Developmental Trauma Remediated by Neurofeedback
submitted by Maria Di Donato DEd, BCN, PA Licensed Psychologist, PA/NJ Certified School Psychologist
Developmental trauma has long been recognized as a condition that affects many individuals. It stems from early childhood experiences of abuse, neglect or abandonment.
Those affected by this type of trauma, generally from a primary caregiver, experience symptoms that indicate varying degrees of emotional dysregulation. These symptoms can include fear, rage, social isolation, anxiety, self-destructive behaviors, and more because of traumatic experiences. This condition is also referred to as a type of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Many therapists have attempted to address and remediate individuals affected by this disorder with varying degrees of success. Research in the areas of the brain affected by traumatic experiences has uncovered a mind-brain connection between the trauma experiences and the response to trauma. Psychotherapy alone has been hampered in successfully remediating the condition.
Recent research in brain functions has provided evidence of involvement of deep brain areas that process and respond to the trauma experiences. These deep brain areas are separate and independent of the psychotherapy model of intervention, indicating that they are generally inaccessible to that modality.
Current research is focusing on the deep brain structures most affected by the trauma. These areas of the brain are not easily accessible by talk therapy because they are non-verbal in nature. For example, the right amygdala (right temporal area) is one area of the brain affected by emotional experience. It is non-verbal and cannot tell time (a function of the left frontal area). Other areas of the brain, particularly in the brain stem, are similarly affected and responsive. Being nonverbal, they are apart from the language of talk therapy. So therefore, any therapy addressing emotional content must do so nonverbally in the emotional, nonverbal processing centers.
Neurofeedback offers a promising solution for developmental trauma by targeting the brain’s deep, non-verbal areas that talk therapy cannot reach. Integrating these methods is a more comprehensive and effective treatment for lasting recovery.
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