Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma

Calming the Fear-Driven Brain

By: Sebern F. Fisher

Narrated by: Scott R. Pollak

Length: 15 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Working with the circuitry of the brain to restore emotional health and well-being.

Neurofeedback, a type of "brain training" that allows us to see and change the patterns of our brain, has existed for over 40 years with applications as wide-ranging as the treatment of epilepsy, migraines, and chronic pain to performance enhancement in sports.

Today, leading brain researchers and clinicians, interested in what the brain can tell us about mental health and well being, are also taking notice. Indeed, the brain's circuitry - its very frequencies and rhythmic oscillations - reveals much about its role in our emotional stability and resilience. Neurofeedback allows clinicians to guide their, clients as they learn to transform brain-wave patterns, providing a new window into how we view and treat mental illness.

In this cutting-edge audiobook, experienced clinician Sebern Fisher keenly demonstrates neurofeedback’s profound ability to help treat one of the most intractable mental health concerns of our time: severe childhood abuse, neglect, or abandonment, otherwise known as developmental trauma.

When an attachment rupture occurs between a child and her or his primary caregiver, a tangle of complicated symptoms can set in: severe emotional dysregulation, chronic dissociation, self-destructive behaviors, social isolation, rage, and fear. Until now, few reliable therapies existed to combat developmental trauma. But as the author so eloquently presents in this audiobook, by focusing on a client's brain-wave patterns and "training" them to operate at different frequencies, the rhythms of the brain, body, and mind are normalized, attention stabilizes, fear subsides, and, with persistent, dedicated training, regulation sets in.

A mix of fundamental theory and nuts-and-bolts practice, the audiobook delivers a carefully articulated and accessible look at the mind and brain in developmental trauma, what a “trauma identity” looks like, and how neurofeedback can be used to retrain the brain, thereby fostering a healthier, more stable state of mind. Essential clinical skills are also fully covered, including how to introduce the idea of neurofeedback to clients, how to combine it with traditional psychotherapy, and how to perform assessments.

In his foreword to the audiobook, internationally recognized trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk, MD, praises Fisher as “an immensely experienced neurofeedback practitioner [and] the right person to teach us how to integrate it into clinical practice.” Filled with illuminating client stories, powerful clinical insights, and plenty of clinical "how to," she accomplishes just that, offering listeners a compelling look at exactly how this innovative model can be used to engage the brain to find peace and to heal.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2014 Sebern F. Fisher (P)2019 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

Excellent content and clear explanations

This book provides a clear and organized description of what developmental trauma is, what attachment theory is and how developmental trauma affects attachment, and what neurofeedback is and how it can, as an adjunctive therapy, alleviate symptoms associated with developmental trauma--addiction, emotional dysregulation, hypervigilance, depression, and many more.

In addition, Dr. Fisher helpfully discusses a term called "traumatic psychosis" as distinguished from the psychosis that occurs in schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

The one drawback is the narration, which, while the pace is good and diction is clear, contains quite a few mispronounced words, e.g. affect (as in the outward expression of emotion, especially in the earlier part of the book; it seems to be correct later in the book), transference, countertransference, lability (mispronounced as 'liability'), and other psychological terms.

A Fantastic Therapy

I have been doing neuro for almost a year and the results are every bit of the truth this book talks about. My mind is calmer and quieter than it ever has been. A must read for understanding what this therapy can potentially do!

Wow! An amazing book that gives hope to youth

Wow! An amazing book that gives hope to youth (& their families) who have suffered development trauma and how a skilled therapist can use NF to heal chronic and/or severe disrupted attachment wounds.

Authoritative, poignant, and inspiring

This book captured me from the introduction to the FAQ section. The opening stories of patients who suffer from DTD and PTSD were very compelling and resonated with my own experiences of DTD. The stories conveyed a sensitive and detailed understanding of the suffering that is associated with these conditions. That was meaningful because it is so tragically rare that mental health professionals really understand what trauma represents to a patient. That has sadly been my experience. Dr. Fisher (and Dr. van der Kolk in the forward) is a pioneer in the field of DTD treatment and really gets it. They have pulled the curtain aside, revealing the wreckage DTD leaves behind. It’s usually hard for anyone to believe, if they have not experienced it for themselves. That is the testament to their sensitivity and skill that they were able to unravel such a devastating condition.

The book outlines all of the needed concepts to understand what Neurofeedback is and how it works. For me, this is essential as my PTSD makes me less trusting than most and my interest in neurofeedback has been slowed by my desire to understand more before I let someone apply it to me. This book really helped get me over the hesitation I was feeling and allowed me to go in for treatment with a better foundational understanding and trust for the process.

It is well written and flows very well for a non-fiction title. If this topic is of interest in any way, this is a foundational and essential book in both understanding DTD, cPTSD and applying Neurofeedback to such a complex condition.

Interesting but not applicable to Current Practice

This is an interesting account of neurofeedback as it was practiced decades ago by people who cared about their patients. Most neurofeedback centers no longer practice this way, and this book gave my false expectations that were not met by modern-day professionals.