LENS
Low Energy Neurofeedback System
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing
IFS
Internal Family Systems
LENS Neurofeedback
The LENS, or Low Energy Neurofeedback System, is a novel form of neurofeedback. It has been around since 1990. Since that time one million people have been treated worldwide. The LENS, is a unique, effective and safe form of neurotherapy that facilitates changes in people of all ages with a wide variety of presenting issues. As a result, it has the capacity to address numerous symptoms and deficits. It is remarkably effective, and over 85% of people who have used the LENS have benefitted significantly from it. Results can be seen quickly, often beginning within the first session, and are lasting.
It may be utilized as the primary treatment approach, or as an adjunct to other therapies. Patients across the lifespan, from young children to older adults, have benefited from LENS.
What makes LENS different from other forms of neurofeedback?
Each client’s brainwave signals are unique to them and constantly changing. LENS measures these ever changing signals of the client, and matches the treatment to the client’s own physiological (neurological) fingerprint.
Traditional neurofeedback requires conscious attention to stimuli for sessions that are 45-60 minutes long. Results are typically attained over 40 or more sessions. LENS does not require any focused attention, and the person does not need to do anything specific during the session. The sessions themselves last between a few seconds and a few minutes, and results are typically seen in 10-20 sessions.
What conditions does LENS help with?
LENS works well with problems of the Central Nervous System, which can be numerous. These include symptoms of anxiety-depression spectrum, attention deficits, behavior disorders, various sleep disorders, headaches and migraines, PMS, and emotional disturbances. It is also useful for organic brain conditions such as seizures, the autism spectrum, and cerebral palsy. These are all signs of Central Nervous System dysfunction which result in the body’s difficulty in regulating itself.
LENS works extremely well with the symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury, no matter how long ago the incident occurred. The trauma can be from a physical blow, a concussive injury, a psychological incident (PTSD), or any other incident(s) which results in a decrease in cognitive ability.
Many children have sleep problems that can be helped such as bed wetting, sleep walking, sleep talking, teeth grinding, nightmares, and night terrors. LENS can also be helpful with many of the symptoms of adolescence including drug abuse, suicidal behavior, anxiety and depression.
LENS can also help in maintaining good brain function as people age.
How does LENS work?
Sensors are applied to the scalp to listen in on brainwave activity. The signal is processed by the computer, and information is extracted about certain key brainwave frequencies. Through a patented process, this information is brought back to the client down the sensor wires to the person’s skin. The results are reduction and/or elimination of the symptoms which previously interfered with the client’s quality of life. The sessions are brief (usually 3-5 minutes), gentle (usually the client feels nothing during the session), and the changes are lasting with some exceptions: with symptoms of progressive conditions such as Parkinson’s and MS, the treatment needs to be ongoing to sustain the improvement.
Do the results of LENS last?
If the problem being addressed is one of brain dysregulation, then the answer is yes, and that covers a lot of ground. Neurofeedback involves learning by the brain and if that brings order out of disorder, the brain will continue to use its new capabilities, and thus reinforce them.
At times there are unknown issues such as early-stage degenerative disease, allergies, strong reactions to some foods or pollens, or spills and falls leading to bumps on the head. In these instances longer courses of LENS may be needed. And it may also be that some direct medical help may be the best course of action. LENS can’t do everything for everybody. But it can and has made a difference that other approaches have not provided, and in general, in a much shorter time. Matters are different when we are dealing with degenerative conditions like Parkinson's or the dementias, or when we are working against continuing insults to the system, as may be the case in the autism spectrum. In such cases, LENS sessions may need to be continued at some level over time. Allergic susceptibilities and food intolerances may make it more difficult to maintain the gains. Poor digestive function will pose a problem, as does poor nutrition. A child living in a toxic environment (in either the physical or the psychological sense) may have more difficulty retaining good function.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)
EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. It is a powerful way to get the brain to learn much more quickly than usual, which makes possible both rapid realizations about essential truths about a situation or event. This can increase the rate of recovery from the effects of acute psychological trauma and slower but thorough recovery from the effects of chronic psychological trauma. EMDR is now the best researched and validated way of treating PTSD.
How EMDR might work
There are a few theories about how EMDR might work. One theory is that when a trauma occurs the ability to process information is disturbed and a neural pathology occurs. The brain/body freezes the information in its original anxiety provoking form, complete with the original images and negative self-assessment. Researchers think that EMDR is able to “nudge” that material so that the brain is able to neurologically reconnect and integrate the information. It appears that EMDR is able to help the brain finally process “stuck” material, enabling the person to arrive at an adaptive resolution. The painful event or trauma is then perceived as an unfortunate incident, but no longer produces the emotional pain that it did before.
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
Internal Family Systems is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on a client’s internal “parts” and “Self.”
In IFS, the mind is considered to be made up of multiple sub-personalities within each individual’s mental system. These sub-personalities take on different roles, such as an inner critic or wounded inner child, and consist of wounded parts and painful feelings like anger and shame.
The goal of IFS is to help clients access Self so that they can heal wounded parts and bring their psyche into balance.
IFS is an evidence-based practice used to treat a range of mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, PTSD,
and substance abuse. The treatment timeline depends on your history and the issues you want to address.
IFS is a movement. It's a new, empowering paradigm for understanding and harmonizing the mind and, thereby, larger human systems.
Disclaimer: I am IFS "Informed". I have completed a preliminary six month IFS training. I have not had IFS Level One training yet.
I will begin Level One training as soon as it becomes available. I have 15 years of experience in a similar ego state model, called DNMS (Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy).