Frequently Asked Questions

This is by far the most common question. The answer depends on the severity and duration of your symptoms — the longer and more severe, the longer the treatment course. The common experience clients report is that after each session, they see a reduction in the frequency and duration of symptoms.

I can typically give a rough estimate of how many sessions you will likely need based on what I see in your brain assessment. Retraining the brain is similar to retraining muscles — ten sessions will produce some results, twenty sessions more concrete ones. It takes time.

Yes — the safety profile of brain stimulation approaches is excellent. Meta-analyses are regularly conducted to review safety data. The most recent findings on direct brain stimulation confirmed no Serious Adverse Effects or irreversible injuries across over 33,200 sessions and 1,000 subjects with repeated sessions, including persons from vulnerable populations.

Bikson et al. (2016). Safety of transcranial direct current stimulation: evidence based update 2016. Brain Stimulation, 9(5), 641–661.

In my experience, clients with a cluster of symptoms consistent with Personality Disorders — including Narcissistic, Borderline, Dependent, or Avoidant Personality Disorder — do not respond well to this type of therapy. These clients are better served by specialized therapies such as Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT).

I work with youth and adults aged 16 and older. I do not currently work with younger children.

No — the brain retains its capacity for change well into old age. The exception is degenerative diseases such as various forms of dementia. Brain stimulation cannot reverse neuronal degeneration; however, it can re-route communication pathways around damaged areas and create novel pathways. In these cases, I focus mainly on maintenance of existing capacities.

The longest studies document maintenance of changes over a six-month period. Theoretically, there is no reason for the brain to revert to its old patterns in the absence of new trauma or injury. Some clients return for periodic “tune-up” sessions after prolonged stress or following a new injury.