Family Counseling San Diego EMDR LENS Neurofeedback
Welcome to our professional group of doctors and therapists were our seasoned clinicians integrate safe, effective, research-based treatment that focuses on solutions in addition to utilizing cutting-edge technology like Direct Neurofeedback LENS (Low Energy Neurofeedback System).
Mr. Walter Patrick Martin LMFT began this group practicing in 1999, Walter is known for his positive narrative visualization technique through EMDR, Dr. AJ Popky DeTUR addiction protocol. Mr. Walter Martin was honored to assist Dr. AJ Popky in his professional EMDRIA 2-day training. In addition, Mr. Walter Martin wrote a workbook for couples treatment “Heart and Soul Toward Intimacy: Couples Workbook” Mr. Walter Martin leads a seasoned group of clinicians who integrate a safe, effective, brief solution focused treatment in combination a cutting-edge technology is known as Low Energy Neurofeedback System (LENS) by Oshslabs. Brain imaging technology paired with effective therapy and treatment has shown that our brains are capable of changing for the better. Neurocounseling uses brain-based interventions to treat clients more holistically by integrating knowledge of the brain and physiology with traditional counseling assessments and treatment plans. Brain-based techniques are proven to produce mental health improvements in clients with traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress, depression, substance abuse, autism and ADHD. By learning how therapy can treat clients’ brains and not only their behaviors, counselors can teach clients emotional and physiological self-regulation skills to better manage their emotions and gain new coping strategies. Neurocounseling: Brain-Based Clinical Approaches, edited by Thomas A. Field, Laura K. Jones and Lori A. Russell-Chapin, provides the foundations for becoming a skilled neuroscience-informed counselor and offers clear, accessible approaches for incorporating neuro-counseling interventions into clinical practice.
This is a direct neurofeedback that nudges the brain out of maladaptive brainwave patterns, allowing the brain to restore homeostasis, reset itself for optimal performance. Mr. Walter Martin’s unique approach combining LENS with ACT, CBT, MI, EFT, Mindfulness Therapy and EMDR. Rapidly decrease symptoms therapies over most other appeaches in San Diego County. Clients report improvement dramatically and quickly. This is no quick fix approach but does not require 30-50 session like typical Neurofeedback were you have to work hard to retain your brain. Direct LENS we expect results in 5 to 10 sessions. LENS improves your overall quality of life by utilizing the latest technology and begin the steps to immediately get better sleep and less anxiety. Research indicates enduring results by restoring optimal brain functioning. Many state “This has changed my life”, “I have not had a full night of sleep over 20 years” and “Everything is so much brighter now.” This comments by patients occurred after the second treatment with the LENS.
Have you had a concussion, been exposed to blowback (Explosive Concussion) or Traumatic Brain Injury and have suffered with:
-Brain fog? -lack of sleep? -lack of focus? -migraine headaches? -anger and reactivity? and fatigue?
If you find you are answering YES to the above questions then you possibly have a TBI that is continuing to create suffering in your life.
We are offering a payment plan such that you can afford treatment now as most insurances do not fully cover LENS or Neurofeedback.
Counseling and Neurofeedback Together
Clients who receive neurofeedback treatment can choose to do so in conjunction with their own individual therapy. Depending on what your presenting symptoms are or what you are hoping to resolve, there are several reasons why you might choose both or why you would select one over the other. In the sections below we provide some scenarios and a few reasons how choosing one or both services might serve your needs in the best way possible.
Be assured that it is never a mistake to choose counseling and neurofeedback together. However, if you are having results with just one type of treatment, we want you to avoid additional treatments that might not be necessary.
What we have witnessed when clients choose to do both is that the strategies and insights learned in counseling are enforced by the neurofeedback at the neurological level so that the client is better able to maintain their positive changes. Many clients report that neurofeedback has helped get them into the right space so they have the ability to process and delve deeper in their individual therapy. Also, it is best practice to provide CBT therapy while providing Direct Neurofeedback together. This also allows the client to utilize insurance as most insurance carriers do not reimburse for Direct Neurofeedback without CBT therapy being provided.
Choosing Neurofeedback During Counseling
We often have clients referred to us who feel “stuck” or have “plateaued” in their own individual counseling. This could be for many reasons but often is because they are unable to access their emotions as much as they desire. Sometimes they feel like they understand the roots of their anxiety or depression but still can’t move through it.
Feeling “stuck” in individual counseling can also happen if circumstances in clients’ lives are particularly stressful, keeping them activated in their “flight, fight or freeze response.” This means they have activated their sympathetic nervous system and are therefore less able to accomplish introspection during counseling as they are in “survival mode.” In these types of situations, neurofeedback is a great addition. It can serve to support and further the work being done in counseling as it can help the brain and body relax, which allows internal shifts to resume.
Choosing Counseling After Neurofeedback
The most common reason why people pursue counseling after completing their treatment of neurofeedback is that their ability to process things that they were not aware of before is heightened. Many clients come in with the strong tendency to “numb out” of their present lives, whether that is through technology, alcohol, drugs, pornography, work or some other distraction. Often they find that during neurofeedback treatments they become more aware of the emotions and feelings underlying their symptom of numbing and thus want to explore it further through individual counseling.
What is the right approach for you?
The FCSD treatment team leverages a variety of treatment modalities to better meet your needs. While we are here to guide you and find the “best fit” to help obtain your treatment goals, some clients prefer to seek a specific type of treatment. Others simply wish to know more about the treatment modalities they are exploring. When available, we have also provided links to resources that our clients may find of interest (e.g. relevant videos; treatment worksheets).
Please note that certain treatment modalities are implemented by only select FCSD team members. To be matched to a therapist by treatment type contact our office manager.
Acceptanceand Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
(ACT) is a “third wave” psychological treatment that integrates the
key elements of many popular therapies that preceded it (e.g. Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy; Mindfulness Therapies). ACT begins by taking the power away from
unhelpful thoughts by changing the relationship we have with them. It then
explores ways to promote positive behavioral change in the face of strong
emotions by having one be mindful of and work towards their goals (e.g. values
and achievements). It promotes real-life action that may, in turn, resolve
strong emotions that previously had one moving away from what is truly
important to them.
Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
is the most widely used and researched form of psychotherapy for the treatment
of mental illness and other difficulties. It can be used as a primary method of
treatment, but also provides a foundation for many other treatments used by our
team such as utilizing CBT while having LENS treatment.
CBT is “problem-focused”
and “action-oriented.” This means it targets specific problems that
one is facing and can be a quick way to target focused difficulties one wants
to resolve. Treatment focuses on identifying maladaptive responses to one’s
environment due to “cognitive distortions.” These distortions reflect
misinterpretations or misunderstandings of our environment that ultimately lead
to ineffective behaviors. The goals of CBT are to: identify those distortions,
learn new ways to interpret one’s environment and have a different outcome as a
result.
Dialectical
Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
is an eclectic treatment that borrows from CBT, mindfulness therapies, and
other self-regulatory treatments. It focuses on practical training, exercises,
and psychoeducation to promote increased emotional and cognitive regulation.
DBT assumes that clients are doing
their best to manage strong emotions and reactive states, but that they can
obtain greater success and wellness through skill building. Participants in DBT
learn about emotional triggers that lead to reactive states, coping skills to
apply at the right time and place, and other mechanisms to avoid undesired
reactions.
DBT supports often require ongoing
client “check-in’s” between sessions to facilitate positive habits
and skill building. These “check-in’s” may require an additional fee.
EmotionFocused Therapy (EFT)
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) aims
to increase one’s connection and understanding of their emotional experience. By
recognizing the adaptive functions of emotion, EFT increases one’s ability to
recognize how their emotional experience can guide their actions, facilitate
individual growth, and shape future goals and directions.
EFT recognizes that emotions can be
difficult to manage and process, but aims to increase tolerance for these
emotions and the ability to use their emergence in a constructive manner.
Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are
treatment methods that can be integrated into several of the other treatment
methods used by some members of the FCSD team. The aim of the treatment is to
assist an individual to enter a deep state of focus and relaxation that permits
one to work on goals without being countered by negative emotions or worries.
It allows any place and time to be the “right” place and time to
resolve difficulties and move forward in a positive manner. It has a high
efficacy in: treating fears and phobias, the management of difficult situations
(e.g. anxiety around medical procedures or other upcoming events), or providing
momentary relief from high levels of stress.
Interpersonal
Psychotherapy (IPT)
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
identifies how our relationships and life events impact our emotional state. It
examines how negative relationships, our attachments, and our responses to
events can have a negative impact on our mood. The goal is to identify or
“map” out these relationships and events in order to find positive
pathways that promote wellness and positive emotions.
What is Direct or LENS Neurofeedback Used For?
There are multiple things that
neurofeedback can target and help improve. It is important to note that Direct
Neurofeedback is not a specific treatment for anyone disorder but is an adjunct
to mainstream medicine and not meant to replace it.
Neurofeedback has been found to help
in the symptoms and behaviors related to:
ADD/ADHD
Addiction
Anxiety and OCD
Autism and Asperger’s
Chronic Fatigue
Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia
Depression
Headaches and Migraines
Insomnia
Learning Disabilities
Mood (anger, rage, sadness)
PTSD and Developmental Trauma
Traumatic Brain Injury
Star Behavioral Health Provider Civilian Professional Culturally Aware
LENS
Neurofeedback vs. Regular Neurofeedback
As noted earlier, there are
different ways to go about changing brain waves. The simplest way to
differentiate between traditional neurofeedback and Direct Neurofeedback (LENS)
is that Traditional Neurofeedback is “retraining” your brain while Direct
Neurofeedback is “disrupting” negative patterns in the brain to get it
“unstuck.”
LENS
Neurofeedback vs. Regular Neurofeedback Continues
Both types of neurofeedback place
multiple sensors on a scalp and use computer software to display an
electroencephalogram (EEG) of the clients’ brain.
Traditional Neurofeedback uses
images, sounds, or lights to “reward” the client when the machine detects that
they have managed to put their brainwaves in the target frequency range. In
contrast, Direct Neurofeedback (LENS) sends a small signal that disrupts
the brain from generating brain waves in its stuck patterns. The main benefits
of using Direct Neurofeedback (LENS) is that initial results are noted
more quickly, sessions are shorter, and fewer sessions
are needed overall.
Mindfulness
Therapies
Mindfulness-based therapies aim to
provide increased “awareness” to what one is experiencing in the
present moment. It is anchored in the idea that distress and distraction can be
a consequence of one’s attention being pulled into the future (i.e. worry), the
past (i.e. sadness or rumination), or too unimportant distractions in our
environment.
The treatment focuses on increasing
the capacity to control attention in order to make the next action, moment, or
through a deliberate one (with “attention” comes
“intention”).
Variations on Mindfulness can assist
with ADHD, empathy building, and relaxation. Mindfulness can form the
foundation of a treatment or, more commonly, is complementary to other
therapeutic approaches.
Narrative
Therapy
Narrative therapies focus on better
understanding a client’s “story” to determine how they have gotten to
the place they are now and how they may move forward into the future. It
examines your previous life experience to form a clearer story of how one has
gotten to the here and now. It aims to identify and fill in gaps in order to
better understand the full complexities of one’s experience. By reliving these
events in more detail, the client can better understand their experiences and
how these experiences currently are shaping them. By reflecting and exploring
new meaning, a new story emerges that is enriched and provides a therapeutic
reconstruction of history and the future.
Play
Therapy
Play therapy refers to a variety of
assessment and treatment techniques that make use of a child’s natural ability
to play. Often children have difficulty understanding and expressing their
thoughts and emotions, as they don’t have the language to make themselves
heard. A trained therapist engages the child through fun, non-threatening
activities, which help to decrease the child’s anxieties about their problems
and worries, allowing them to express themselves more freely. The family is
often involved in the process to help the therapist understand the family
dynamic and assist in generalizing skills into the home.
The overall goal is to help the
child express his/her thoughts and emotions, and support them in learning
healthy coping skills and solutions. Play therapy provides children with a safe,
encouraging environment to express their true thoughts and feelings, in a way
that suits their developmental level.
Psychodynamic
Therapies
Psychodynamic therapies can
incorporate a range of approaches that stem from the idea that individuals can
experience internal conflicts that have resulted from previous life
experiences. The therapy is “insight-oriented” in that it attempts to
help the client identify these conflicts, recognize the nature of the
challenges they are experiencing, and how some of the “defenses” that
they use to cope may be maladaptive. It attempts to facilitate the development
of alternative coping mechanisms by increasing awareness of the conflicts and
defenses, changing the meaning/understanding of contributing events, and
fostering a positive relationship between the client and the clinician.
Rational
Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)
Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy
(REBT) shares many similarities with CBT, but tries to make the process as
simple as ‘A B C’. The basis of REBT is that negative experiences (both
internal and external) result from a life event (A – Activating Event), our
interpretation of the factors or causes of that event (B – Belief), and the
emotions or actions that result from that interpretation (C – Consequence).
REBT aims to identify
alternative interpretations (B – Belief) and to determine whether this results
in different experiences (C – Consequence) after the fact. It is a treatment
that involves introspection and real-life experimentation.
EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization
Reprocessing
Eye Movement Desensitization and
Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has
been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma.
EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many
different treatment approaches. As EMDR is a mental health intervention, it
should only be offered by properly trained and licensed mental health
clinicians. EMDRIA does not condone or support indiscriminate uses of EMDR such
as a “do-it-yourself” virtual therapy.
A growing body of evidence is
showing that many psychological conditions, including depression, often start
with a stressful or traumatic experience. We are finding that EMDR Therapy with
a Certified EMDR therapist can help significantly with symptoms of PTSD,
phobias, depression, anxiety, panic, early and complex adverse experiences in
childhood, and much more. It also has a strong track record for performance
enhancement in a wide variety of fields — school, work, business, sales,
sports, the arts, and that Most Popular Fear of All Time: public speaking.
EMDR is a treatment, a therapy, that
brings desired results in just a few sessions –with very little talking,
without the use of drugs, without the use of “homework” between sessions– a
treatment that is mainly used to cure PTSD or stress disorder –that array of
negative feelings of body and mind that plagues and ruins the lives of many
soldiers, rape victims, molested children, catastrophe’s survivors and other
people who’ve suffered an important shock or trauma in their lives. This PSTD
is somehow well known nowadays but for the longest time it was overlooked and
for the longest time it was treated without much success or not at all. And
still today many people don’t know of its existence or fail to recognize it in
themselves or in their loved ones and are thus unable to seek help for it, let
alone take advantage of a cure so incredibly simple and effective as EMDR.
Our personal experience with the LENS started with the recovery of trauma and also facilitated a reduction in pain. Because each person is different there is no way of knowing the exact effect the LENS will have on an individual. But our goal is a more relaxed, less stressed, better functioning and focused individual.
Even if your bump to the head was more than 1 or more years ago and you still have symptoms, we can Help! Why struggle anymore? At Family Counseling San Diego Inc we off a safe and very effective, drug-free proven approach using Low Energy Neurofeedback. In just 10-12 weeks of treatment, your brain will operate more efficiently and you will begin to think more clearly, have better focus, get better sleep, be less reactive and have more energy! You should notice a reduction in your migraine headaches as well! Call Family Counseling San Diego Inc today and visit our website to learn more. At the FamilyCounselingSanDiego.Com Inc, we offer an integrated drug-free approach to help our clients reach their full potential. If you are stressed, depressed, anxious, concussed to TBI, have brain fog, lack attention, have ADD/ADHD, have compassion fatigue, or other neurological inefficiencies, please give us a call at 858-217-5770. We use LENS (Low Energy Neurofeedback Systems) therapy for the micro-pulse technology that reorganizes neural patterns in our brains assisting our brains to optimize and reorganize itself. We have created a safe, professional and friendly atmosphere to help our clients reach their potential.
Remember that everyone can afford Neurofeedback as your brain and future will thank you after the treatment and during it. We provide affordable plans but if you can not afford it please click on the image at Parasail which can finance your treatment and you or you child are with it.
