A good mentor is critical to your clinical success in neurofeedback. So much information is given in a course that it’s not possible to take it all in. After leaving a course, you’ll likely find you have many more questions as you begin practicing what you learned. A good mentor makes it easier to get started, stay on track, and helps your practice become productive much more quickly.

For your convenience, we list several mentors at the bottom of the page.

You’re going to want help with the little “how to’s”, as well as the big things, like protocols and clinical decisions. Solid mentoring can answer these kinds of questions and more:

• What do I look at on the screen?
• What does the EEG mean?
• What about these ratios?
• How do I tell if the client is learning?
• What do I do when my client isn’t responding?
• I have a difficult client. Where should I start?

What Are Some Mistakes in Choosing a Mentor?

1. It’s common to think choosing someone close by is better. Many beginning clinicians feel more secure with a mentor whose physical location is close to them. In reality, physical proximity has little to do with a successful mentor relationship. Additionally, many clinicians are not likely to want to mentor someone who will be their direct competition.
2. Others pick someone who knows a lot more than they do or seems to have built a good clinical practice. Just because someone is successful in their own practice doesn’t mean they are adept at mentoring. They are two different skills. Experienced clinicians may quickly forget their own getting-started process. They may have gone through several stages of learning and now combine several different approaches. But you still don’t know what you’re doing, and trying to learn from someone discussing several approaches is very difficult.
3. Some people are so happy to have a mentor agree to help them, they don’t ask some important questions to determine if that person is the right fit. Some people do best with a structured mentoring program; others like a more unstructured approach. Cost may be a factor. Experience with equipment and systems are another factor. Learn as much as you can about how each clinician approaches mentoring so you pick the right fit and style for you.

Our Recommendation

Find the best teacher/mentor with whom you are compatible. He or she should have the same training and equipment as you to start out with. It doesn’t matter if the mentor lives across the country or in a different country. Most experienced clinicians in the field didn’t have anyone close by when they started. Many methods to share files and screens are available via the Internet. The mentor should help you learn how to think about and approach neurofeedback. You can always find someone local to help you learn which keys to push on the equipment. Picking a good mentor is a different matter, and it makes a huge difference to your success.

Finding the right mentor takes some effort. It’s also a critical part of building a successful practice more quickly.

Neurofeedback Mentors