Developmental Trauma and Neurofeedback

About ten years ago I attended an ATTAch conference along with many other therapists who specialize in treating Reactive Attachment Disorder. I signed up for a module for treating trauma with neurofeedback; the presenter was Sebern F. Fisher, M.A., author of Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma, Calming the Fear-Driven Brain, W.W. Norton & Company, 2014. In the conference Sebern Fisher discussed a case vignette of a child with the diagnosis of Reactive Attachment Disorder living with a foster family and how she was able to help him to calm his fear driven brain which lead to better brain functioning with the results of better behavior and understanding of the external world and relationships. It was an amazing class and I feel fortunate to have participated in my own training with a little over a year of neurofeedback experience under my belt and the opportunity to offer this intervention to clients.

I have utilized neurofeedback as an adjunctive treatment with a few of my young clients diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder. The results have been positive. Recently I discussed neurofeedback and brain development with one of my most timid kids. A year ago she would not have been able to hang in there with any conversation due to her extreme hypervigilence. But, armed with my M&Ms, she was able to remain present during the discussion and I noted some 'aha!' moments as we talked about what her baby brain learned when she was deprived of food.

In a nutshell with a very general explanation and not using all of these scientific words so that a child could understand, the conversation about brain development begins with talking about brain development in utero and during early 'babyhood.' I talk with kids and their families about how the right side of the brain is online in utero at about 5-6 months gestation when kicking is felt by the mother, and is in control until about 3 to 4 years old, when the left hemisphere develops and gives context to an experience or feeling. The baby in utero can hear and feel what the mother is experiencing, but can only react to these experiences in the womb. The right side of the brain contains the sense of self and sense of a caretaker or mother. I explain how the right side of the brain holds feelings or implicit memory/gut feelings about situations and traumatic experiences without a context, but the narrative memory or explanation of feelings within a context develops after 3 or 4 years old.

In this particular example, my timid kid quickly connected that a lot of yucky feelings float around without a story in her brain. (Whew! A lot of talking and M&Ms but she was doing strong work and asking good questions). The 'aha!' moment came when she processed that the aroma of food cooking was different for her than for other people in her family. She went on to talk about the aroma of food for others translated into happy anticipation for a meal, but, for her, it meant she would not be fed because of what the right side of her brain learned about neglect and food deprivation during her time as a baby! She was able to figure out that she must have been aware of the smell of food but did not get any meals. In identifying that specific trigger, we could talk about all the times she has been fed in present time and all the times she has not been starved by her family in present time. And her parents will no be able to brainstorm ways to help her to identify her fear when she hovers for food and to give validation for her fears. M&Ms for everyone! Yay for her!!

I believe that neurofeedback has been able to help her to develop resilience because she did not experience a retraumatization during that conversation about her early childhood experience involving food deprivation. Neurofeedback has helped her to calm down her anxiety by helping both hemispheres of her brain to communicate better to awaken a much needed time construct of past, present, and future so she can place the trauma where it belongs. In the last few months, her parents have reported a wider breadth of feelings and crying is now at appropriate times for the correct reasons. The positive changes in her has made it easier for her parents, extended family, and the community to recognize a difference within her and to support her in those changes. We are not even a year into treatment and I am very excited for her and her family.

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