Initial calls from people who are interested in brain training, especially mothers of potential trainees, often result in the question of whether neurofeedback is hard to do. The short answer to that is an emphatic no.

Perhaps because it is often compared to physical training of other parts of the body, it’s natural to come to the conclusion that doing brain training is going to take a lot of hard work to achieve. However, neurofeedback does not involve the mind, and it is not necessary to think hard to make neurofeedback work.

In fact, trying to analyze or think one’s way through a neurofeedback session often is counter-productive. It works best when an individual just relaxes and enjoys the session.

Actual training happens at a part of the body we normally think we cannot control, called the autonomic nervous system. The equipment measures and then rewards pools of neurons for responding to rewards that come in the form of tones, making a movie or film clip progress, or playing a video game.

The computer and the brain handle the tricky part, mostly without our conscious involvement. Sometimes, receiving coaching through a session is important, but even then, the training is not beyond a person’s capability.

For many here in Northern Virginia, the hardest part of training is the initial commitment to making the time to come for training.  Because of that, I keep convenient hours, including Saturday time, that help make that commitment a bit easier.  If you’re thinking about whether it’s time to make that pledge to yourself, give me a call, and we can sort it out together.