Courses

Do you choose the course first, or the equipment? 
The course is a critical first step. The foundation you get at the beginning is what you build on going forward.   There's a big learning curve in neurofeedback.  Choosing the best course makes a big difference in starting up.  There is much to learn and it's ongoing. 

There are big differences between available courses, the quality of teachers, the type of materials, whether they include qEEG concepts, etc.  We see a lot of clinicians who seem to ignore this as they rush to get caught up in the "neat" equipment. The challenge is, everyone says they have a great course.  Here are some criteria.

Look for the best teachers.  That's not so easy.  After years in school, you know well that simply choosing credentials does not translate into best teachers.  You've got to learn a lot of hands on things (technical) in a course.  There are many new concepts and material to cover in a short time.  If you're going to sit in a class for several days, choose very carefully. 

How good are the materials and the manual?   
There's not a chance you'll absorb all you need in a few days of a course.  The learning really starts after you've left the course.  You really need good materials to review, to help remember what was said, to study.   The course materials make a big difference. An audio or video CD is a great concept, but not nearly as accessible or practical.

Is taking a BCIA course (certified) important? 
Is your goal to pass the BCIA exam, or to take the best course in learning neurofeedback?  A course focused helping you pass BCIA isn't going to be the best course for learning hands on neurofeedback.  Certification is more academic, not as hands on.  ON the other hand, there are a lot of foundational materials for BCIA that are useful.  You can do neurofeedback without getting BCIA certified.  The certification is meeting standards, not doing hands on neurofeedback.

First and foremost, we suggest picking the best course for learning neurofeedback.  If there's a choice, pick one that also gives you BCIA hours - and mixes really good hands with some of the theory.  Don't simply pick a BCIA course and think you've picked the right course. You haven't. Your goal is probably to learn how to apply neurofeedback clinically.  There are VERY limited course offerings that do a really good job of hands on and theory.    Contact us if you'd like our recommendations.

What model do they teach? 
Is the model flexible or, is it "our way is the best way"?  Is it based on a diverse group of clinicians, or driven by one person?  Does it have a good scientific basis?  This can be important when you try to explain it to colleagues.  Does it cover and allow for qEEG's brain mapping?  Some courses/models just don't think qEEGs matter. Many others in the field do and feel it's important additional information about a client.  When do you learn it is another issue, because you can only learn so much at once.  The challenge is, when you're new at this, can you tell which is which?  It's challenging.

How will you continue to learn after you leave the course? 
Are you supposed to just find one local clinician, or is there any formal way to share and get clinical support?   We think this is the biggest failing of most courses.  What are you going to do next?  Mentoring is one answer but not the only.  There are networks of support - but do they work or create confusion?  Can you get all the help you need on-line?  Absolutely not - too many cases require some real detailed discussion when you're in learning mode. A short email doesn't cut it. Also, who's responding to your email?  Who's doing the mentoring?  Are they a good fit? We've seen a lot of very bright competent clinicians become very frustrated when they get started. They've been told about all these wonderful effects, and they're not getting the same results.  What then?  Eventually, they find other people, better teachers, better mentors, people who can help them learn to adapt neurofeedback to their clients more effectively.

We're trying to just make you aware of the problem. There are many good experiences also. Our services help insure you get started faster, that you have the right mentoring, training and support.  And, that you help more clients faster.