PhD Psychologist Jeff Tarrant said, "I get the science-fiction thing, the mad scientist thing." But Tarrant says nudging the brain in the right direction using a computer can make a huge difference. "If you reward the brain for doing certain things, it will do more of it. If you ignore the brain when it does certain things, it will do less of that. So when it comes down to it. It's really a simple process", he claims.  He says therapist sticks electrodes on certain areas of the head associated with a particular problem in the brain.

Neurofeedback measures brainwave activity and sends it through a computer program that Tarrant monitors and adjusts, all while the patient is just watching a movie. "Any time their brain starts to move out of the parameters I've established, it starts to dim, the volume goes down. It's actually fairly subtle feedback, and all they're doing is watching a movie. But the feedback is enough that the brain starts to make small changes in order to watch the movie", says Tarrant.

He continues to say that about 90 percent of his patients get significant relief. He's used it on six year olds as well as senior citizens for everything from attention problems, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, tic disorders, migraines, seizure disorders and the lists continues.

"If there's any sort of dysfunctional activity, we can teach the brain to change that and consequently teach the brain to change the symptoms. The more that we do that, the stronger those patterns become until they're natural, normal, patterns for the brain", states Tarrant. "The brain will do it itself, we kind of just have to get out of the way". While the help is happening subconsciously to the patient, there's a whole lot of intentional science going on. Tarrant is monitoring more than 250 variables and training the brain activity to stay within an established standard deviation of "normal" based on loads of research.

A session takes about an hour and a patient can expect results in 20 to 40 session. There are centers in Columbia and Jefferson City. If you want more information about the Columbia Neurofeedback Center you can call 573-443-0231, or if you want more information about the Jefferson City Spring Groves Counseling Center, call 573-635-8299.

Posted By: Alma Burke