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The Best Treatment Tools For Healing Parent-Child Relationships

Introduction

Parents are human beings; thus, they tend to make several errors in their lifetime. One of those mistakes may include parenting styles and techniques that end up tearing and damaging their relationship with their child. Many clients come up to me and express how angry they are because their parents didn’t treat them with enough love and care as every human requires during childhood. A parent’s adoration, support, and caring nature can lead to optimal growth and development of a child. It also has a hand in shaping their character, future, and overall outlook on life.

How do you improve parent-child relationships? One can counter the effects of poor parent-child relationships through parent counseling and therapy. If you are searching for the best parent-child relationship therapy – book an appointment at Abbey Neuropsychological Clinic today! This article will discuss the best treatment tools for healing parent-child relationships.

The Importance of Parental Counseling for Better Relationships With Their Children

First, why is a positive relationship between parents and children important? Relationships between parents and their children must be robust and positive since they affect all facets of the child’s growth and life. Parents may help their children feel loved and cared for by doing a few things, such as spending quality time with them, being there for them when they need it, earning their trust, and living in the moment.

However, remember that your child will grow up. They will have aspirations and dreams, and you will notice changes in their moods and personalities. Parents often have a hard time bonding with adolescents because that’s the stage when a human is experiencing a lot of changes. Sometimes, you will require professional help to save those parent-child relationships. I can’t stress enough the importance of parental counseling. It will teach you to empathize more with your child. Furthermore, our best parent-child counseling services will help improve your understanding of the dynamics in your family unit.

How Do Parenting Therapies For Parent-Child Relationships Work?

Child-parent relationship therapies, known as CPRT, have three key components: learning skills, receiving feedback and connecting with other parents for support. The session takes place over a period of ten weeks. Every day, you will have to attend and participate in two-hour group sessions with 5 to 8 parents. During 1 to 3 sessions, parents will learn a few skills and prepare for their next playing session with their child. In 4 to 10 weeks, parents practice the new skills they learned from their child and receive feedback from therapists.

How Does Parental Counseling Improve Their Parenting Skills?

Through child-parent therapy, parents are given specialized parenting techniques that enable them to concentrate on fostering a close and secure bond with their child.

These parenting counseling techniques also instruct parents on how to recognize and address the underlying emotional needs of their children. These courses and therapies also show parents how to deal with their child’s bad behavior and manage it.

Following that, parents are urged to put those abilities into practice during regular playtime with their children and strengthen those skills based on feedback from the CPRT facilitator.

Conclusion

Parent counseling therapies are the most effective means of healing parent-child connections.

Source: https://www.abbeyneuropsychologyclinic.com/

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4 Facts About Mental Health Therapy You Probably Didn't Know

Even though mental illness affects millions of families in the U.S. alone, it is one of the least discussed topics amongst American families. Many families have even described it as a taboo subject in their home. But mental illness is a serious disease not unlike a disease like cancer or ALS that attacks the sufferer's body. And just like any other disease it requires special treatment in the form of mental health therapy. Here are 4 facts about mental health counseling that you probably did not know.

1. Mental Illness is Not a Personal Failing

The first thing to know is that if you suffer from mental illness, it does not mean you are flawed in any way. Mental illnesses are typically caused by hormonal imbalances which are not possible to control by sheer force of will. An illness of this form is no one's fault, and in no way makes the patient inferior. In fact, some of the brightest people in the world also suffered from mental illness. Ernest Hemingway, Abraham Lincoln, Sylvia Plath, and Vincent Van Gogh are just a few names from the list.

2. Conditions Are Usually Impermanent

Often a person who is suffering from anxiety, depression, or panic attacks is suffering to due to a situational circumstance. For instance, they are dealing with their grief at the loss of a loved one. If not expressed properly, that grief becomes bottled up and transforms into clinical depression. However, by getting treatment, the vast majority of patients are able to recover from their condition completely. The key is getting help early. Because any intensely depressive episode in your life can lead to more in the future, making the condition become chronic.

3. Asking for Help Isn't Shameful, It's Strong

As mentioned previously, a mental illness is no different from a bodily disease. If you knew someone with cancer, would you tell them not to seek help? Or that they were making too big of a deal of the issue and needed to get over it? Of course not. If you know someone who is struggling, encourage them and support them in getting help. Often it takes a little nudge from a trusted friend before someone will ever even admit they have a problem and seek out help for their condition. You may have to offer to help them schedule the appointment and take them to the first few sessions, but doing so may save their life.

4. The Possibilities are Endless

Most mental illness treatments take the form of simple out-patient visits, usually an hour long and only once or a few times a week, depending on the need. You may work with a Licensed Social Worker, a Clinical Professional Counselor, or a Psychologist. All of these professionals play the role of therapist in one of any number of different types of therapy. From group therapy, to individual psychotherapy or talk therapy, Cognitive and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and others. Sometimes a variety of treatment options are used in conjunction with one another.

For more information on mental health therapy and a full list of options that might be right for you or your family, visit abbeyneuropsychologyclinic.com today!

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How Does Neurofeedback Therapy Effectively Treat ADHD? Purpose, Methods, and Positive Impacts on Mental Health

Introduction

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that often presents in infancy and can greatly interfere with daily life as a person grows into an adult.

You’ve probably heard of or come across the term “neurofeedback therapy” when looking for the finest ADHD remedies. Neurofeedback is a sort of somatic treatment used to increase self-control.

If you don’t know much about it or are contemplating using it to cure your ADHD, you’ve probably wondered: how can neurofeedback therapy effectively treat ADHD? This post will go over the entire process as well as the advantages of neurofeedback therapy.

Before we begin, we want to assure you that we provide the best neurofeedback therapy services available. So, if you want to sign up for said services and get expert assistance from the top therapist, contact us immediately!

How Does Neurofeedback Therapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Work?

Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback treatment in which a trained expert measures a person’s brain waves and provides a patient with complete brain activity data via real-time monitoring of biological data such as respiration rates, muscular activity, and heart function.

Your mental health expert will place electrodes on your head and use an electroencephalograph (EEG) gadget to measure the frequencies of distinct brain waves. You should be aware that these electrodes do not send electric signals, thus you should not experience any unpleasant sensations.

Do Neurofeedback Therapies Effectively Treat the ADHD Brain?

Now, let’s answer the most usually asked question: is neurofeedback effective? Can neurofeedback help with ADHD? Is neurofeedback therapy the best way to treat ADHD? Recent study has shown that Neurofeedback can be an effective treatment option for ADHD, with most people showing results after only thirty sessions.

Even while existing research demonstrates that neurofeedback helps to alleviate ADHD symptoms (reduces impulsivity/hyperactivity, improves attention in other cognitive functions), many experts argue that there isn’t enough data to determine whether it’s the best treatment for ADHD.

There is, however, sufficient evidence to show that participating in behavioral therapy sessions can help treat ADHD.

Other Treatments for ADHD?

If you’re wondering what the best ADHD remedies are, we’ve compiled a list of the most effective and widely used treatment alternatives. The following are the treatments:

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Psychotherapy

Psychoeducation

Medications

Conclusion

Neurofeedback therapy for ADHD will aid in the treatment of your disorder while improving your overall quality of life. If you are looking for the best therapist and treatment options for ADHD, schedule an appointment with us now!

Sources: https://www.abbeyneuropsychologyclinic.com/

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You may not know it, but you have probably used biofeedback with your children. Recording their weight and taking their temperature are both forms of biofeedback as they provide parents with information about their children’s bodies.

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Brain Imaging Helps Us Understand and Treat ADHD

Unlike blood tests or throat swabs, testing for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) isn’t as straightforward. That’s why my mental professionals are coming up with new ways of diagnosis like brain imaging. Brain imaging helps us understand and treat ADHD.

Usually, mental health professionals will ask your child to complete a survey. The checklist usually contains questions that cover behavioral situations such as trouble concentrating or impulsivity.

However, every child does not manifest the same signs and symptoms of ADHD. For instance, some kids don’t have typical behaviors like inattention. Others may experience symptoms like moodiness or obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

But does brain imaging work? Continue reading to find out what science says about brain imaging for ADHD.

What Is ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, is a mental disorder affecting people’s behavior.

Usually, symptoms of ADHD are detected at an early age in life. They may become more noticeable over time, significantly when the child is shifted into different circumstances—for instance, when they start school.

Most cases of ADHD are diagnosed in children 3 to 7 years old. However, sometimes ADHD is diagnosed later in childhood.

Symptoms of ADHD may include:

Having a short attention span

Unable to stick to tasks

Making a lot of careless mistakes.

Constantly fidgeting

If you think your child has ADHD and are looking for the best mental health professional, book an appointment today!

Inside the ADHD brain

So, what does ADHD in a brain scan look like? There are brain scan machines and methods that researchers use to study the ADHD brain:

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

One research group compared the ADHD in a brain scan of adolescents who have ADHD to those who don’t. The patterns from the brain’s gray matter accurately classified about 79.3% of the participants diagnosed with ADHD.

The National Institute of Mental HealthTrusted Source also found that some parts of the frontal lobe (responsible for impulse, control, attention, planning, and concentration) in people with ADHD mature slower than in those without ADHD.

The best ADHD treatment?

Treatment for ADHD often includes a medication course and therapy sessions. There are five types of medicine that your doctor may prescribe to you during the treatment of ADHD:

Methylphenidate

Lisdexamfetamine

Dexamfetamine

Atomoxetine

Guanfacine

However, you must note that these medications have a lot of side effects. So, if you don’t want to put your child on medicine, you can opt for other cognitive training and possible treatments, such as:

Neurofeedback therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Social skills training

Behavior therapy

Psychoeducation

Conclusion

But if you want to give your child the best ADHD treatment, we suggest you book an appointment today! We offer the best therapy and cognitive training to help remove all hurdles in your child’s journey to success!

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Neurofeedback at Home – Brain Training Anytime

Did your doctor recommend neurofeedback at home? In this article, we discuss: what is neurofeedback? And what are its practical applications for brain training? We also talk about different devices for neurofeedback that you can utilize easily at home.

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback (NFB) is a kind of biofeedback that delivers real-time feedback from brain activity to support healthy brain function through operant conditioning. It is also known as Neurotherapy, and it is useful in assisting patients in achieving long-term symptom relief.

Neurofeedback Devices

These devices utilize electroencephalography (EEG) sensors on the scalp to measure the brain’s sensitive electrical activity. This electrical activity is read with the help of advanced software and then decoded on the neurofeedback device into particular brainwave frequencies, corresponding to alpha, beta, or theta.

These brainwaves are linked with particular mental or behavioral conditions. For example,

alpha brain waves with a quiet internal state or relaxation.

beta waves with active mental states such as thinking.

Uses of Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback is supportive for cognitive enhancement or the treatment of various disorders, such as:

PTSD

Learning Disabilities

Brain Injuries

Seizure Disorders

Insomnia

Anxiety

ADHD

Depression

Migraines

OCD

Neurofeedback at Home

Neurofeedback at home has several benefits over conventional neurofeedback therapy in the clinic. It allows the development of an optimal training schedule that depends on patients’ requirements and responsibilities.

The following are the few options for neurofeedback at home.

1. Linear Neurofeedback Devices

At home, neurofeedback is possible with the help of linear neurofeedback devices. It is the first generation of training systems that depend on protocol-leading programs.

Neurofeedback protocols work on a mechanism which is called operant conditioning. This training depends on enlargements or declines in specific target brainwave frequencies that depend on the patient’s brainwave patterns.

2. Non-linear Neurofeedback Devices

Nonlinear is a second-generation neurofeedback device, also known as dynamical neurofeedback. These devices deliver the brain real-time and continual information through auditory feedback. Furthermore, it enables the brain to interact adaptively with itself to rebalance dysfunctional brainwave patterns.

3. EEG Headwear

It is one of the well-known options for neurofeedback at home. These devices operate for emotional and attentional control training. Moreover, they help optimize cognitive performance over repeated training. EEG headwear uses 4–6 EEG electrodes, and these electrodes assist in reading brainwave activity on the front and sides of the scalp.

4. EEG Glasses

EEG glasses incorporate dry EEG sensors with wearable glasses and train attention and concentration by delivering visual feedback to the wearer. It is very effective for patients with symptoms of:

ADHD

Distractibility

Inattention

5. Brain Training

Brain training plays an influential role in healthy brain functions.

Brain training is a program of regular activities to improve one’s cognitive abilities. It is also known as cognitive training. It is effective for people with Parkinson’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, or dementia.

The following are activities that boost mental sharpness and support your brain to stay healthy.

Meditate

Build your vocabulary

Learn new dance moves

Use all your senses

Take up tai chi

Learn a new skill

Listen to or play music

Learn a new language

Source: www.abbeyneuropsychologyclinic.com

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Neurofeedback for Cognitive Decline

While growing older is something to be cherished as memories with friends and families grow and the wisdom we accrue and can pass down increases, one significant downside of growing older is cognitive decline.

What Causes Cognitive Decline? Cognitive decline involves the decrease in brain functioning that occurs as we age. Certain areas of the brain no longer work at the level needed to maintain certain cognitive functions, and we see a gradual decline as these areas continue to experience a lack of use.

Cognition includes a range of processes in the brain that include someone’s ability to remember, learn, and make judgments. Cognition that declines can dramatically impact someone’s overall health and well-being, including short-term memory loss to even increasing clumsiness and falling more often.

Cognitive impairment often begins mild but can advance to more severe cases that dramatically interfere with someone’s daily life. Dementia is one such form of decline that has a significant impact on someone’s life.

While a natural part of aging, cognitive decline can also have other causes. Aging itself often causes only mild cognitive impairment, whereas other conditions and causes can result in more severe cognitive decline.

In some cases, cognitive impairment may inhibit someone’s ability to live and function independently due to an inability to care for oneself or perform activities of daily living. For example, those with cognitive decline may not remember to take their medication each day, which can lead to poor health outcomes.

How Neurofeedback Provides Help with Memory Decline Because of the importance of cognition in the everyday activities we do, preserving and building brain function is essential for ensuring that individuals can continue living the life they desire. While cognitive impairment may be a natural aspect of aging, that doesn’t mean that we cannot do anything to combat it.

One of the critical first steps, before beginning neurofeedback, is a cognitive decline test which allows your provider to evaluate a range of functions, including:

language

intelligence

memory

visual-spatial abilities

fine motor skills

learning

attention

problem-solving ability

planning and organization

processing speed

Obtaining this information allows your provider to plan a successful intervention.

When beginning neurofeedback, you will have a quantitative encephalogram (qEEG) taken, which provides a map of your brain activity. Through this scan, your provider can see which areas of the brain are functioning too little.

During your biofeedback sessions, your brain will be provided thousands of opportunities to learn, which help change patterns of electrical activity and improve nerve activity. These sessions work to strengthen the parts of the brain that were previously firing too little, helping to slow down cognitive decline.

There are even remote neurofeedback opportunities to make the entire process more accessible. If finding transportation to and from the clinic is too much of a struggle, online neurofeedback sessions offer an appealing solution that allows more individuals to experience the benefits of neurofeedback, all form the comfort of their home.

If you are interested in how neurofeedback can help slow down cognitive decline in a loved one, reach out to the talented team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic at (650) 215-6840 for more information.

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The Unexpected Benefits of Vision Therapy

Vision training offers a solution for individuals with visual processing disorders or problems interpreting the information provided by the eyes. While there are expected benefits, such as an easier time focusing and concentrating, there are also many unexpected benefits that can result from vision training.

Decreased Injuries

Do you find yourself or your child constantly bumping into objects, always having a range of bruises across the body from the many injuries it sustains?

This might, in part, be due to problems with proprioception, which is the awareness of your position and movement in space. When there is a problem with the neural pathway responsible for this, you may find that you continually bump into objects. This happens because your brain misjudges how close they are or how much space there is for you to travel through.

With vision training, you heighten the neural pathways responsible for proprioception, meaning you will spend less time bumping into objects as you travel normally through your day.

Fewer Headaches

Our two eyes work together to piece together what we see in the world. However, if the eyes stop working together, you can experience eye-teaming problems that result in double or blurred vision. When this happens continually, headaches can occur.

By improving eye-teaming and helping the eyes go back to working together, double vision and blurriness no longer become a problem, and headaches occur less frequently.

Better Sports Players

When playing sports, an important skill is the ability to switch focus between near and far objects, such as the ball and the other players. This skill is called the accommodation reflex. When you have a weakness in this reflex, it can become difficult to concentrate. Improving this skill allows children to better switch between focuses, making them a better player on the sports field.

Newfound Love of Reading

Do you have a child that hates reading, no matter how many different books you offer? These sentiments might originate from difficulty focusing and processing what is happening in the book. Children that have problems with eye-tracking often skip lines, misread words, and read the same sentence over and over, making it difficult to understand what is happening in the story. Children with eye-teaming problems often develop headaches when trying to read, making them develop adverse feelings toward the activity.

When eye-teaming and eye-tracking skills are improved in vision training, someone may find that, now that reading is easier and does not cause headaches, they enjoy sitting with a book and escaping into a fictional world.

Long-Lasting Benefits

Vision training can provide all the above benefits, which will often have a long-term impact on your child. An easier time reading means that school will become easier and less frustrating. Improving a sports ability can help someone form close relationships with their teammates while also releasing energy in a healthy way. The benefits of vision training are far-reaching and can often snowball in ways you would never expect.

Source: Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic

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Dr. Abbey is a licensed clinical neuropsychologist in Los Altos, CA. Who applies principles of assessment and intervention based upon the scientific study of human behavior as it relates to normal and abnormal functioning of the central nervous system. The specialty is dedicated to enhancing the understanding of brain-behavior relationships and the application of such knowledge to human problems. Dr. Abbey, Ph.D., BCN, QEEGD NPI is 1427434398.

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9 Areas of Neuropsychological Testing to Benefit Your Child

Are you the father of a small child? And do you think your child has autism? Even if your school doesn't tell it? Are you wondering why your child with autism isn't learning to read? Are you thinking of taking your child for a neuropsychological evaluation? Would you like a list of areas where a neuropsychologist can test your child? This article will discuss 9 areas that should be tested in neuropsychological evaluation.

Intelligence Quotient is what most people call IQ. A non-verbal intelligence test may work better if the child has a language-based disorder. The Universal Test of Non-Verbal Intelligence (UNIT) is utilized by numerous psychologists.

Current level of academic functioning. It is important to understand what level of academics a child has so that they can be given the appropriate special education services to make progress.

Attention and a child's ability to participate. A neuropsychologist can test the child and see if they have attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Short and Long-term memory

Visual spatial and visual motor skills

Sensory processing disorder. It is often accompanied by other disabilities, such as autism or learning disabilities. Testing for this is done by an occupational therapist who has been trained in this area, and is SIPT qualified.

Speech/Language Disorders. The child should have receptive and expressive tests to determine if they have a language or speech disorder. Other areas to be included as well.

Social and emotional skills and difficulties.

A test that shows whether the child has any learning disabilities. Learning disabilities can occur in these areas: reading, writing, math, spelling, auditory processing, visual processing, etc. To determine whether a child has dyslexia, tests should be in the following areas: phonetic awareness, word-finding ability, phonetic memory, phonetic decoding, rapid naming, and reading nonsense words. Dyslexia isn't just folding letters; there is difficulty in reading.

When all the tests are completed, the neuropsychologist prepares a report. The report should explain the test results, if any disabilities were found, and a list of recommendations that you can bring to your school, and talk about what special education services your child needs. To find out about a good neuropsychologist, you can ask your nearest parent, or you can call and talk to any nearest disability organization. A good neuropsychological examination will help your child receive the special education and related services he or she needs and is entitled to under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

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What is Clinical Neuropsychology and What Should I Expect From This?

Clinical neuropsychology is a special field that focuses on brain functioning. A clinical neuropsychologist is a licensed psychologist with expertise in how behavior and skills are related to brain structures and systems. In clinical neuropsychology, brain function is evaluated by objectively testing memory and thinking skills. A very detailed assessment of abilities is done, and the pattern of strengths and weaknesses is used in important health care areas, such as diagnosis and treatment planning. Clinical neuropsychologists conduct the evaluation and makes recommendations. He or she may also provide treatment, such as cognitive rehabilitation, behavior management, or psychotherapy.

Why Have I Been Referred

Neuropsychological evaluations are requested specifically to help your doctors and other professionals understand how the different areas and systems of the brain are working. Testing is usually recommended when there are symptoms or complaints involving memory or thinking. This may be signaled by a change in concentration, organization, reasoning, memory, language, perception, coordination, or personality. The change may be due to any of a number of medical, neurological, psychological, or genetic causes. Testing will be helpful in understanding your specific situation.

What Should I Expect

A neuropsychological evaluation usually consists of an interview and testing. During the interview, information that is important for the neuropsychologist to consider will be reviewed. You will be asked about your symptoms, medical history, medications, and other important factors. Testing involves taking paper-and-pencil or computerized tests and answering questions. The time required depends on the problem being assessed. In general, several hours are needed to assess the many skills involved in processing information. Some tests will be easy while others will be more complex. The most important thing is to try your best. Bring glasses or hearing aids if you use them. Try to rest and relax before your evaluation. You will probably find testing interesting, and the detailed information that is gathered will contribute to your care.