The fields of neurobiology and neuropsychology are growing rapidly, and neuroscientists now understand that the human brain has the capability to adapt and develop new living neurons by engaging new tasks and challenges throughout our lives, essentially allowing the brain to rewire itself. In Neurotherapy and Neurofeedback, accomplished clinicians and scholars Lori Russell-Chapin and Ted Chapin illustrate the importance of these advances and introduce counselors to the growing body of research demonstrating that the brain can be taught to self-regulate and become more efficient through neurofeedback (NF), a type of biofeedback for the brain. Students and clinicians will come away from this book with a strong sense of how brain dysregulation occurs and what kinds of interventions clinicians can use when counseling and medication prove insufficient for treating behavioral and psychological symptoms.
Is a cutting-edge, drug-free therapeutic technique used by over a thousand licensed therapists in North America to treat a range of conditions from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders to epilepsy, stroke, anxiety, migraine, and depression. First popularized in the 1970s, this naturalistic method is based on the idea that we can control our brain activity and that, through training, the brain can learn to modify its own electrical patterns for more efficient processing or to overcome various states of dysfunction.
The Brain That Changes Itself – Norman Doidge, M.D. (2007)
An astonishing new science called “neuroplasticity” is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. In this revolutionary look at the brain, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., provides an introduction to both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they’ve transformed. From stroke patients learning to speak again to the remarkable case of a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, The Brain That Changes Itself will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.
“Dr. van der Kolk . . . has written a fascinating and empowering book about trauma and its effects. He uses modern neuroscience to demonstrate that trauma physically affects the brain and the body, causing anxiety, rage, and the inability to concentrate. Victims have problems remembering, trusting, and forming relationships. They have lost control. Although news reports and discussions tend to focus on war veterans, abused children, domestic violence victims, and victims of violent crime suffer as well. Using a combination of traditional therapy techniques and alternative treatments such as EMDR, yoga, neurofeedback, and theater, patients can regain control of their bodies and rewire their brains so that they can rebuild their lives.—Medical Library Association, Consumer Connections
Conventional science has long held the position that ‘the mind’ is merely an illusion, a side effect of electrochemical activity in the physical brain. Dr Jeffrey Schwartz and Sharon Begley’s groundbreaking work, The Mind and the Brain, argues exactly the opposite: that the mind has a life of its own. Dr Schwartz, a leading researcher in brain dysfunctions, and Wall Street Journal science columnist Sharon Begley demonstrate that the human mind is an independent entity that can shape and control the functioning of the physical brain. Their work has its basis in our emerging understanding of adult neuroplasticity–the brain’s ability to be rewired not just in childhood, but throughout life, a trait only recently established by neuroscientists.
Symphony in the Brain – Jim Robbins (2008)
If you thought biofeedback was a passing fad, freelance journalist Robbins will enlighten you. Far from a 1970s fringe treatment, neurofeedback (as it has been renamed) is being used to treat everything from autism and fetal alcohol syndrome to attention deficit disorder, manic-depression, stroke and menopausal symptoms. Despite numerous accounts of dramatic improvements of patients afflicted with a wide variety of conditions, the pharmaceutically oriented medical community is only now beginning to acknowledge its effectiveness. Robbins details the fascinating medical history of the therapy, tracing it back to French physician Paul Broca’s discovery of the region in the brain where speech originates. At the heart of this riveting story are the people whose lives have been transformed by neurofeedback, from the doctors and psychologists who employ it to the patients who have undergone treatment.
The 20 Minute Break; Using the New Science of Ultradian Rhythms – Ernest Lawrence Rossi M.D. (1991)
Rossi, a psychology researcher and disciple of clinical hypnotherapist Milton Erickson, introduces the concept of ultradian rhythms, or biological cycles of rest and activity that regulate physical and mental health. Approximately every 90-120 minutes, he asserts, the mind and body give clues signaling the need for rest and change in physical and mental activity. Rossi shows that ignoring these signals may lead to fatigue, stress, and ultimately psychosomatic illness. He recommends taking 20-minute breaks that lead to renewed energy and improved performance. He provides guidelines for monitoring one’s own ultradian rhythms to aid in physical training, weight reduction, improving family and sexual relations, and managing stress