Customer Reviews

Biofeedback for the Brain: How Neurotherapy Effectively Treats Depression, ADHD, Autism, and More

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Biofeedback for the Brain is a challenging book to rate: it provides a wealth of information (especially for those unfamiliar with biofeedback/neurofeedback) and gives an excellent overview on the subject. The problem with it, unfortunately, is that it also contains some, but not all, of the pitfalls common to other books on the matter. To begin with, I'd like to comment on the positive elements. Swingle provides a highly accessible look at just what neurofeedback does and what it is capable of doing. Its uses are well explained and the book provides good descriptions of why this form of biofeedback is appropriate in many situations. The examples discussed represent a broad overview of the types of maladies that may be served: ADD/ADHD, autism, depression, OCD, TBI, etc. as well as how these may be diagnosed and treated through neurofeedback. The author also discussed potential useful alternative/adjunct therapies that may contribute to intervention strategies: these include audio/visual stimulation (AVS), electrocranial stimulation, and brainwave entrainment techniques.

As mentioned earlier, there are several problems with this book some of which may, or may not, have been the result of decisions by the author. When reading books on neurofeedback, I constantly look at the references that are provided as this provide a good clue into the veracity of the book's contents (in other words, is the book based upon sound scientific principles or, in the case of alternative medical approaches, merely new age nonsense) - while Swingle does, for the most part, use very good sources, these sources are also limited as many of the same journals are cited over and over again. While there is nothing wrong with this, per se, it would have been more appropriate (if possible) to have used a greater number of peer reviewed journals. The problem with this, however, may not have been the author's fault as neurofeedback has not yet been fully studied and many refuse to admit that it is worth studying.

The real problem I have with the book concerns the ongoing promotion of the author's own practice and materials. While this is not as blatant as what I've read in other books (especially, The Healing Power of Neurofeedback: The Revolutionary LENS Technique for Restoring Optimal Brain Function), it is still present. A few of the web sites cited concerning materials belong to the author. One item, in particular, caught my attention and that was Swingle's mention of his "attention harmonic" some type of sound that he has produced on a CD. While this may, or may not, be a valuable tool to use, the author provides very little information as to what, exactly, this "attention harmonic" is: in fact almost all sounds have harmonics. Why is Swingle's sound different? What are the characteristics of that sound? This type of problem is evident throughout the book - good, or potentially good, techniques are discussed but little specific information is often given so that a knowledgeable person can fully understand what is being discussed.

Overall, the book does do an excellent job in describing many components of a neurofeedback treatment program and clearly explains, in layman's terms, the types of things one might expect in a therapeutic setting. It is for that reason that I've rated this book highly. I would, however, like to see more from this author that is more explicit in terms of why certain therapies work (for example, explain the mechanisms behind brainwave entrainment).

Author Paul Swingle is one of the pioneers in the field of Brain biofeedback and the related neurotherapies. Let me be clear that he has not just been IN the field since its early days. He has played an active, creative, dynamic role in pioneering important approaches and techniques. This book has been long awaited as a practical exploration and discussion of the wide ranging approaches and models he's helped to establish.

As founder of the Futurehealth Winter Brain Meeting, which has often been credited with being the first conference on neurofeedback, it has been a pleasure to have Dr. Swingle as a speaker every year of the conference, where his new, innovative, integrative approaches has always drawn a strong audience-- where he's training the trainers.

What Dr. Swingle does best is put powerful ideas and approaches together in a way that maximizes their synergy and effectiveness. This book introduces the reader to not just neurofeedback, but the collection of ancillary techniques that make it work much better and faster.

If this were a meal, the ancillary techniques would be the fork, spoon, salt and pepper, and the many additional exotic spices that turn ordinary table fare into gourmet delight. Swingle adds his innovative approaches to the basic brainwave training that thousands do, and that's why he has one of the most successful practices in the world, and I've seen many of those other practices.

This book is for both laymen and professional biofeedback practitioners. If you are a layman, considering neurofeedback, this book will give you a good idea of both the breadth of the applications and the wide range of related approaches that work well with it. If you are a practitioner of neurofeedback, not trained by Dr. Swingle, then this book will probably open up whole new worlds of technologies and approaches you never considered as viable, valuable parts of your practice.

In a field in which the best of us have to continually struggle to keep up with the fast pace new information, this book is an excellent resource for anyone beginning to explore the exciting "new" modality of neurotherapy. As a clinician, I highly recommend this book as both an introduction to brainwave therapy as well practical guide on how to begin to think about working with various brain dysfunctions. The author covers many of the most important areas of treatment and offers many interesting and detailed accounts of his experience in treating them. Although I've had this book since it was published three years ago, I find myself frequently referring back to it. It will become a staple of any neurotherapist's library. His excellent bibliography also provides many valuable resources for those who want to pursue further study.

Biofeedback for the Brain is a fabulous book because it really explains what neurofeedback is as well as what the practitioner does to help a client. I like the description of the detailed assessments of the different parts of the brain. I especially like Dr. Swingle's philosophy of working with clients. He sounds like a very caring person, who respects each of his clients. I really appreciate how he looks for the positive in each person's brain patterns and speaks to the person about this. The medical model of focusing on what is wrong is often too prevalent in this field, and his approach is quite refreshing. I am working on my neurofeedback certification, and this has been one of the most helpful books that I have read thus far. He writes with intelligence, a sense of humor, and he often gives examples to help illustrate what he is explaining.