How Neurofeedback Can Help with Teen Anxiety Treatment

The teen years are often the most turbulent time in one’s life, for both the teen and the parent. Going through puberty, developing a sense of self, and adjusting to new social situations can be daunting for teens. Teenagers are also under more pressure than ever before to excel academically and socially. This alone can lead to teens experiencing anxiety. In the aftermath of pandemic closures and subsequent social distancing, there is an even higher reported occurrence of teens now experiencing anxiety. Neurofeedback is a drug-free option for teen anxiety treatment.

How Teen Anxiety Increased During the Pandemic

Teenagers already have a lot of pressure on them. They are expected to get good grades, be socially accepted every minute of the day, and keep up with their peers at a level most of their parents and teachers have never experienced. All these high expectations can lead to anxiety. Teenagers are also more sensitive to stress because their brains are still developing.

During the pandemic, the added stress of changes to routine and structure, from how students were receiving an education, to adjusting to new methods of learning, to the absence of extracurricular activities, to a separation from peers and friends created an environment filled with unprecedented levels of stress and doubt. Add on to that worry about the health and well-being of family, loved ones, and friends it’s not surprising so many kids are now experiencing anxiety.

How Neurofeedback Can Help with Teen Anxiety Treatment

There are multiple options for the treatment of anxiety including medication, cognitive behavior therapy, neurofeedback, or a combination of treatments. Neurofeedback like cognitive behavior therapy is a treatment option free of pharmaceuticals. As a form of biofeedback, it is non-invasive and without side effects. Neurofeedback overall is becoming a more common method preferred by parents seeking a holistic teen anxiety treatment.

Neurofeedback therapy is a treatment that uses EEG sensors to monitor brain waves, and it is used to train the brain to produce certain types of waves. The goal of this therapy is to help people with anxiety-related issues and symptoms. During neurofeedback, brainwaves are monitored, presented to the patient visually, and used to teach the patient to regulate their own brainwaves to relieve the symptoms of anxiety. Once they learn how to control their brainwaves, they can use this skill anywhere in life when they feel anxious or stressed.

In my practice, I use the BrainCore Therapy neurofeedback system. Unlike typical neurofeedback systems that just use bars for visual feedback, the BrainCore system displays feedback visually in the form of videos and music. As brainwaves become more regulated the video screen becomes brighter or the music volume increases. I feel this helps my patients be more comfortable during each session and the familiarity of these activities provides them with an easier way to adapt and achieve the goal of more regulated brainwave activity. If we can make therapy more enjoyable it will also be more successful.
Neurofeedback has been scientifically proven to be an effective and safe teen anxiety treatment.

At Dutchess Braincore Therapy and Wellness Center we offer a free consultation so you can learn more about how neurofeedback works, if it is the right therapeutic option for your teen’s anxiety, and if the treatment is covered by your medical insurance in full or partially.

To schedule an appointment with our team please call our office at (845) 592-2237.