Newsletter Contributor Member
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I thought this might be interesting. It's a note from a user about the experience of "coming to NCP".
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Val, I enjoyed meeting with ther person you referred who expressed interest in talking with someone using NCPro. Since I am a newcomer to the NF field without extensive specialization in biofeedback or the neurosciences, he was particularlly interested in my 6 months experience using NCPro with clients. I thought an overview of some of the questions and answers that emerged in our discussion might be helpful with others curious about getting started with NCPro. Please feel free to share this brief summary in any venues that might be helpful.
What attracted you to neurofeedback? Symphony in the Brain[/i] peaked my initial interest and I subsequently did a lot of Internet exploration, particularly of the IJNR and EEG Spectrum websites. In my work as a psychologist in community mental health and private practice, I see a lot of folks diagnosed with PTSD, OCD, ADHD, disabling mood disorders and complex sleep and health problems. I was eager to see how NF might add to my traditional resources such as sytrematic desensitization and popular approaches like Shapiro's EMDR, Linehan's DBT program,and Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness training.
How did you choose NCPro training and software? Actually, my first training was the 4 day intro course with EEG Spectrum in the summer of 04. I took this course with 2 colleagues with the aid of a federal grant targetting PTSD and the effects on children of witnessing domestic violence. The EEG Spectrum course was a very helpful and well organized orientation to the field of NF. Unfortunately, the lead colleague most involved with the grant was apparently overwhelmed by the learning curve and the amount of mataerial to be mastered in a symptom based/multiple protocol approach and withdrew her support for pursuing NF as a clinical resource. I remained committed to clinically using NF and kept exploring a variety of training and software offerings. That search resulted in taking Val and Sue Brown's NcPro training through the Zengar Institute. Their introduction was exceptional, and the combination of the sophistication fo their software and the relative ease of learning their approach led to my decision to choose their system. The professional online forum at Zengar for sharing NF expertise and supporting beginning practitioners like myself has also been very rewarding.
How technically sophisticated are you, and what is your experience using NCPro? Well let me begin by saying that I have periodically been banned from programming our household VCR. By which I mean that I am a non-techie with an ordinary 'bare bones' command of Windows. Nonetheless, I have been using NCPro and it's key features without any major problems for the last 6 months. Problems I have encountered due to my inexperience have been quickly resolved by an excellent technical support staff. However, I am challenged to increase my computer skills to keep up with the laatest operational features of ongoing upgrades.
How have your coients responded to NcPro? I continue to be both excited and gratified by the significant benefits reported by the wide range of clients I have worked with so far. I have been seeing among other things the classic benefits of NF, i.e. stabilization of sleep patterns and mood, reductions in unhelpful emotional reactivity, and improved focus and attention. Particularly in the community clinics where it is difficult for many clients to stay motivated or complete more extended relaxation skill training, my NF clients become more motivated and enthusiastic as they train. On a personal note, the NCPro proved invaluable in helping my wife with nightmares and PTSD reactions following a severe car accident that occurred shortly after I began using NF with clients. I still have a lot to learn in developing my skills, but I have seen a unique impact in many areas of my clients' lives in using NF. As for Val and Sue Brown's training, I have become ever more appreciative of their hard work and dedication for developing NCPro with such professionalism, integrity, and generosity.
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