Home Training
Receiving neurofeedback from a professional practitioner is the preferred way for most people to proceed with brain training. However, it is possible—and in some cases, preferable—to learn to do neurofeedback training at home.
Why Train at Home?
People who choose to train at home have many motivations, but the most common are:
- Living too far from a practitioner to make multiple trips each week for training,
- Wishing to train multiple family members at once,
- Having a trainee with a “stuck” brain that would require more than the usual number of brain training sessions
- Feeling unable to afford training with a professional practitioner yet committed to doing brain training.
Training at home does not mean training alone or in a vacuum. All home trainers have access to me for questions and guidance. In addition, home trainers have access to a Brain-Trainer International email-based conversation group.
Purchasing Gear for Home Training
If you wish to purchase equipment, Brain-Trainer International, www.brain-trainer.com, is the go-to source for sturdy, reliable, and affordable equipment, along with an enormous library of video training. Contact me at Tamera at BrainShapeLLC dot com for assistance navigating their store and making choices about which gear or package is right for you.
Neurofeedback Rental for Home Training
When you decide to rent equipment through BrainShape, you will receive a day of one-on-one training to learn to use the software and receive a brain map to guide your training program. You will also receive all the equipment you need to get started training, including:
- A laptop with neurofeedback software pre-loaded and ready to go with your training designs
- An EEG amplifier
- Lead wires, prep gel, paste, and enough disposable electrodes for one user (tips for additional users are available for a small additional fee)
- A second monitor and cable *(for rentals local to Northern Virginia only; mail order renters will need to provide their own second monitor)
- Thirty minutes of email-response time to answer any ongoing questions (additional time available at a pro-rated fee)
- Access to Brain-Trainer International’s free email support group
All rentals are a three-month minimum, with a five-month recommendation.
Cost: $800 per month for months one and two, $600 per month thereafter, which represents a significant training compared with coming to an office for professional training. Users have the option to purchase their rental equipment any time after the end of month three at a significantly reduced price, pro-rated depending upon the age and state of the equipment.
Reasons NOT to Home Train
Home training is not for everyone.
It is very easy to begin with a bout of enthusiasm, then allow life to interfere so that training sessions no longer happen on a regular basis. If you think you’ll let your brain-training gear become like an unused treadmill, make office appointments instead.
Sometimes, parents want a child to train, but their relationship is fraught for whatever reason, and the child is likely to resist sessions. This is another reason to pursue in-office, professional training, as most people find that brain training feels good and pleasurable.
There is a steep learning curve involved. As a home trainer, it isn’t necessary to learn anything more than what is necessary to run sessions for your desired goals, but it is still not for those who are technology challenged. It’s normal to have some hesitancy surrounding learning a new skill, but if technology really isn’t your thing, don’t waste your time and money trying to train at home.
Before you make a decision, feel free to contact me for a consultation. I can help you make a good choice for your particular situation.