Minnesota Neurofeedback, Biofeedback Therapy Services
Founded by Peter Meilahn, MA, LPCC
Psychotherapist
Biofeedback, Neurofeedback Practitioner
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Offering biofeedback therapy and neurofeedback
sessions. Equipment is available for
sessions at home, work, or in schools.
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Welcome,
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If you are a wanting to work with improving your attention or calm online, it is possible in a resaerched way proven by insurance.
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For a lot of reasons working online is appealing. People can have the comfort of their home and privacy to make up for the limited communication cues of in person sessions. Also, the stress of travel is an issue. My dream has been to see biofeedback and neurotherapy in every home and school I also like to think of neurotherapy as "neuroeducation". Working online together makes things possible in many situations when a person can't get to the office or I or my partners can't get to them in the community with the time limits we have.
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Neurotherapy or "neuroeducation" can be done with sounds in specific brain rhythms that I guide clients with. It is called sound entrainment, and it has been proven in published university level research for improving pain, anxiety, attention, mood and other things. It changes brain rhythms like neurofeedack, but does it differently. The idea behind using sound entrainment is that sounds in specific rhythms help people increase needed brain rhythms as a form of therapy, and helps them learn them as a form of education.
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By working online I can teach families to individuals in easier ways. One or more people can be at the computer, and people who aren't wanting to be there or who need to do something else in the home can.
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In the State of Minnesota all the Minnesota State Health Plans and all the insurances that manage them (including the private insurances) cover online counseling biofeedback or neurotherapy. For those of you who are outsite of Minnesota you can use insurance with me if you find out that you have coverage that lets you see a Minnesota provider. Each state has their own laws. Fortunately, Minnesota has been a leading state for this service.
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My graduate training was in both in home, in school and in office counseling. For adults the privacy and convenience helps with online services and for children it can be a great way to structure brain therapy or education with games, drawing, talking or whatever fits. Families can guide me with what works best for them. The brain therapy can work with someone sitting in quite, talking through things, or even as they play a game with me if they are easily distracted. I also did graduate and undergraduate research in art therapy and studied psychology and art as an undergraduate student.
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Here are some results from research studies that I also see in my practice with sound therapy:
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Hospital patients used 50% less pain medication when using these sound therapies. This was shown in published research study.
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For attention and impulsive behavior problems there was a 70% reduction in impulsive behavior in children with ADHD using a specific sound rhythm.
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For anxiety and depression there was a significant reduction in anxiety.
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For mental performance, memor and mood adults at Duke University and The University of Virginia showed significant improvements in focus, and performance with mental tasks.
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For those of you who want to do biofeedback at home:
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Biofeedback can be done at home with home devices that measure simple things such as hand temperature or more expensive equipment that I can suggest. I don't recommend home based neurofeedback (just one type of biofeedback) for most people, but other types of biofeedback are helpful. The sound therapies I offer affect and help learning and attention in some ways like neurofeedback. The simplest devices for researched methods of biofeedback are around $25. People can also monitor their hand temperature changes. Clients can also feel when their hands are warmer without a device. And, they can feel when their muscles are more relaxed as a form of biofeedback.
The simple hand temperature thermometer can be checked by parents at the beginning and end of a session, and I can ask clients to tell me what they see as they relax their hands while doing neurotherapy for attention or calm to stop anxiety. When a person's hands are warming up it means blood flow in their body is relaxing. This is when they can learn to relax deeply and when they can increase their awareness of how they are operating their brains. When anxiety is higher blood is pulled tot he heart and brain- making the hands colder. Raising hand temperature is a researched, proven way to heal anxiety.
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Benefits of working online and how sessions work or are set up:
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The web based process uses video conferencing where I work with adults and children. We practice mindfulness or while talking. The video is secure, private and convenient. The sessions allow me to work with children and adults who can chat online while playing games, drawing, or doing a talk session. It is possibly the best way to do relaxation and mindfulness exercises.
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Sessions can be scheduled online and paperwork can also be done online to start.
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I would play the sounds for the listener and also provide links to sounds. Because clients have access to the sounds they can use them as homework. They are free from me.
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Each person is unique, and the needs of each day can change. So, I do need to stay involved to guide what sounds to use. Over enough time patterns emerge and people learn how to use the sounds. I ask for a minimum of 12 sessions for most situations and also offer resources for clients to learn more about the sound entrainment, neurotherapy tools.
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Here are some specific situations that can benefit really well from online sessions:
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Children with autism can do it as a form of brain behavior therapy where they listen to sounds I provide.
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Couples can learn to do mindfulness together as we talk about the stages of marriage.
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Adults and chldren who want to improve attention, reduce anxiety, or heal ADHD can work with me at home, work, or school if they have a way to be in touch.
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Clients with pain can meet with me and reduce the need for pain medication.
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Also, people who are stuggling with chemical dependency can use this service to do regular meetings for reducing anxiety.
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If you would like to sign up for this service feel free to email me at petermeilahn "@" yahoo.com or call me at 651.347.8172.
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Thank You, Peter J. Meilahn