Lori Kochevar M.S. LPC

Transcription

1 Lori Kochevar M.S. LPC Brighten TheBrain.com

2 Lori Kochevar, M.S., LPC Adoptive Mother Founder 20 Years Clinical Expertise Extensive Expertise In Physiological components of trauma Attachment issues in children Impact on families & systems

3 If you could change anything in the life s of children families we work with what would it be?

4 Before Columbus Now we know different

5 What if we could create Long term significant sustainable change for children Families able to support this change Cost savings and increase job satisfaction for the Support Systems and Team Members working with these families

6 MISCONCEPTION: Trauma is mostly an emotional experience

7 Trauma has an emotional component that can be addressed once the physiological pathways of health are re-routed

8 Trauma REALITY: In traditional therapy sometimes we miss the obvious

9 The Brain

10 Research Your success in life is associated with how well your brain works. it is time for mental health professionals to arm themselves with the knowledge of brain science to enhance mental health evaluations and treatment. Daniel G. Amen, MD

11 Traditional Approaches for RAD/ severe trauma ineffective Focus event/feeling Discuss event Feel again anger, fear Etches in the pathway Overwhelms the child Makes behavior worse

12 Consequence -based Models Assumes child can access frontal lobe Frustrating for caregiverteacher Creates learned helplessness and apathy for child

13 Beyond Consequences Parenting Incredible foundation needed for child to succeed Compassion based Physiologically informed Mission Impossible 24/7

14 Attachment Parenting +NFB Co Modulation Parenting Developmental in tune Physiologically informed Coach parent as therapeutic Parenting Strategy is dependant on state of child NeurOptimal Allows child to bond with parent Child is able to access frontal lobe Ease anxiety Diminish stress response Supports secure attachment

15 Brain needs different option REALITY: Brain is re-wired Children no longer stuck in FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE

16 Parenting a child with trauma issues & re-wired brain is do-able Before After Co-modulation + NFB

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19 How can NeurOptimal Strengthen the Child Welfare Financial Savings System? Avoid more costly placement Decrease unnecessary moves Decrease failed adoptions Decrease length of stay Quality of life improvement

20 Decrease Cost Placement Human and Financial Institutions Group homes Pre-adoptive homes Failed adoptions

21 Decrease Length Stay

22 Financial Savings RTCF - $5400 Group home - $1500 Therapeutic FH- $1000 Family foster home $450 Adoption /home minimal. *Current average cost per month

23 State of Colorado.. Savings Most difficult case 100 failed adoptions/yr potentially save $13 million a year Use NFB & Attachment parenting on the front end of difficult adoption total potential savings = $29 million a year

24 RAD does not need to be a life The longer child has ineffective treatment more costly it becomes... sentence! Ingrained and intense behaviors become grounds for institutionalization

25 What is NeurOptimal? Follow through Easy 10 x 5 wks Fast Mirror Safe Efficient Works Lasts

26 NeurOptimal optimizes potential Easy Safe trains brain function better

27 Therapeutic Applications Therapeutic Applications Addiction/ Exposure ADD / ADHD Post-Traumatic Stress Autism Chronic Fatigue Chronic Pain Attachment -Conduct Disorders Depression Epilepsy Learning Disabilities Migraine Sleep Disorders Tourette's Syndrome Traumatic Brain Injury

28 Many of these are commonly treated with pharmacology. In our experience NeurOptimal has allowed for reductions in dosage for our clients.

29 Results Hope Not change all Varied Continuum Freeze Flight Fight Faster then typical Incremental Instantaneous Not all or none Measurable Environment Factors Parenting style Traditional or Bonding & Attachment Coaching-therapy. Families Situation Triggers Pharmacology

30 NeurOptimal Lasts when the family supports the change..

31 Success Stories for over 30 yrs The progress children showed in five weeks was incredible. Issues they had been struggling with for years resolved because they were not in a reactionary fight, flight, or freeze neurological response pattern.. Therapist w/ 25 yrs in child welfare work

32 Relaxation Possible Manage stress Not overwhelmed Brain controls arousal EEG biofeedback Assisted Stress Management Training; Tyson PD, Sobschak KB Reducing Anxiety for Patients with Cardiac Events; Michael AJ, Krishnaswamy S, med J

33 Restorative Sleep Fall asleep Stay asleep Quality improved Sleep disorders Insomnia Studies show that people with chronic sleep disorders after as few as three or four sessions already experience results allowing them to sleep more soundly and reach REM stages.

34 Mood Stabilized Remain balanced Less reactive Stable when challenged Grounded Centered Harmonize w family Depression and anxiety are mood disorders that are affected by Neurofeedback. The brain is able to remain balanced and is more stable/less reactive when challenged with a situation or something that in the past would have triggered an anxiety attack or set the person off into an angry or depressed state.

35 Relationships Improve Negative behaviors Hyjack emotions Miscommunication Struggles for control Ability to accept no Empathy In University research from London, they found a measurable decrease in alpha waves. These waves are responsible for controlling, negative behaviors in relationships. Their reduction allows for relationships to evolve and strengthen by increasing empathy and understanding of each other.

36 Heal Root Causes Integration Insight Immune function Treatment retention Comprehensive Neurofeedback Bibliography: La Vaque T J, Hammond DC, Trudeau D, Monastra V, Perry J, Lehrer P, Matheson D, & Sherman R: Template for developing guidelines for the evaluation of the clinical efficacy of psychophysiologicalinterventions.

37 Makes Recovery Easier Improve abstinence Improve compliance Reduce resistance Reduce withdrawal symptoms Neurofeedback can Improve abstinence rates Improve treatment retention Improve aftercare compliance Reduce resistance

38 Able to Perform Learn Play well with others Graduate Develop skills Gain Mastery Alpha Theta EEG training enhances musical performance; Egner T, Gruzelier JH Improve Mental Health with Neurofeedback; Greteman, B

39 Sharpen Focus Shifts focus from trauma responses to learning ADD/ADHD Study fmri compares Ritalin to EEG biofeedback ADD/ADHD Study EEG biofeedback study improves TOVA scores ADD-ADHD Study Neurofeedback an efficacious treatment for ADHD

40 Proven Science Did you know that there are more studies on the efficacy of neurofeedback then there are for methylphenidate hydrochloride, also known as Ritalin, Concerta, or Strattera?

41 Is NeurOptimal the missing link to optimize the Child Welfare Brain Long term lasting change is possible for children with trauma.. RAD.RAD RAD Families can learn to support this change Systems maximize efficiency Save money Save sanity their own Save lives others Spread the word! Let others know there is an option

42 How can I support YOU to spread the word?

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44 Appendix For the 1% of you looking for more information

45 Resources Currently For adoptive families COPARC funding DSS for families at risk of Disruption Our Hope for future Reality for Children Federal Grant State of Colorado

46 DOES NEUROPTIMAL CURE SYMPTOMS OR CONDITIONS? In the case of organic brain disorders, it is a matter of getting the brain to function better rather curing the condition. When it comes to problems of deregulation, we would say that there is not a disease to be cured, and self-regulation may very well be a complete remedy.

47 To function, the brain must actively maintain its bio-electrical state across all behaviorally relevant timescales. Neurofeedback is brain exercise directed at fundamental brain regulatory mechanisms of these states. Pharmacological intervention is typically directed toward longer timescales (days, weeks, and months), whereas for short timescales (seconds to hours) the brain is largely on its own. What Does Neurofeedback tell us? The only technique capable of revealing brain's state of regulatory activity on the timescale of seconds is the EEG (and its cousin, the magneto encephalogram, or MEG). The EEG reveals not what is thought, but shows the context in which thinking occurs---state of arousal, state of vigilance and alertness, etc. A predominant feature of the EEG is rhythmic activity, or periodicity. Recent findings in the neurosciences indicate that this may be the means by which the brain maintains continuity of state, and even working memory.

48 Before NFB After 4 Year Old Girl 2.5 hours or longer to get her to sleep, and wakes up 5-6 times nightly Screaming, kicking & terror at bath time 10 to 30 minutes to get her to sleep, some nights with no wake-ups, and easier to get her back to sleep when she does No reaction at bath time and enjoys playing with her bath toys She would hit with her hands When she is triggered, she is and toys, provoking others, able to work through the hair-pulling, slamming doors on incident and tell me what she fingers, pushing and shoving needs Seriously considering Prozac Huge increase in her ability to participate in daily routines I was terrified and had given up hope. I looked forward to adoption day.

49 Before Play After 2.5 Year Old Boy Would not stay in a room without mother Never played with toys Food-hording, fist clench, implosive anger Dump toys and stomp all over them, throwing Communication using one word and pointing Mother can leave room and he asks to play outside Imagination and engagement with play Focus off food, able to take in nourishment, relax and play Verbal skills accelerated, 2-3 word sentences, understandable

50 Before Mood After 3.5 Year Old Girl Temper tantrums, screaming and kicking often 2 hours a day Acting out anger on those around, hitting Naps and nighttime extreme reactions, wake up in rage Not wanting comfort or to be held Mom uncertain & anxious about how to meet the long term needs of her faster/ adopted children Not one outburst last weekend Expressing feelings, said, I am angry. Decreased severity of reactions to sleep Able to ask to be held and for comfort Mom has relaxed and children s needs feel manageable as the intensity and duration of symptoms has decreased

51 Before Social After 10 Year Old Boy Difficulty interacting with others Freeze response when overwhelmed with questions at school Hid behind mother and always in the same room as her Wanting to quit school and other social activities regularly Performance well below average, nightly struggle with homework and reading Plays well with others Able to regroup, take breaks, ask for help, and speak in the school play Can initiate request for a sleepover and have play dates Enjoys school and likes playing with his peers Finishing projects ahead of schedule, reading chapter books and able to focus

52 Relaxation EEG biofeedback Assisted Stress Management Training; Tyson PD, Sobschak KB Reducing Anxiety for Patients with Cardiac Events; Michael AJ, Krishnaswamy S, Moha Neurofeedback is useful as a means of managing stress and increasing a person s threshold for what they perceive to be stressful. It helps the brain learn to have control over various states of arousal med

53 Recovery exposure Neurofeedback and treatment together: Improve abstinence rates Improve treatment retention Improve aftercare compliance Reduce resistance There is a certain cortical instability that seems to exist in the early stage of recovery. Neurofeedback appears to work by significantly reducing this acute survival response. It works by training the cortex to remain engaged and not be bypassed as usual during a fight or flight reaction. The result is improved compliance in treatment, less recidivism, and most importantly continued 12-step participation after leaving treatment

54 Neurofeedback has amazing results. Optimizing the brains potential by training new healthy neuropathways. Physical and emotional symptoms (trauma, stress, depression & anxiety) dissolve and the brain becomes more competent, efficient and effective.