READY TO FOCUS
800 Ellis Road, Suite 245
Norton Shores, MI 49441
Toll-free: 1-800-850-0535
Appointments: info@readytofocus.com
Billing: billing@readytofocus.com
Schedule an appointment today! 1-800-850-0535
800 Ellis Road, Suite 245
Norton Shores, MI 49441
Toll-free: 1-800-850-0535
Appointments: info@readytofocus.com
Billing: billing@readytofocus.com
Schedule an appointment today! 1-800-850-0535
Posted on August 31 2011
As you scroll down and read the success stories listed in this section of the website you will notice that we have discontinued updating them as of end of 2011. We did so at that point as we realized most of the conditions we treat have been listed as a story and there is enough there to give the reader information on how our program works. We will continue to update as required from this point forward. If you have a success story with us that you would like considered for the website - please email us at Kristi@readytofocus.com.
Posted on June 7 2011
Here is a list of some of our successes in the program for the 1st quarter 2011:
- young boy with anxiety issues feeling much less anxious and more happy
- adult businessman with anxiety and sleep problems resolve these issues signficantly
- young boy with significant behavioral issues at school made a complete turn-around
- adult businessman with focus issues improved considerably
- adolescent female with anxiety and stress made a complete positive change!
- adult in substance abuse recovery improved focus, reduced anxiety, and went back to school
- young girl with sensory issues made considerable progress in reducing these issues
- adult female able to stop taking antidepressant medication
- adolescent male able to have his stimulant medication reduced in half
- young female able to have her stimulant medication reduced in half
- adolescent male able to stop taking stimulant medication entirely
Way to go everyone! We are so happy for your positive results!
Posted on January 3 2011
Here is a short summary of some of our results from December 2010.
* 11 year old who is now able to work to full potential. Earned straight A’s last semester for 1st time ever
* Migraine/headache sufferer who saw nearly 100% drop in occurrence rate
* 9 year old who succeeded in program and was able to avoid going on medication for attention span
* Young adult who was able to stop taking medication for attention span
* 6 year old who was able to focus and do well in their first year of school
* Panic attacks stopped in an adult last summer. 6 month update and no panic attacks!
Posted on October 18 2010
Ready To Focus reports the following results for participants over the summer 2010;
Participant issues:
50% had focus difficulties
25% had anxiety difficulties
25% had other behavioral/medical issues
The satisfaction rate with our program (measured weekly for each participant) was 100% positive!
Of those participants taking medication for ADHD, over half of them reduced the amount of medication they were taking and were on their way to elimination of medication
Several participants, who were ready to begin medication for ADHD or anxiety prior to contacting Ready To Focus, avoided these medications after completing the program
88% of all participants showed significant clinical improvements through the course of their participation with Ready To Focus
Posted on September 8 2010
Cindy and Eileen (not their real names) both completed the RTF program this summer. The family primarily did the program to help Cindy as she was having some difficulties with becoming too emotionally reactive in difficult situations and was having some difficulties with school work. For Cindy, over the course of training slow and steady improvements were observed. The first signs were evident after about 10-15 hours of training and she ended up completing about 30 hours total in 3-4 months. She began handling redirection and limit setting much better. She was less over-emotional. She did some workbooks over the summer to keep her academic skills sharp and her parents noticed more independent work with these too. We are all excited to see how she does in this upcoming school year. Her sister Eileen completed 20 hours of training. Her mother reports, “We honestly went into her training thinking she really didn’t need it, but let’s do it anyway. Well, she responded GREAT to the program. We see a marked improvement in her overall demeanor. The best words I can use to describe her now is, mature.”
Posted on September 8 2010
Based on the results of my initial consultation I learned that my brain was producing too much fast wave activity. I completed just over 33 hours of training over 3-4 months. I did my training first thing in the morning, which made a huge difference for me in making progress. I immediately saw results in a drop in my fast wave activity. My sleeping has improved. It’s one of those things where I didn’t know I wasn’t sleeping well until I actually slept well. My other goals in training were to reduce tension and help focus myself in more of a relaxed manner. I feel like I am reading books faster now. I have read 5 books over the last couple months which is unusual for me. I start a Bible study in a couple of weeks and hope I notice improvements in my studying. I also made the switch to the ganoderma coffee products. I thought this would be difficult for me due to the fact I am a Starbucks fan! I found the coffee to be easy on my stomach and digestive track and like the way it made me feel during the day.
Posted on August 9 2010
Lisa (not her real name) had struggled with anxiety for many years. She learned of RTF through a local newspaper story about biofeedback/neurofeedback and RTF and decided to schedule a one-time assessment at the RTF office. After deciding that the assessment answered her questions regarding how biofeedback/neurofeedback could help her she began the program. Positive response areas were noted after using the RTF training method that was tailored to her needs. These positive results included a much calmer demeanor, reduced anxiety, increased confidence at work, and better choices regarding personal health. In particular, Lisa ended a destructive cycle of using energy/caffeine drinks multiple times a day and instead switched to the healthy coffee products offered at RTF. She found benefit in using biofeedback/neurofeedback to manage her menstrual cycle and to decrease problems related to PMS. Post training she has maintained a healthy lifestyle via exercising and eating right.
Her son Jim (not his real name) also participated in the program. During the course of training RTF was able to identify a non-verbal learning issue with Jim in addition to focus and anxiety issues. He was able to complete about 20 hours of training this summer and due to his age and learning style issues may require some more at some point , but we are excited to see some gains already for him.
Posted on June 15 2010
Jim (not his real name) started the RTF program to help with struggles he was having with completing homework and problems with focusing and distraction at school. He is an elementary school age student. Over the course of 4 months he completed nearly 40 hours of training. His family began to notice positive improvement once he reached the 15-20 hour mark. By time he reached the 30-40 hour mark he was doing very well in the areas listed above. However, he also showed really neat changes in several others that came as a surprise to his parents. This included very noticeable improvements with his social interactions. He was typically an overly fussy eater and during the course of doing the RTF program became much more open to trying new foods. His energy level increased noticeably. He became much more willing to become involved in extra curricular activities at school.
I am so happy for Jim and the positive changes he has experienced. In fact, in all my years of practicing biofeedback/neurofeedback I believe he has had one of the best responses to the treatment that I have ever witnessed.
Posted on May 10 2010
Written by their mother:
We started with the Ready to Focus program to help our three children who were dealing with a variety of issues that were preventing them from achieving their highest potential in school and in everyday life. Their issues included difficulties with focus, attention, anxiety, social awareness, impulsivity and sleep problems. I was a bit anxious about training three children in the home based program, but I soon realized the RTF home-based program is set up in a way that was convenient to use and my children enjoyed it. They would come home from school and ask to train! In three months, we were able to train each child 40+ hours. Our oldest son, who loved it the most, trained close to 60 hours in three months! The best part, we are thrilled with the results! We have seen drastic improvement in every area of our initial concern. This has completely changed our children’s daily lives. We are so thankful Ready To Focus offers a home-based option. It gave us the flexibility to train when and for how long we wanted. Also, we were able to train three children, plus myself, for a fraction of the cost it would have been with an in-office approach.
Posted on April 13 2010
Written by the father:
Our family of five got started in the Ready To Focus program (RTF) after we observed the life-changing experience of a friend on the program. This friend suggested that the entire population should go through neurofeedback training (quite a statement - having now experienced the RTF program ourselves, we wholeheartedly agree). One thing that attracted us to neurofeedback was the research showing that 80 percent of those trained continue to experience the benefits on a long-term basis. Initial testing showed our brains were functioning fairly well, but we all had room for improvement in terms of increasing focus and lessening anxiety. So we started RTF with the general idea that we were functioning well, but could optimize our performance. We did not realize how much we would benefit: everyone in our family has experienced profound benefits individually; moreover, the program has positively changed how our family interacts on a daily basis. Given all the ways RTF has improved us individually, it is perhaps no surprise that our family interactions have improved greatly. There is far less arguing, and when an argument does develop, it does not continue. In general, we feel a greater sense of peace, self-control and harmony in our home. RTF has been a tremendous blessing to our family.
Posted on April 13 2010
The benefits of biofeedback/neurofeedback are not reserved for older children and adults only. Younger children can also experience benefits to the program that include increased focus, improved behavior, and overall improved cognitive functioning. Recently, the Ready To Focus (RTF) program had a child complete the program who was 3 years old when she started the training. Since any family member can utilize the RTF neurofeedback equipment once it is set up in the home at no additional charge, a family that had recently started the program for other family members decided to have this younger child participate as well. Here is her father’s report of the results:
“Our youngest daughter probably needed the program the most, and has probably benefitted the most. Prior to starting the program, she was un-focused, very active, and restless even for a 3 year old. As we observed her brain wave activity associated with stress, tension, and anxiety steadily decrease during her training sessions, we observed her behavior steadily improve. What a blessing that we could make this positive change now - at the pre-school age - we can only imagine how this will affect her performance in school and at home over the course of her life.”
Ready To Focus is not only excited about this child’s gain, we are also excited to report that we have recently opened discussion with well-known early child learning center to include biofeedback/neurofeedback training as part of their curriculum. Stay tuned!
Posted on April 13 2010
Helen (not her real name) is a 12 year old girl that recently completed the Ready To Focus (RTF) program. Helen participated in the RTF program because of difficulties related to the stress of school and homework. Weekly assessments of her progress showed a gradual reduction in stress and anxiety to the point that the RTF program has significantly lessened this stress. She reports feeling less anxious, tense, and her parents have noticed a positive change in her. She was also frequently a bit hyperactive and restless and now she presents much more calm and relaxed. Her sleep has improved as well.
Posted on April 13 2010
Written by her father
My daughter Ellie (not her real name) is a 15 year old high-achiever in school and competitive sports. Unfortunately, she would often suffer from stress related to her academic and athletic performance. For example, on the morning of a sporting event she would struggle to eat breakfast and would become physically ill upon arrival at school. Mid-way through the Ready To Focus (RTF) program, she observed that virtually all the negative effects of stress had disappeared. She now looks forward to her sporting events, and appears to relish the excitement and the challenges, just without the worries. Moreover, she appears to work much easier through her homework than she did prior to RTF. In general, life has become easier for her since going through RTF: she seems to take things in stride in a way that she simply did not before.
Posted on April 13 2010
Tom (not his real name) has a job requiring discipline and the ability to multi-task. Prior to completing the Ready To Focus, Tom often felt like there were 5 or 6 “windows” open in his brain representing multiple tasks he was trying to complete at the same time. He would often feel scattered, unfocused, unsure what to be doing, and generally a bit anxious and unproductive. Positive changes became apparent after just a few weeks on the program and continued to improve over the course of three months on the program. Tom now reports feeling a sense of calm and peace - a natural ability to concentrate - and decreased anxiety. As a result, work and family life have become more productive, and more enjoyable. Additionally, Tom is sleeping very well now, and in fact did not even realize how poorly he had been sleeping before the program.
Posted on March 12 2010
As a 38 year-old husband, father of four, and leader of an organization I had a lot of responsibilities so I figured that my anxiety was normal. I struggled to turn my brain off at night and therefore I couldn’t fall and stay asleep. So, almost two years ago, I started to take Xanax to turn me off and get some rest. The anxiety I had was always present and it made me feel like I was in a rush and it made me blow things out of proportion.
My wife encouraged me to pursue “Ready To Focus” and seek some relief. During my first visit my anxiety was seen clearly in the numbers as I went through an assessment. (Ready To Focus Clinical Director) Brad Oostindie explained that my mind is stuck in the “fight or flight” mode and that they could help.
As I began the program I wondered how watching DVDs would help me, but as I went through the program I found myself more focused, less uptight and finally able to sleep. I got off the Xanax and my wife commented about the changes she saw in me. Finally the runaway train of my mind got under control and now I’m “Ready to Focus.”
Thanks to “Ready to Focus” for your support and good work!
Posted on January 5 2010
Written by Brad Oostindie, MA, LLP
Gary (not his real name) is a 12 year old who had been taking Concerta (a common stimulant medication) for a number of years to address his problems with focus and distraction. Over time his dosage was increased to 54mg per day, which is considered a high dose of this type of medication. Prior to taking this medication he experienced problems with sustaining focus, distraction, and difficulties related to completing homework and other academic difficulties. Even with taking the medication he had difficulties with completing homework, sustaining attention and focus on tasks, and impulsivity.
When assessed at Ready To Focus, it was found that he did indeed have a slow wave dysregulation. Individuals with slow wave issues tend to have problems sustaining focus and with distraction and also tend to respond well to stimulant medication as the medication tends to help the brain activate (i.e. Get out of its slow wave pattern). Unfortunately, the assessment also showed that even though he was taking the medication, his performance on neuropsychological tests measuring sustained focus and distraction was still in a range considered impaired. He started a home-based biofeedback/neurofeedback program following a researched training regimen used all over the world in neurofeedback treatment centers for this slow wave dysregulation.
After approximately 20 hours of training (while on his 54 mg of medication) we observed his neuropsychological testing improve from impaired to the average range. At that point his parents decreased his medication to 36 mg and he completed another 10-15 hours of treatment. When retested at the 35 hour mark of total training (at 36mg) his scores remained in the average range. The medication was again reduced to 18 mg for another 5-10 hours of training and he was retested. Again – the results showed scores in the average range. At that point the big step was taken to eliminate all medication and train for another 5-10 hours before retesting. The last retesting showed attention scores in the above normal range, and distraction scores in the low average range. So, after approximately 45 hours of training Gary was off from the stimulant medication entirely, and scoring better on the neuropsychological tests than he was while on it.
Subjectively, during that time Gary (who had completed the first 3-4 months of school while doing all this) was doing his homework unassisted every night. Typically both he and his mother would have to do homework every night together – a 1-2 hour process each night. Also, he obtained higher academic scores/grades than in years past.
Because of the fact his distraction scores remained lower than what we would like them to be, we will have Gary continuing on an office-based once a week training schedule for the next month or two (also called “maintenance therapy”). The goal is to help him maintain his gains, improve the distraction piece even more, and make sure the gains stick. Research shows that approximately 80% of those who benefit from biofeedback/neurofeedback (minimum 20 hours training) maintain the gains in the one, two, three, and five year follow up studies. Because of how far he has come, and the areas yet to improve, we will do the maintenance therapy to make sure there is no regression.
Update (February 3, 2010): After one month of maintenance therapy (one neurofeedback session per week) and no medication Gary did indeed show some regression. We responded to this by restarting 18 mg of Concerta and doing one more month of the home based program. He has quickly responded to this and is back on track. We plan on continuing neurofeedback training on the 18mg for a few weeks, then training off the medication entirely for a few weeks to see if we can have complete success with getting him off the medication entirely!
Posted on January 5 2010
Written by Brad Oostindie, MA, LLP
According to the National Institutes of Health, one in three adults has occasional insomnia and one in ten adults has chronic insomnia. About 8% of the insured population took sleeping pills in 2006, versus 5% in 1998. The increased use of sleeping pills has been particularly sharp for young adults. The issue with using many of these sleeping medications is the addictive quality of them and the impairment they give even into the next morning in terms of focus and attention because of the sedative type quality of the medication. Also, they tend to impede the natural sleep process (sleep stages we go through during the night) making the medicated sleep less efficient than natural sleep. So, even though they promote sleeping, the quality of the sleep is lessened because the natural sleep cycles are impeded.
Sam (not his real name), a young adult in charge of running a business and supervising several employees, was one of the 10% of adults with chronic insomnia. About a year or so ago he was prescribed a sleep aid to address this issue, and was a nightly user of it at the time he contacted Ready To Focus. His insomnia resulted from a bigger issue with anxiety and stress. With a combination of biofeedback and neurofeedback training he was able to stop taking the medication very quickly. He also substituted over the counter melatonin (a natural sleep producer) to help restore his sleep cycle. Lastly, we are addressing his sleep (and anxiety) issues with use of a full spectrum light that he will use for 15-20 minutes each morning in conjunction with his biofeedback/neurofeedback schedule. This type of specialized lamp has been scientifically shown to improve the sleep-wake cycle and improve mood.
Posted on January 5 2010
Written by Brad Oostindie, MA, LLP
Joe (not his real name) is a self-employed adult who owns an international business. It is a fast pace, high stress type job with many degrees of responsibilities. A few years ago he noticed problems with maintaining focus throughout the day, increased disorganization, and inability to stay focused on a project in order to deliver it to completion. Some of these qualities had been lifelong patterns, but they were accentuated during times of stress. Other issues included problems with sleep, anxious mood, and obsessiveness. Overall he described himself as feeling tense and uncomfortable most of the time.
A visit to his family doctor resulted in a prescription for a common stimulant medication. Although the medications did help improve his focus somewhat initially, he noticed they did not alleviate all symptoms and in fact made some of the issues worse. A colleague of his referred him to the Ready To Focus program, and after reading the book ADD: The 20 Hour Solution he decided to start the program.
An initial assessment was completed that showed brain wave patterns associated with fast wave dysregulation as opposed to brain waves associated slow wave dysregulation. Both fast wave and slow wave dysregulation can lead to symptoms commonly associated with ADD or ADHD; however, individuals with fast wave dysregulation tend to respond poorly to stimulant medication as opposed to slow wave individuals who tend to respond positively to it. This was confirmed for Joe when we tested him on a continuous performance test (a neuropsychological testing instrument) with and without the medication. When he realized his scores were no better with the medication as opposed to without it, he stopped taking the medication.
Joe then began a biofeedback/neurofeedback regimen with the Ready To Focus home based program and completed about 4 months of training (approximately 35 hours total time training). Both he and his colleagues notice a great improvement! The research shows that he stands at least an 80% chance of not only holding these gains after he completes the programs, but that he will actually show even more improvement over the next 1-3 years even though he won’t be using the equipment. Subjectively, he reports feeling better and more productive even with all the stress of his job.
Posted on December 7 2009
Written by Natalie’s mother:
Natalie had always had a problem putting herself to sleep since infancy. As an 11-year-old, it was really affecting her daily behavior. We were also trying to identify and isolate the root of her issues with angry outbursts, lying, disorganization, and irresponsibility. We knew she was a very intelligent, creative, outgoing, engaging person, but the other side of her was really making everyday life difficult. As parents, we were really struggling to do what we knew we needed to do (be consistent, follow-thru with consequences, set expectations) but were just not seeing any long-lasting results; she didn’t seem to be learning from consequences and our relationship was suffering.
Several years ago, when we had first heard of neurofeedback, we found a local psychologist that was offering it. We drove 40 minutes, round-trip, twice a week for 30-minute treatments and paid about $180 per visit, out of pocket. When we met with the psychologist, we paid $360 an hour, out of pocket. It was very difficult to afford, but for the first time ever, Natalie (then 9-years-old) was going to sleep on her own and staying asleep. Her daily behavior was much more consistent and we just knew this was the result of the neurofeedback. Unfortunately, we were not able to continue as long as needed because of the extreme cost.
Knowing that we had had success with the earlier experience with neurofeedback and Natalie’s sleep issues, we thought that it was worth a try with these current issues. When we heard about the Ready to Focus program and spoke with Brad Oostindie, it was such a relief and, actually exciting, to tell him about Natalie and have him really understand our dilemma and to help us to put some shape and scope to what we were dealing with and how neurofeedback would help. Getting started with the program was easy and so much more convenient to be able to have the whole system in our home. We were able to get in more sessions and not waste any time or expense driving to appointments. We were also able to complete many hours of training for Natalie at a fraction of the cost we paid several years ago in the office based program. The weekly meetings with Brad Oostindie really gave us an opportunity to learn so much about what was happening in Natalie’s brain which actually helped us, too, to know that a lot of Natalie’s behavior was a “brain mis-fire” issue and not necessarily a conscious choice that she was making.
We have seen great results. So many little things along the way have added up to a much more manageable child. Her progress reports from school used to have a list of missing tasks and grades that did not reflect her potential, but now we have not seen a missing task in months and she is consistently taking responsibility for getting homework completed and turned in. Having a 3.6 GPA in sixth grade is a big accomplishment! She still needs reminders for chores or picking up her room, but the difference now is that she responds to reminders instead of ignores or rebels against them. Overall she seems to hear and respond in a much calmer and cooperative way. When I asked her what was the difference, she said, “When I knew that I didn’t have my homework done, it would race around in my head and I would just get really stressed out. Now, I just do it and I feel sooooo much better.” We all feel much better.
Posted on November 2 2009
Bill and Jack (not their real names) are two brothers who completed the Ready To Focus home based neurofeedback program in the summer of 2009. Both Bill (middle school age) and Jack (late elementary age) had struggled with academics, behavior, and focus for their entire life. Attempts at intervention utilizing different types of medication and counseling had been unsuccessful. Bill (who completed approximately 35 hours of training) recently received his first progress report at school for this school year, in which 4 out of 5 classes indicated grades A or B. Teachers and caregivers had always felt Bill was intelligent and capable, but had never lived up to his potential. He is finally starting to do so! Behaviorally he is doing much better as well. Jack (who completed approximately 24 hours of training) had been doing grade work one grade below grade placement last school year. This school year he is doing grade level work (a two grade jump in this case!) and behaviorally is doing better as well. These results and the improvements that Bill and Jack experienced led to this quote from their parent, “For the first time in my life I feel like they are doing mainstream academic work!” Objectively, both Jack and Bill’s testing and re-testing in the Ready To Focus program showed significant improvement from pre neurofeedback to post. This includes increased IQ scores (a finding validated in many controlled neurofeedback studies) and increase in continuous performance testing.
Posted on October 1 2009
Written by Brad Oostindie:
Jane (not her real name), a 10 year old girl, completed the Ready To Comprehend program and the Ready To Focus program over the summer of 2009. It is a great story of positive change brought about by her hard work in these two programs.
In the Ready To Comprehend program a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment was completed to assess her level of concentration, distraction, mood and behavior, learning disorders, as well as for signs and symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.(FAS). The assessment did indicate problems related to focus and attention span, as well as problems related to anxiety. Her cognitive scores showed some deficits and areas of weakness that were likely negatively impacting her academic performance. The assessment conclusively ruled out FAS and learning disorders, and really helped us focus in on two main areas to help Jane. The type of comprehensive assessment completed was the only way to answer all of these questions.
After completing the assessment we started the Ready To Focus program (home based neurofeedback). Jane completed nearly 50 hours of training over the course of three months! This was absolutely fantastic as her parents and I had concerns about how well she would engage in the program as she could be oppositional at times. During the course of training we noticed improvement with sleep, improvements with focus and attention span, reduction of anxiety, improved mood, and improved social functioning. By the fall she was able to return to school (she had been unable to complete school the prior year due to her difficulties) and is off to a good start.
Six months after her initial neuropsychological assessment, we re-tested Jane on the neuropsychological measures. Significant improvement was observed in her Verbal, Performance, Processing Speed, and Full Scale IQ scores. Jane improved from approximately the 30th to 40th percentile rank to the 70th to 80th on some of these measures (Verbal and Performance IQ), and her overall IQ score improved to the 85th percentile! Her ability to avoid distraction improved from the 1st percentile rank to nearly the 50th percentile rank! I believe these cognitive improvements will help her greatly over the course of this new school year.
We will continue to work on her ability to sustain effort on tasks, which improved during the course of training but is not fully at the level we want it. In addition, we would like to see further progress with her level of anxiety and tension. Because of the high amount of training she completed we will be able to take a break now and return to the training later on next spring or summer. The research shows that those who complete over 20 hours of training will hold the gains they made, and will likely continue to improve even after the treatment over the next 1-3 years.
I am so happy for Jane and her family and the improvements she is experiencing.
Posted on September 28 2009
Our daughter started neurofeedback when she was 8 years old going into 4th grade. We noticed she was having a hard time with everyday tasks such as getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing her teeth…etc. She basically didn’t know what to do next. Her school work was also a struggle for her, especially math. She told us that the numbers were all mixed up in her head. She also had very bad migraine headaches that she was on medication for to help prevent them. She was also moody, somewhat depressed because she felt stupid because of her schoolwork. We suspected ADD.
I had never heard of neurofeedback before. I am a pharmacist and the treatment was medication. I never knew that there was this alternative. Our family doctor knows Brad Oostindie and suggested that we try this instead of putting her on medication right away. I was so happy because I see the side effects of these medications in kids everyday and I did not want my daughter to have to go through that.
It took a while before we actually saw results. I was getting a little frustrated, but Brad told me to hang in there. It was probably about 9 weeks at 2 half-hour sessions per week when we saw the results. It was amazing. One day she was the moody, frustrated girl and the next she was happy, ready to go to school and start learning.
We had about 15 weeks of therapy. We have the home version and refresh in the summertime. The equipment is easy to use and convenient. I also put my other daughter on it just because even though she does not have ADD.
Our daughter is off her migraine medication and the headaches are almost non-existent. She never had to be put on ADD medication and is doing great. She is going into 7th grade and last year she had all “A’s” and one “B+”. She loves school and cannot wait to start this fall. It has been a slow road to basically “catch her up” and relearn some things, but it has been worth the hard work. We are so proud of her!
Posted on August 21 2009
During my elementary years, particularly 3rd through 5th, my teachers seriously impacted how I viewed myself. For years I struggled with feelings of inadequacy with the deep-seated lie that I was actually dumb and stupid. Over the years through God’s grace I have found healing and restoration from a destroyed self-esteem. But there was one more piece to the puzzle – something I hadn’t considered – how those childhood years affected my ability to learn.
You see, I love to learn, but reading a book meant going back to read what I had just read, conversation with a friend meant asking questions that had already been answered, listening to a lecture found me leaving class with my head spinning, studying for an exam meant many laborious hours. The question wasn’t how long I stuck with something, because I was diligent to persevere through whatever. The question was how much I absorbed and retained from that book, conversation, lecture, or review. It all came about while I was working on finishing a college degree last year. Studying for an exam or writing a paper triggered the same panic and anxiousness I had struggled with throughout all my school years.
The Ready to Focus option was something I had to explore. I had no idea what that meant, but I was willing to give it a try. After my initial testing to see how my brain waves were working during focus, it was discovered that my brain would work really hard to focus (at an anxiety level), but then give up and jump over to a zoned out state even while I tried to remain focused. I couldn’t believe how well Brad’s description fit what I experienced every time I read a book, studied for an exam, etc. No wonder I was having trouble - jumping from anxiety to zoned out - a pattern, Brad says, that I probably developed as a grade-schooler. I just always thought that was how it worked for me. I always figured I had some sort of learning disability that I would never be able to overcome, of course, proving my teachers correct.
After 32 half-hour sessions of neurofeedback I have retrained my brain waves to function at the healthy ideal levels my brain was made to function all along. Experientially, I could tell I was improving, but the real clincher was when I saw the before and after graphs that showed my improvement.
I am both amazed and grateful that God would bring healing down to the very core of my brain waves—my God-given cognitive potential. My brain waves are fixed and I am a bona fide student and learner without the panic and anxiety I experienced for so many years!
Gwen
Michigan
Posted on August 21 2009
Bailey (age 6), had a hard time focusing. You could only give her one task at a time to complete. Her attention was 15 minutes or less on a good day. We had to do little study sessions with her every day in order for her to just keep up in class. I had met with her teachers about things what I was seeing at home and I wanted to see if they were seeing this in the classroom. We had a speech/language teacher evaluate her as well as a special education teacher. We were also talking to Bailey’s doctor about all of these observations. The doctor said she wouldn’t do anything unless is continued into first grade.
When we heard about Ready to Focus and the neurofeedback approach from my father, we thought we’d give it a try. Within the first week, my husband and I could see Bailey focusing more and I did not continually have to bring her attention back to our study session. She was following directions better and following through on multi-step tasks. This was exciting for all of us! As the weeks went by, we saw more and more progress and were very encouraged.
Bailey has completed 20 hours of neurofeedback sessions and while the behavior and attention progress has been life-changing, we have been able to avoid putting her on medication, which is where we were headed before we tried neurofeedback. I was so relieved that my child did not have to be on medications because as a nurse, I understand what some of the side effects or adverse events these medications can cause, whether it is short-term or longer.
Posted on August 21 2009
I needed to improve my focus and attention so that I could juggle work, home and school. I knew my attention span was short and I had developed a pattern to study for an hour to an hour and a half, then do some house work or get coffee and then sit for another hour to study. I was taking classes and preparing for exams and I just wasn’t getting the results I was hoping for with my own methods.
When I had my assessment with the neurofeedback equipment, it revealed that at my T3 site (left brain) there was a lot of high beta activity going on all the time even when I would sleep. This was the problem. With the neurofeedback training, I was able to target this site to calm my brain down and focus more.
Within a few weeks, I was recognizing the “calm feeling” and how to get in that state quicker. This was like teaching my body to relax enough to allow information to be received. I was retaining information and able to use it. It was working!
The Ready to Focus system was great to have at home. It is very easy to use. It works well with children or adults. Parents and their children have very busy schedules and this is the system to have in your home. You do not have to make trips to the doctor’s office for an hour or two at a time. At home, you can sit down at your table, complete a session in 30 minutes to an hour, then have the rest of the day to yourself. Do this three to five times a week and you will see results. I did.
Nickie
Ohio
Posted on August 21 2009
I had terrible headaches just about every day for the better part of a decade. I tried doctors, chiropractors, and several other things and nothing seemed to help. It was getting a bit frustrating. After my first neurofeedback session my headaches were gone! I literally felt certain muscles in my head relaxing during the session and when I got done I knew that I had found the key to fixing my headaches. I was able to discontinue the use of the beta-blocking medication that would occasionally give me some relief, because I just didn’t need it anymore!
Aside from helping my headaches neurofeedback has been an incredible way to learn how to focus, breath, and be in a much better mental zone than I’ve ever been in. I’ve been amazed at how much more effective I am at work and in every other way when my brain is properly focusing.
I’m usually a skeptic about these types of things and if I had not experienced it for myself I’m not sure I would have believed it could be so beneficial. I can’t say enough about neurofeedback. I wish everyone could do the training!
Dan
Michigan