how hypnosis works or how many people it has helped. It is, indeed, a benign and beneficial tool.

 

 

Banish Fear. Create Calm.

Posted on by:
Hypnosis Neurofeedback Stress Management No Comments

Fear seems to be driving so much of our world these days.

Fear underlies how we view the coronavirus pandemic, and how we react to it. Fear is driving political discourse, no matter your position on the left-right spectrum. Even worse, just mentioning the words climate change or social justice can lead people into despair.

Too many of us feel like our world is crumbling—that democracy is failing, our health system is failing, and we are failing our environment, our children, our neighbors, and ourselves.

Enough.

Our world has problems. There’s no denying that.

And, solutions are going to be messy and hard-won, with lots of mistakes in between here and there. There’s no denying that, either.

The trouble is that the fear that’s driving us has a terrible impact on our bodies, minds, and spirits.

It’s time to take strong and powerful action to rectify this situation.

Calm people can manage when others have their hair on fire and are running around upset and unproductive.

Calm people have stronger immune systems, stronger bodies, and increased well-being.

Calm people respond to life’s challenges rather than over-reacting.

Calm people just plain feel better, and they feel better to be around.

Would you like to create calm for yourself?

Come work with me, and I’ll help you do that.

I can help calm your nervous system so that you stop over-responding to the world.

I can help tap into your subconscious mind so that you can team with it and not only achieve your goals, but relax enough to enjoy your accomplishments.

You can ditch your bad habits and replace them with things you’d really rather be doing.

I have two powerful tools—neurofeedback and hypnosis. Both have been around for a long time, and both have science backing their impact.  Both allow you to change yourself, with a little help from me. Both actually feel good to do.

Both create lasting change.

You don’t have to do both to achieve results. Most people choose to do one or the other, depending upon their specific needs and goals.

I’m pretty fired up to start making a difference in the pervasive fear in our culture right now, so I’m adding additional hours to my schedule, starting in September. It may only be for the fall, or it might be longer, depending upon the need. To fill this time and reach more people, I am offering to anyone who wants to get started in August or September and mentions this blog post to me:

  • For hypnosis, $20 off per session (For a total of $200 per session, reduced from $220 per session).
  • For neurofeedback, half off a brain map ($160, reduced from $320)

Schedule a phone, on-line, or in-person consult with me, and we can discuss how you can create lasting calm, and which tools are right for you.