253 North Orlando Ave, Suite 202, Maitland, FL 32751 | (407) 790-4101
Uncategorized

Social Distancing comes with social side effects – here is how to stay connected

To fight the spread of coronavirus, government officials asked Americans to swallow a hard pill: Stay away from each other. In times of societal stress, such a demand runs counter to what evolution has hard-wired people to do: Seek out and support each other as families, friends, and communities. Priority number one is to follow the recommended social distancing guidelines to control the virus… But as with any pill, there are side effects. Psychological scientists at the University of Washington’s Center for the Science of Social Connection are seeking to help us understand the side effects of social distancing and …

Continue Reading

A Path to Gemeinschaftsgefühl is A Path to Well-being

When searching for the fundamental definition of positive mental health and well-being, few rival Dr. Alfred Adler’s theory purporting the importance of Gemeinschaftsgefühl, meaning “social interest, social feeling, community sense, community feeling and humanistic identification.” Adler was Sigmund Freud’s contemporary in Vienna, Austria, at the beginning of the 20th century, but his theory differed significantly and focused on social connectedness as the way to strengthen individuals’ psychological condition. The theory maintains that the ultimate expression of social interest lies in the cooperative, productive, and progressive activity within the context of empathetic relationships. Hence, true growth only lies in the context …

Continue Reading

Why Your BRAIN Needs REST

Idle time, sometimes thought to invite the devil’s handiwork, is often seen as wasteful and rarely appreciated in modern society. Most “peak performers” in our society tend to report feeling guilty about “wasting time.” When asked what “wasting time” actually looks like, typical responses include watching Netflix, playing Solitaire, taking a nap, or even spending time to talking to an old friend. Many feel as though they could be doing something productive such as learning, making money, cleaning or organizing. This leads many individuals to believe they need to be “humans doing” instead of humans being; however, the research on …

Continue Reading

qEEG-Guided Neurofeedback: Individualized Treatment for Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety disorders affect nearly a third of the U.S. population (NIMH, 2017). Symptoms of anxiety can range from inconvenient to debilitating, adding to the importance of research into effective treatments for the disorder. Of these treatments, biofeedback, particularly neurofeedback, has emerged as a viable option. Numerous studies (Singer, 2004; Kerson, Sherman, & Kozlowski, 2009; Walker, 2009; Scheinost et al., 2013) demonstrate the anxiety-reducing effects of neurofeedback interventions. They are not, however, without their limitations. A common trend among neurofeedback interventions is the use of “canned”, or pre-programmed, protocols designed to treat specific symptoms. While this method is convenient, critics argue …

Continue Reading

The Key to Happiness in the New Year

Although many of you will be making New Year’s resolutions, there really is only one thing that can truly provide happiness and well-being in the coming year. This thing can be allusive, difficult to maintain at times, stress-inducing, and require hard work, however, the more time and effort dedicated towards it, the closer you get to overall happiness and even joy. You guessed it; the key to your consistent well-being begins with relationships. The topic of adult satisfaction and development was first studied at Harvard in 1938. The longitudinal study has continued on the 19 living participants (now well into …

Continue Reading

What Does Suffering From Social Anxiety Really Mean?

Approximately 15 million American adults struggle with a debilitating social anxiety disorder, yet fewer than five percent of these individuals seek treatment. Often thought of as “social phobia,” many chalk the symptoms up to being shy, introverted or socially inept, however, the intense fear and discomfort felt in a group setting goes far beyond any personality trait. The disorder can interfere with work, school, interpersonal relationships and overall well-being. Social anxiety disorder is a clinical diagnosis distinguished by crushing anxiety and extreme self-awareness of one’s own actions, demeanor or behavior in ordinary social situations. The chronic fear of being watched …

Continue Reading

Brain Waves and Heart Rates: How Neuro and Biofeedback Can Help Children With Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can manifest in a number of behaviors, including social impairments, difficulty regulating emotion, and behavior repetition. While the underlying cause of these behavior patterns is still up for debate, some research has indicated a particular brain wave, known as mu rhythms, may be involved. Mu rhythms get suppressed, or turned off, when we copy someone else’s behaviors. In children with Autism, however, this wave does not turn off, with one exception: watching and copying familiar people. These findings indicate that children with Autism are capable of suppressing the mu rhythm, the brain just doesn’t do it …

Continue Reading

Digital Addiction: Increased Loneliness, Anxiety, and Depression

The use of smartphones in our daily lives has increased to the point of widespread digital addiction. The American Society for Addiction and Medicine and the American Psychological Society both recognize behavioral dependency, in addition to dependence on a substance, as indicative of addiction. Similar to substance addiction, digital addiction appears to have some neurological basis of support. Humans have developed automatic reactions to surprising stimuli, and from an evolutionary perspective, this has been beneficial to our survival. However, in the modern world, we are often triggered for this response by digital notifications, creating inherent distractions. When individuals choose to …

Continue Reading

Biofeedback and Anger Management

Anger is an emotion that most people are familiar with. This emotion occurs on a continuum, meaning that the level of anger felt by an individual can vary greatly. Anger can be expressed appropriately, but when anger is suppressed, individuals may express their anger in problematic ways. Biofeedback in a noninvasive mind-body intervention that teaches individuals how to better control their physiological experiences, such as muscle tension, heart rate, and breathing. Biofeedback has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of anxiety, ADHD, headaches, insomnia, and chronic pain. In the treatment of anger, however, there is little research investigating …

Continue Reading

Neurofeedback for Disorders Associated with Criminal Offending

Neurofeedback training has been successfully used in the treatment of a variety of disorders. Existing research has identified EEG frequency deviances in disorders that are associated with criminal offending, such as the following. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most well researched disorders that has been treated by neurofeedback training, and also demonstrates some relationship to criminal activity considering its associations with inattention, impulsivity, and lacking inhibitory control. In EEG-based literature, ADHD appears to concern an excess of slow frequencies like delta and theta, as well as reduced beta waves and sensori motor rhythm (SMR). About 60% of …

Continue Reading