The Story of Our Group: You Can Do It Too

We have an active hometrainers support group in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The group, which started in February 2004 with about 12 members, grew to 40 members within 6 months. And the number gets larger at every meeting.

What we want other parents to know is that neurofeedback is an option that is well worth exploring. In fact, we can look around the room at our Sunday meetings and see families whose lives have been transformed by neurofeedback.

Some of Our Experiences
To give you an idea of what our families were facing, our kids’ medical diagnoses ranged from ADHD to bipolar disorder, from autism and Asperger’s Syndrome to obsessive-compulsive disorder, from Tourette’s syndrome or agoraphobia to anxiety and depression. One hometrainer was using neurofeedback to help her mother recover from a terrible stroke. The medications our kids were taking could fill a landfill (and we hope they do some day): stimulants, anti-depressants, anti-convulsants, anti-psychotics, tranquilizers.

Thanks to neurofeedback, some of our children are now completely off their meds. Some have reduced their medication doses and are doing very well. Others are succeeding in school or have made friends for the first time in their lives.

For many of us, neurofeedback is not a quick fix. One mom, for example, has been working with her son for almost two years. His progress is good, but the work is ongoing. She says that having the hometrainers group helps her to maintain the persistence and commitment that long-term training at home on your own requires.

Our Meetings
At our monthly meetings, we share our experiences doing neurofeedback and sometimes bring in a local professional to talk with us. We also exchange books, tapes, and information about complementary activities such as vitamins, nutrition, massage, biofeedback, etc. And with the internet, we’re all just a click away from one another. So, we give each other—and get back—ongoing technical support, lots of advice, and unwavering encouragement.

Our group’s growth is fueled by our successes. Sometimes, a teacher will comment on the huge change she’s seen in a child or a neighbor will notice that a child seems to be better somehow. In several cases, the kids themselves told friends that they should try neurofeedback. So, now we have the parents of these friends, or the teacher, or the neighbor in our group!

Training
Like us, you can learn to do neurofeedback yourself safely and with productive results. The five of us who started the group met during a series of Pete's workshops in June 2003. We think Pete is unusual in that, first, he offers training to hometrainers as well as professionals, and second, he provides ongoing, non-stop, unconditional support and encouragement to all of us. Without his hands-on workshops, we would not have the expertise to do what we are doing. Because Pete’s training is so good, we've been able to share what we know with others and build on the knowledge he’s given us with other books and research (Pete's Braintrainer listserv has a wealth of knowledge). Plus, almost all of us are continuing to train with Pete annually.

How We Started

We hope our group is a model for other parents around the country who want to use neurofeedback. Here’s a brief synopsis of how we started our group:

• Martha Lappin, a local psychologist trained in neurofeedback encouraged us to meet. She arranged office space for our first few meetings and served as a resource for us. Thank you, Martha! Anyway, if you have a professional who can help you get started, don’t be afraid to ask.
  
  
• If you are currently going to a clinician for neurofeedback, talk with her or him about your plans to begin training on your own. Neurofeedback is expensive, and many people begin to look for a more cost-effective way to continue it. So, your clinician might have other long-term clients who are ready to move on.
  
  
• Be generous about sharing your knowledge and resources. Talk about neurofeedback to anyone who expresses any curiosity about it. Buy a couple copies of Symphony in the Brain, by Jim Robbins, and lend them out constantly. Refer people to some good websites about neurofeedback. Ask them for their email addresses and send them on-line articles.
  
  
• Even if you have just a few people, start meeting monthly. We bet the group will begin growing easily.
  
  
• Help each other with equipment; it’s a bit of a hassle getting all the software working, etc. We’ve even had meetings where we’ve brought equipment to the meetings and worked out bugs on the spot!
  
  
• Contact us! We’re glad to help. Write us at HomeTrainers@brain-trainer.com and your message will be forwarded to us.

—Karen, Jane, Lynn, Cindy, Adonice, Judy, Donna, Maureen, Deborah, Anne, Janelle, Barbara and everyone else

MISSION STATEMENT
Neurofeedback Home Trainers Group

MISSION:
Neurofeedback training is a cutting edge intervention that transforms lives.

This group’s mission is to provide a forum for sharing information on and experiences with neurofeedback to home trainers and to those wishing to learn more about the field.

GOALS:

1. To establish a local network of neurofeedback (nf) home trainers so that ideas and experiences can be shared. Local is defined as within driving distance of the Washington metropolitan area.

2. To provide support to members of the local network through monthly group meetings, e-mails, telephone calls, and a home trainers website.

3. To develop and maintain a database of neurofeedback home trainers in the Metro Area.

4. To provide local training opportunities for neurofeedback home trainers in the Metro Area.

5. To provide on-going education to neurofeedback home trainers, prospective members, and others interested in neurofeedback.

6. To assist those individuals who are considering neurofeedback home training.

7. To provide a forum for Neurofeedback Home Trainers Group members to discuss issues relevant to home training and to share readings, conference information, information about new products, and other news.

8. To provide a forum for Neurofeedback Home Trainers Group members to collaborate on assessments and learn ways to interpret data.

9. To help Neurofeedback Home Trainers Group members offset expenses by offering group ordering of NF supplies.

10. To gather and disseminate testimonials and to develop and disseminate a brochure explaining neurofeedback home training.

11. To serve as a liaison to other neurofeedback groups on the national and international levels.

12. To interact with professionals using neurofeedback in their practices.

13. To support research efforts by participating in studies and collecting data on neurofeedback.

MEMBERSHIP: Membership in the NF Home Trainers Group is open to any individual (professional or layperson) who is interested in learning about neurofeedback training. The format for the group will be informal. Guests who want to learn more about neurofeedback training are welcome.

LIABILITY: We have started the NF Home Trainers Group to meet other home trainers and to exchange information with each other. As individuals and as members of the group, we do not assume liability or culpability for any act(s) of wrongdoing or harm performed by member(s) of the group. Information provided by the group is not intended as medical advice or medical treatment.