Do clinicians ever get started and then not get the kind of results they hear about in courses?

It’s frustrating when you leave the class and don’t get the results you heard talked about. Some instructors and courses implicitly set high expectations of rapid success. You’ll hear them say “we get very good results with” (name the disorder – migraines, ADD, anxiety, etc.) We’ve even seen clinicians (fortunately not too many) drop out because after they got started, they just didn’t see enough clinical success quickly, or because clients didn’t flock to their door. Once you get better at working with neurofeedback, more clients will show up at your door. Success tends to bring success.

Some courses teach neurofeedback somewhat as a formula. But does it work the way the instructor said when you get your first few clients? There’s no formula. Sometimes, the formula does work for clinicians and clients. But you’re going to experience clients where it just doesn’t work. Did you learn the skills you need to adjust at that point? Can you get advice about another approach? For some courses, the answer is actually no. You either don’t learn enough, you get too rigid of a model, there’s no follow-up support, or all three.

Neurofeedback takes good clinical skills and judgment. That is, in many respects, more important than detailed knowledge of EEG and neurofeedback, particularly when you get started. If the client has a hard time telling you what’s happening, how do you adjust the training to the client? Hopefully, in your class they share with you how difficult that can be.

Hints

We keep emphasizing the importance of finding a good course and a good mentor (and also equipment). They are the keys to becoming successful more quickly. Here are a few other hints:

• Start with clients you already know well. You’ll have a much easier time learning to pick up changes and how to adjust the training to your clients.
• Don’t start with new clients with difficult histories or lots of comorbidities (unless that is your typical client). Gain some confidence and experience with less complex clients where you can more clearly see progress.
• Address similar challenges rather than different ones. For instance, see several clients with ADD, depression, or anxiety. Don’t see one person with ADD, one with migraines, one with PDD, and another with anxiety. It makes your initial learning harder.

Clinicians Only
Sign up for a free consulting call or email advice. Our goal isn’t the hardware or software. It’s helping you be successful in your practice with neurofeedback. Get the training, support, and equipment needed to make it happen faster and smoother.

Success Will Happen
We’ve seen therapists three or four months after their first neurofeedback course getting really positive results with clients. We’ve also seen others struggle for a long time. The course and mentor can make a big difference in your startup success. There’s also a style component. You have to gain a feel for training. Some styles of training don’t fit every therapist. We hope you can find a course and a mentor that fits you well. It makes becoming successful a whole lot easier.

No matter where you start, you’ll eventually find the path with neurofeedback if you stick with it. We’ve seen people struggle for years to get consistent results for a variety of reasons, including a lot of their own issues. They’re now very productive. It may mean more courses, or sometimes changing equipment, or changing mentors. Success will come.