Most people are unaware that it’s possible to do neurofeedback brain training from anywhere other than a practitioner’s office. However, home training has been around since the late 1990s/early 2000s. Many thousands of people all over the world have recognized that they can and do have the skills to engage in training their own brain or that of a family member.
It can be done!
But, Why Train at Home?
People who choose to train at home do so for many reasons, but the most common are:
- No competent professionals are nearby. If you live too far away to make multiple trips each week to work with a practitioner you can trust, learning to train at home is a doable alternative.
- Unpredictable schedules. Sometimes, people have crazy travel schedules or are at the mercy of children’s extra-curricular activities. You can commit to doing consistent training each week but cannot commit to regular appointment times.
- Multiple trainees. When you wish to train multiple family members at once, the cost in terms of both money and time can be prohibitive for some families.
- You need a LOT of training. Having a trainee with a “stuck” brain that would require more than the usual number of brain training sessions means that it might be much simpler to learn to do sessions at home.
- It’s more affordable. Training at home is a great alternative for someone who feels unable to afford training with a professional practitioner but is committed to doing brain training.
Training at home can be done anywhere around the world with internet access (though I limit my work to the United States and Canada). But being far away does not mean training alone or in a vacuum. BrainShape will support you throughout the learning and training process.
How It’s Done
Here are the basic things you need to know about home training.
There is a learning curve involved in doing brain training, no doubt about it. But, you don’t need to learn everything there is to know about neurofeedback in order to do it at home. The essentials for success are simple:
- knowing what and where to train using neurofeedback software,
- acquiring the equipment to do so, and
- having the discipline to engage in regular training.
Knowing What and Where to Train
Knowing where to place sensors on the scalp, why you’re doing it, and how to set up the computer software to train you properly is the aspect of neurofeedback that requires either professional engagement or a LOT of study on the part of the home trainer.
Fortunately, doing distance brain training with BrainShape means you are not trying to figure out how to do neurofeedback on your own.
You get the benefit of Tamera Siminow’s nearly 20 years of experience to help you learn where and how to train. Like most people who do neurofeedback brain training, you begin with a brain map. Tamera meets with you live, online, to guide you through the process of collecting data and mailing it to her. She then produces a map of where and how to train your brain.
From there, you receive instructions on how to read your brain map and set up the software system for success. In addition, you have the opportunity to check in regarding your progress and ask questions through weekly meetings called Office Hours.
You will learn the basics of attaching sensors (called electrodes) in the right places and running the software properly. You’ll also receive some of the basic information about how neurofeedback works. These essentials will get you through your course of training.
Sometimes, though, people desire more in-depth understanding. If you desire deeper knowledge, that training is available upon request, as is practitioner certification.
Acquiring Equipment
Renting equipment from BrainShape is straightforward. Once you sign up, BrainShape sends you almost everything you need: an amplifier (a device that literally amplifies the faint electrical signal that makes its way through the skull to your sensors), a cap to hold the sensors on the scalp, sensors called electrodes that listen for the electrical signal much like a stethoscope listens in on the heart’s plumbing at work, and earphones.
Because it’s more economical and simpler all the way around, BrainShape no longer rents computers and monitors. You provide your own computer (Windows-based is preferable, and you cannot use a mini-computer like a Chromebook) and a secondary monitor or television. You also provide a jar of salt water to soak your sensors between uses.
Owning equipment is also a possibility. BrainShape can help you find affordable equipment from a reputable supplier. Or, you may inquire to see whether Tamera has any used equipment available for sale. For this, too, you’ll supply your own computer and extra monitor. Monthly fees will of course be different, because you’ll be paying exclusively for training and supervision. Email or call Tamera for more details regarding this option.
Ongoing Support
Your rental package includes four hours of live, one-on-one support, plus access to Office Hours—a weekly live online meeting to ask questions and sometimes meet other people doing home training. Think of BrainShape’s Office Hours like those of a university professor–Tamera is present and available for anyone shows up with questions or concerns or just wants to say hello. You may be alone, or it might become a group session.
What Can Go Wrong?
If you’re wary about doing brain training with distance support, that’s reasonable. For most people, though, things run smoothly.
It’s important to know that there is nothing in the published literature to suggest that neurofeedback is unsafe in any way. Standard neurofeedback is a gentle teaching tool for the brain (as it is currently theorized).
We change our brains every day, unintentionally. Every new experience does that.
Students change their brains every time they learn new facts and understand new concepts. Athletes change their brains every time they master a new skill. Musicians change their brains every time they learn a new piece. Neurofeedback as we currently understand it is similar in that people who do brain training are trying to change their energetic habits of mind toward their goals of increased calm, peace, focus, etc.
The bottom line is that you’re not going to break your brain, destroy your personality, or other awful things just from using a form of biofeedback that’s specialized for the brain.
All that said, it’s possible to do unhelpful things. If you do not follow your training plan or start to experiment in unsupervised ways, you might give yourself a headache, make yourself excessively tired, or even create anxiety where none existed before. Thankfully, these negative side effects from failing to follow your training plan will likely only last a short period of time before fading away. DO follow your training plan, and avoid messing around with the software beyond what your brain map calls for you to do.
Then there are a few important rules: BrainShape does not knowingly rent equipment to people who have serious mental illness (examples include but are not limited to things like schizophrenia or a history of psychotic breaks). Think of neurofeedback as a wellness tool, not a treatment for serious diseases or disorders.
You can still get results from neurofeedback if you’re taking most medications. However, BrainShape insists that you follow your prescribing doctor’s orders and keep your doctor apprised of your progress with brain training. Some people end up needing to alter their dosages or cease taking medications altogether, and that is a conversation solely for medical professionals. No one at BrainShape dispenses medical advice.