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Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Evaluating Practitioners

By: Melanie Berry, Owner and Clinical Director


Navigating the world of neurofeedback therapy can be daunting, and it can be challenging knowing what to look for when choosing a neurofeedback provider. Though previous blog articles have explored the various components and forms of neurofeedback therapy, this article focuses specifically on providers of neurofeedback therapy and what questions to ask when comparing providers. Rather than anticipate the answers that other providers may give, we will simply provide our answers to some of these questions and encourage asking these same questions to other providers you may be considering. The aim is to help provide clarity and a guideline to help in the journey of choosing a neurofeedback provider and moving forward with neurofeedback therapy.  When comparing neurofeedback providers, these are some of the questions you may want to ask.


  • Does their Neurofeedback practitioner have Board Certification by BCIA? Board certification is the mark of distinction for providers of Biofeedback and Neurofeedback. BCIA Board Certification is the highest credential in the field. At CBFC, our practitioners must pursue BCIA Board Certification. As a clinic we have BCIA and NTCB Board Certification, as well as Diplomate Status with the American Neurotherapy Association for meeting the highest standard in Advanced qEEG Brain Mapping acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and protocol planning. We also have Brain Health Certification by the Amen Clinic University.


  • Do their practitioners have a Masters Degree or higher? All of our practitioners have graduate degrees in a field of psychology and have additional training in applied psychophysiology.

  • Do they stay in the room with you for your whole session at the helm, or do they sometimes/often straddle more than one client per practitioner? We allocate a full hour individually to every client. We do not operate two sessions at one time ever.

  • Do they have one method of Neurofeedback, or do they offer multiple methods to fully customize their protocols to the unique needs of each individual? We have expertise in 5 methods of Neurofeedback and 5 methods of peripheral Biofeedback, as well as expertise in multiple neuromodulation devices. We custom fit the combination of methods for each individual and have the agility to shift gears mid-stream if ever needed.


  • Do they analyze brain map data in house or outsource that expertise? Or are the results/analysis fully computer generated? Our Advanced qEEG Brain Map is considered to be one of the most advanced in the world. Our two team members that have Diplomate status from the American Neurotherapy Association have over 400 hours of training in the acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and protocol planning of this advanced map. All analysis is done in house by hand. 


  • How long have they been practicing Neurofeedback? We have been in practice since 2008. We provide approximately 600 client sessions each month. We have completed over 1700 Advanced Brain Maps so far. We were the 3rd clinic in the nation to offer this advanced brain map and there are only about a dozen places in the world that you can go to get this level of analysis. I believe we are the only ones on the East Coast of the United States.


  • What kind of results are typical? Since introducing the Advanced qEEG Brain Map in our clinic in 2015, we have been keeping track of results in our clients. We are able to assess the function of 110 brain areas, so repeat maps allow us to monitor for progress by functional brain area. Our current statistic is that at the completion of the full program, we typically see 50-100% improvement in at least 80% of the brain areas we have addressed for an individual client. A testament to the effectiveness of these techniques, the precision of the provider, and the neuroplasticity in the human brain. Each of the brain areas plays a role in our overall function, and so we also monitor subjective reports and questionnaires to check that progress in the quantitative measures is also being experienced day to day by the individual.


Unique to us, I believe, is that our practitioners function as a team. This is convenient for the client because they are able to book with anyone on our team in either location for any session, as well as availability of sessions Monday-Saturday.


Your brain deserves the best service, so it is important to carefully evaluate the neurofeedback provider you choose. Having a team of qualified, well trained clinicians who offer a range of neurofeedback approaches and evaluative measures helps ensure that your neurofeedback therapy will be as effective as possible. 


Click here to learn more about our credentials and our team, or schedule a free phone consult to learn more.  


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