Healthy Brain, Healthy You!

NeurOptimal® neurofeedback is considered by many to be the most advanced brain training technology available today. It helps manage anxiety, reduce stress, and perform better at school and at work.

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About

Neurofeedback 101

What is neurofeedback?

NeurOptimal® is an advanced neuro-technology that offers training to the brain, enabling it to function at its best.

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How can neurofeedback benefit me or my child?

NeurOptimal® brain training is an effective support for school, boosts self-esteem, enhances focus, and aids with emotional regulation.

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Is neurofeedback safe?

NeurOptimal® is globally effective while remarkably free of unwanted side effects.

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Free 15 min phone consultation

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F.A.Q.

While many of my clients report positive changes as soon as their very first session, some feel very tired, while others "don't feel anything" until their second or third session. That's why a single session "trial" of neurofeedback is not recommended. Instead, take advantage of the "3 sessions for the price of 2" new client special and get a better "feel" of this modality and of working with the practitioner.

Individual results vary from person to person. If your problems are a recent occurrence in your life, you’ll likely only need a few sessions to feel "yourself" again. If there are multiple problems or conditions that go far back that failed multiple other treatments, you may need at least 20 sessions, especially as you start seeing changes in your sleep, your moods, focus or other things you came for.

The more sessions you have, the stronger, longer lasting, and more comprehensive your results will be.

Study results of 1.2 million neurofeedback sessions indicate significant improvement was seen after 11-20 sessions. When the brain is trained with NeurOptimal®, clients notice the following: feeling calmer, dropping away fears, increased mental clarity and focus, more appropriate response to stressful situations, increased motivation and ability to accomplish tasks.

Although NeurOptimal® neurofeedback does not treat specific conditions, negative symptoms are alleviated because you are improving the overall functioning of the central nervous system.

Many NeurOptimal® users report life changing results. It has helped improve the lives of children with ADHD diagnosis, as an alternative treatment for concussion symptoms/traumatic brain injuries, insomnia & sleep issues, addictions, anxiety, and depression. In U.S., neurofeedback is FDA approved for stress reduction and is designated as a wellness device rather than medical treatment.

Your sessions can be done in the office, by renting a system and using it at home, or buying your own machine with my support. Check the "services" section to pick the right one for you.


Neurofeedback is not well recognized because there is no pharmaceutical company or large, well funded organization with a patent that promotes it.  Studies have been done to show neurofeedback's effectiveness, but these articles are published in less prestigious journals. Traditional medical doctors typically are not educated in alternative therapies.

Because the neuroscience is still catching up, most of us still don’t really know WHY neurofeedback works so well. We have yet to really understand what the governing mechanisms are behind it. So, there ends up being a lot of in-fighting and rigidity and claiming territory which gets in the way of funding for larger research studies and acceptance in the broader scientific community.
And then there is the push back from main stream medicine. This includes physicians, researchers, and Big Pharma. They demand a standard of research that many believe to be too stringent. There are literally millions of hours of outcome studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of neurofeedback, but these are discounted a little too quickly, ostensibly because of various complaints about sample size and a lack of double blind, controlled research designs. Much of this criticism has more to do with economics and egos than genuine dedication to “science,” let alone patients’ needs.
But awareness of neurofeedback is growing! As the democratization of health care pushes forward—that is people taking their health into their own hands—neurofeedback is quickly becoming recognized as a powerful tool for mental, physical and emotional healing.

The NeurOptimal® proprietary neurofeedback system is a highly personalized brain training software that prompts the central nervous system to help make the best use of your brain’s neural resources.

Neurofeedback training for the brain is similar to physical training for the body. Much of our suffering comes from pervasive recurring thoughts and feelings in which our minds become emotionally stranded or cognitively “stuck”. Neurofeedback prompts the brain to draw from its existing resources and pull itself out of these mental “ruts”. The result is a more open and positive mindset in which obstacles are more manageable and problems more resolvable.

Much like a mirror that promotes self-correction, NeurOptimal®’s proprietary neurofeedback program monitors your brain waves and then provides “feedback” to your central nervous system about what it has just done. When the software detects a tremor in your brain wave pattern, it sends an audible signal that encourages the brain to “reset” and self-correct.

Neurofeedback Services
Medical practitioners often use biofeedback to improve a particular physiological activity, for example if you constantly clench you jaw you may go to the clinic where you can receive a biofeedback treatment.
Neurofeedback, however, is a specific type of biofeedback that utilizes the power of the brain as the master controller of the whole body. Therefore, many people can achieve the same and even greater results by using neurofeedback rather than biofeedback equipment.

There are 3 ways of how you can use neurofeedback which will effect pricing: 
  1. You can attend in-office sessions, 
  2. You can rent neurofeedback equipment for home use;
  3. You can invest in your own neurofeedback equipment. 
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Each client’s needs and situation are unique, read more about neurofeedback cost here.
While we do not bill insurance (read here why), if you have a health savings account (HSA) or flexible savings account (FSA) designed to pay for health-related expenses not covered by insurance, you may be able use it toward neurofeedback/biofeedback and save money.

If you are not sure if neurofeedback is right for you, try our starter package: first 3 in-office sessions for $225 (regular price is $325). Because one session is not enough to see lasting results (just like you are not likely to see major improvements after one workout at the gym), I offer a 3-session package to get a better "feel" of how neurofeedback can help. Book your first session here.

Other ways to save is to rent a system for home use. The rental cost per session can be as low (or lower) as your insurance co-pay!
NeurOptimal® neurofeedback is safe for anyone to use.  Why?  Because NOTHING is being added to your brain. The training works by alerting your automatic functioning part of the brain to its own actions (this part controls the fear response, flight/flight/freeze, sleep, attentiveness, executive functioning, etc.) so it can ‘see’ its own maladaptive patterns.  Because the brain is designed to be responsive to new information, when the NeurOptimal Neurofeedback System alerts the brain to it’s own functioning the brain will naturally tweak itself to be the most efficient and effective response.  It’s as if the brain, upon being alerted to it’s own behavior says “hey, I’m about to produce a stress response when I’m sitting in a safe space.  That’s not efficient or an appropriate response.  I’m going to change what I’m doing.”
Your very first in-take appointment would typically take 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes to review your goals and answer questions as well as for the neurofeedback session itself. The actual full session of neurofeedback is 33 minutes. The follow-up appointments are 45 minutes long. For parents bringing their children to neurofeedback I offer to split the very first session in half and allow the adult to try neurofeedback on themselves first. This allows children who might be a little nervous to see their parent enjoy the session before getting one themselves. My goal is to make you (and your child) as comfortable as possible. If you have any special requests or need accommodations, please tell me!
Your NeurOptimal® trainer will have you fill out a survey form listing the complaints and/or challenges that have brought you into their office.

You or your child will next be placed in a quiet space and in a comfortable position. The trainer will attach special sensors to your head that will feed your brain wave patterns into the NeurOptimal® program’s software.

A neurofeedback training session is relaxing, enjoyable and typically lasts about 30 minutes. As the session starts, you will hear music play though headphones and perhaps watch relaxing geometric images gently morph across a computer screen. You will hear occasional “skips” or interruptions in the music – this is the signal that prompts your brain to “reset” and optimize itself. Instead of listening to the relaxing music, children may choose to watch a movie.

At the end of a session, clients will most likely feel less stressed and more mentally clear. It is unlikely you will experience any negative after-effects as NeurOptimal® does not artificially “push” the brain in any specific direction. Many users experience deeper sleep and vivid dreams after their very first session.
Training with NeurOptimal® is actually a learning task. You get results because your brain is actively learning, even if you are not doing the learning consciously. So much like reading, once your brain knows how to read, it can’t “not know”. Your brain doesn’t forget. It may get rusty, but the effects of learning remain throughout your lifetime.
However, your brain is living tissue and you can— and will— get "knocked off" by stress, by chemicals, by alcohol, by an anesthetic, by the difficult daily lives we all seem to live. The wonderful thing is, a few booster sessions will get you back to where you were. A "neurofeedback trained brain" is quickly able to utilize the information NeurOptimal® is offering. It's as if the brain says "I know what to do with this!" and it goes through all the steps it went through in the weeks of initial training, but very rapidly. So you quickly get back into your good place.
If you are going through a more difficult time, you can quickly do a session or two to recover your optimal flow and functioning.  
Before you rule out neurofeedback as a "costly treatment" (which it isn't by the way), consider these factors and costs in terms of time, relationships, career, and quality of life:

  • Underachievement, demoralization, not living up to potential is costly
  • School failure, failed college attempts is costly
  • Job failure, job changes, absenteeism, being fired is costly
  • Relationship failures and/or divorce is costly
  • Legal problems are costly
  • Failed medications with side effects are costly
  • Residential treatment is costly (up to $100K)
  • Drug treatments are costly, especially when repeated
  • Psychiatric emergency admissions are VERY costly
Being unwell always costs you a lot more than being healthy. Make caring for your brain health a high priority to improve your own or your loved one's quality of life and save money in a long run.

“When your brain works right, you work right; and
when your brain is troubled, you are much more likely to
have trouble in your life.” – DANIEL AMEN, MD
During our in-person intake/consultation we can discuss your individualized goals and concerns. If you are looking for a counselor/therapist, I may refer you to one based on your needs and interests. Many clients who combine neurofeedback with counseling are able to address their issues on a much deeper level and make quicker progress than those who do just neurofeedback or just counseling alone.

In addition to being a certified NeurOptimal®, I also offer Bars® energy sessions which can be done in the same appointment for enhanced results.

I often ask my clients about their diet and healthy lifestyle choices and recommend health supplements to enhance or maintain their brain performance. One of my own favorites is Omega 3 oils. On the Products  page you can find a couple of trusted partners that offer high quality brain supplements.
You may start by scheduling your first appointment online.
Next, fill out the required  online forms before arriving for your first appointment: client-forms
Many clients start by trying the first few sessions in the office, then choose to either rent a system to use at home for 1 to 2 months or even purchase their own. We can discuss these options for you at your first appointment or you can review all 3 options here.

Look forward to meeting you in person. Congratulations on making the right decision to care for your brain!


Parents, desperate to help your struggling child?

Click here for your FREE Neurofeedback Guide

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Testimonials

Our family has benefited greatly from Neurofeedback. We were having a lot of conflict with our 6 year old and we knew we needed some help. My daughter had several in-office sessions and we all noticed that there was a big change— she herself would say that it helped her feel more calm and in control. We decided to rent a unit for a month so the whole family could do it. I’m so glad we did! As a family and as individuals, we’re in a much better place, getting along better, having more fun. For me personally, I’ve noticed that I’m taking better care of myself, eating better, exercising more, going to bed earlier. It’s like it’s easier to make good choices, and I have more motivation. We’re all calmer and happier. If you’re considering neurofeedback, go for it, you won’t regret it!

Sarah Anderson

I have had 5 sessions of neurofeedback. I have found that I remain calmer in the face of what would usually irritate me and have been able to let these things go both at home and work. More of a go with the flow type of response. I have also noticed that my husband who has been having neurofeedback sessions for his PTSD and ADHD has been able to concentrate on tasks for longer periods of time and for the first time is making real progress in our garage!

Leslie, Hillsboro OR

Olga is a delightful trainer with a lot of compassion for families and children. She always takes time to listen and offer meaningful, appropriate feedback during her in-office visits and renting a machine from her was easy, affordable and so helpful to our family. We are transformed!

Jessica I, 

After only 2 sessions my husband noticed that he overall felt like he's been in a better mood, has been learning more out of his computer work, and felt like his sleep has been better. I've felt less anxious, I've noticed, and generally pretty calm. My migraines are still here but not as bad.

Nicole, Aloha OR

I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I signed up for these sessions. I was under a ton of stress, couldn't sleep at night due to anxiety from the pressure I was under at work etc. The sessions don't require you to "dig deep", you simply relax and are lulled into a very Zen-like state. After just three sessions, my friends commented that they hadn't noticed me "this fun and carefree" in a LOOONG time. They were aware of the sessions I had been attending and feel as if they noticed a difference shortly after I started. And FINALLY, I sleep ALL NIGHT again! -Thank you, Olga!

Jill, Beaverton OR

Services

Home neurofeedback is a great option. Check out our "home rental" or "buy your own" programs.

In-office sessions

Ask about new dyslexia treatment!

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Home Neurofeedback

Love neurofeedback but hate having to drive to the office for each session?

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Buy your own device

Owning your own NeurOptimal® equipment is possible and makes a lot of financial sense. Let me help you make the right decision!

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Appointments

Initial 15 minute PHONE consultation is FREE.

Appointments
For a FREE no-obligation phone consultation, please complete this questionnaire.

If you are ready to book an in-office session,  SCHEDULE HERE

(New clients please fill out intake forms at least 24 hours before your first appointment.)


PAYMENT AND INSURANCE INFO 
We accept all major credit cards including HSA/FSA.
While we do not bill insurance, if you have a health savings account (HSA) or flexible savings account (FSA) designed to pay for health-related expenses not covered by insurance, you may be able use it toward neurofeedback/biofeedback and save money.  
Other ways to save include: Equipment Rentals

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About me

Are you an exhausted, overtaxed parent of a child with special needs who feels like killing people who tell you “enjoy every minute!”? Are you looking to be understood and find a tool that will make a difference in your child's (and your own!) life? I get it!

While I have worked with every age and category of person, I’ve got a soft spot for children and families. Something about playing a role in helping a child become their best simply appeals to me. Restoring or creating harmony in the family makes me very happy and makes me love what I do.

NeurOptimal® neurofeedback saved my sanity and healed my family, and I can’t wait to partner with you on your wellness walk.

Reach out today to get started.

Read full story about me   ||    

Olga Ward
Certified Advanced NeurOptimal® Trainer (Zengar Institute)
Access Bars® Practitioner (Access Consciousness)
Body Talk® Access Technician (Body Talk Systems)
Certified Brain Health Coach/Neurofeedback provider (Amen Clinics)
Find us on HealingWaze
About me

New Client Special - 3 sessions for $225.

Regular price $325 ($100 savings)

When you self-schedule online your first two sessions - your third session is FREE.

SCHEDULE Appointment

Products

The Body Keeps the Score

“Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society.” —Alexander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies

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Weighted Blankets

While weighted blankets help with a lot of health problems: from easing insomnia to reducing anxiety and ADHD - it is also proven to promote calm and simply boost your mood.

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Omega 3

Omega-3 supplements may help prevent and treat depression and anxiety. On top of that they improve attention and reduce hyperactivity, impulsiveness and aggression in children.

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BrainMD supplements

The nutritional ingredients in BrainMD Health products are specifically designed for the health of the organ that controls everything we do, think and feel—the brain.

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Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements

Choose from capsules, softgels, tinctures, or balm from the local Portland based physician-run clinic. FREE shipping!

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Client Forms

Client Forms
New clients please fill out the following forms before arriving for your first appointment.
If you have not been to our office in over 4 months, please complete new client forms.

  1. Checklist of Concerns
  2. NeurOptimal®  Consent form
  3. Appointment Attendance Policy 

Returning clients:
Checklist of Concerns

Blog

At the end of my rope. How neurofeedback changed my life completely.

Many people ask what brought me to becoming a neurofeedback practitioner. I can happily tell you my twisted story and how neurofeedback completely changed my life.

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2 min read

Neurofeedback vs Biofeedback

When it comes to health and wellness modalities, there can be a lot of confusion in the terminology. The same is true of the terms “biofeedback” and “neurofeedback.” Of the two terms, more people are familiar with biofeedback than with neurofeedback. Some people say to me, “I have heard of biofeedback, but not neurofeedback. What is the difference?”

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2 min read

Neurofeedback as a grounding tool

When we feel fully present and grounded, we can show up in the best way for ourselves and others. We make not only much better conversationalists, but also better students, employees, parents, and partners.

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3 min read

Different neurofeedback systems and their comparison (personal journey),

There are many different types of neurofeedback systems: LENS, EEG, NeurOptimal®. As brain science and technology evolve, so do the neurofeedback offerings. Here is my personal journey on discovering their features, benefits and limitations.

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2 min read

5 reasons why I chose NeurOptimal® over other systems

When deciding to use NeurOptimal® in my private practice, its effectiveness was the number one reason. However, other benefits were also very attractive to me.

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2 min read

When Is Neurofeedback NOT Effective?

If you are a healthy skeptic like I once was, you may question the effectiveness of neurofeedback. Can sitting in a comfortable chair with a few sensors attached to your head for 33 minutes really have any effect on your brain?

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3 min read

Help for Trauma: EMDR or Neurofeedback?

Trauma can have a devastating effect on a person’s physical and mental health and can impact every area of a person’s life. Family relationships, friendships, school, and work performance all suffer in the face of trauma. Learn how EMDR and neurofeedback can help.

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4 min read

Can I use neurofeedback with prescription medications?

Clients frequently ask me about the safety and effectiveness of combining neurofeedback and pharmaceutical medications. Often these questions come from parents who have concerns about the long-term side effects of certain drugs on their children.

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2 min read

Side effects or a healing crisis?

Understanding the efficacy and safety of any medication or treatment can feel overwhelming at times. But researching the side effects of your options makes you a responsible consumer. I hope you do this every time you are considering a traditional or alternative practice, regardless of the provider’s qualifications.

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4 min read

Dyslexia, dyscalculia, and the Brain

What we do know is that when our brain is functioning at its best, life comes easier to us. And when our brain isn’t in an optimal state, we end up struggling, usually in several areas of our lives.

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2 min read

Does neurofeedback work for concussions?

Anyone active in contact sports like football, rugby, or even soccer is at risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after repetitive concussions or traumatic brain injuries. New research shows that neurofeedback can help the brain recover its strength and optimal function.

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1 min read

Struggling with meditation? Neurofeedback can help.

Meditation offers impressive benefits for your body and mind. But why doesn’t everyone do it? The reality is, for some, meditation is harder than it seems. If you are struggling to find success in this practice, neurofeedback can help.

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1 min read
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