Sexual abuse. Emotional neglect. Mental illness of parents. Domestic violence. These are all examples of Negative childhood experiences (ACE), traumatic events that occur in childhood and can cause problems in adulthood.
This type of chronic childhood stress is likely to cause a child’s brain to develop to be ready to deal with more chronic stress. These children are more likely to view the world as a terrifying place. They may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health issues later in life.
Of course, in an ideal world, no child would be traumatized. But we live in a less than ideal world, and ACEs are terribly common. THE research found this 62% of adults reported having experienced at least one type of ACE before age 18, while 25% reported three or more.
But the good news is that just as the brain reacts to negative experiences in childhood, it can also change and react to positive experiences even in adulthood. With the right treatment, childhood trauma can be healed.
There are specific therapies that are particularly helpful in overcoming negative childhood experiences. Our blog series on ACEs Healing Modalities aims to explain these therapies, as part of our assignment to help people heal from childhood trauma. We encourage you to learn more about the eight ACE healing modalities that we will be posting, including neurofeedback here, to explain what they are and how they might help you or your loved ones.
What is Neurofeedback Therapy?
Neurofeedback therapy might sound very sci-fi – having wires and sensors attached to your head and seeing what your brain is doing right now. But neurofeedback has been used to help many conditions, including common responses to childhood trauma, such as ADHD and PTSD.
So how does it work? Neurofeedback uses electrodes to monitor brain activity. During a session, you will have electrical sensors attached to your head. You can see how your brain works in real time and how it reacts to different situations.
This allows you to understand the inner workings of your brain and show reactions which you may not have been aware of.
The next step is to use neurofeedback therapy sessions to train the brain to work differently where needed. This is done by encouraging desirable brain waves. The therapist may ask you to look at something on a screen while measuring brain waves. The screen illuminates with types of positive waves; the idea is that you will try to repeat their behavior to get the brighter screen reward.
Over time, the theory goes, this will transition from therapy sessions to daily life – as you learn to shift your brain waves during neurofeedback therapy, you will be able to apply these changes to your daily life.
“Neurofeedback is not considered a cure, but rather a method of managing or regulating the functioning of the brain so that it functions in a healthier way.” psychology today
Neurofeedback for Childhood Trauma and PTSD
Can Neurofeedback Help Heal Childhood Trauma and PTSD? The short answer is yes. Neurofeedback for PTSD aims to teach the brain to function differently and is one of the recommended ways to help heal childhood trauma.
Normally, the body goes into “fight, flight, or freeze” mode when a person feels threatened, but when a person has experienced trauma, this heightened state of awareness can be continuous – they are always alert. Neurofeedback therapy can train the brain away from this state and into a more restful place.
Healing from childhood trauma is a process, and the goal of neurofeedback is not to heal the trauma itself, but to lessen the effect of the trauma on your brain. Participants have reported feeling calmer after the sessions, having learned to reduce the brain waves associated with anxiety. Analysis of this has shown that it can be useful for adults And childrenalthough the evidence is not definitive, and more research is necessary.
EMDR versus Neurofeedback
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is used to treat trauma; during a therapy session, the patient will recall a traumatic experience while the therapist asks them to move their eyes in a different direction. This lessens the intensity of the trauma response by redirecting attention elsewhere.
Thus, EMDR and neurofeedback therapy aim to regulate the brain’s response to certain events, and both can be part of a healing plan for childhood trauma.
But what is better?
The answer is that it depends on the patient, but here are some tips that might help you decide:
- Did you experience a single traumatic event or were you exposed to ongoing trauma? EMDR processes a particular traumatic memory, while neurofeedback calms your nervous system as a whole, so EMDR could be better adapted to isolated events and neurofeedback to an ongoing period of trauma.
- How comfortable are you remembering and talking about this trauma? EMDR requires remembering traumatic experiences – if you have trouble doing this, neurofeedback can be a help. better option.
These therapies, however, are not mutually exclusive – you can try both and see what works for you.
Finding a Neurofeedback Therapist
If you want to try neurofeedback, it’s worth taking the time to find the right therapist.
THE International Society for Neuroregulation and Research allows you to search for neurofeedback therapists based on their location and specialty.
Therapists do not need to be certified to offer neurofeedback, but it is possible to find certified practitioners. THE International Biofeedback Alliance Certification offers a neurofeedback certificate to those who have completed relevant training.
In addition to location, it’s important to check insurance coverage and payment options and ask about the practitioner’s specialty and how many sessions they think you might need. Finally, the fit of the therapist is important – we have a few advice about choosing a therapist who is best for you and your needs.
During this Mental Health Awareness Month, learn more about healing ACEs by subscribing to our newsletter. Help us help others by proof our work. Learn more about the ten categories of ACE by following our blog. Do you know your ACE score? Take the ACE test here.
