Capital District Neurofeedback Therapy

Temper tantrums are a topic of perennial relevance, except more now than ever. Why? Because Covid has pushed the limits of many homes, with children and teens learning to ‘rule the roost’ through demand and tantrums. To avoid living with meltdown after meltdown, many parents have just given in. Understandable during these times…but still quite problematic. Temper tantrums can range from a mild tantrum, where your child is stomping her feet and giving ugly looks to a more moderate tantrum, which might include some kicking, punching, or throwing. But there are extreme tantrums! Some of you are dealing with these out-of-control moments, where there is screaming, relentless kicking, and punching, as well as tears and a meltdown that seems to last forever. And what if these tantrums don’t go away? What does that look like at age 10, 12, or even 14? Well, it’s safe to say…not pretty. And it’s also safe to say that things will morph into more challenges both for parents and for the teenag...

Will my insurance cover Neurofeedback? Unfortunately, the answer is typically no. Your insurance will not cover Neurofeedback or biofeedback. The reason is that many insurances do not understand Neurofeedback, and despite my attempts to educate them, their medical staff will not examine the research. However, Beacon Health, The Empire Plan with New York State, is a huge exception. It has remarkable coverage for you and your children. But most other insurances do not cover Neurofeedback. In New York State, for example, CDPHP and MVP will not cover Neurofeedback. You might encounter a therapist willing to bill Neurofeedback as psychotherapy, but we do not practice this because it’s certainly a borderline ethical practice in my view. The best way to find out whether or not doing this is legitimate is to simply call your insurance company, tell them that you will be doing sessions that involve primarily Neurofeedback or biofeedback, and ask them if it’s covered. If it is, that’s great. ...

The Myths of Summertime Parenting 'I'm bored' is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast worked that you've seen zero percent of. Even the inside of your mind is endless; it goes on forever inwardly, do you understand? The fact that you're alive is amazing, so you don't get to say, 'I'm bored.' [Louis C.K.] That quote is a great starting point for today's discussion because it captures the essence of how we often fail our children, perhaps more so in summer than in the rest of the year. Summertime brings with it a host of challenges and the opportunity for many rewarding experiences. This is true for children and parents. As a psychologist working with families, I see the impact of societal beliefs that we have often tacitly accepted over time. What evolves is a form of erroneous mythology that harms, not helps, our children. Three Common Summertime Myths 1. "It's my job to entertain you and keep you happy....