Grand Rounds Sessions with Linda Walker

Due to popular request, the BFE is beginning two new series of grand rounds on Anxiety and Z-Scores.

So what exactly are BFE grand rounds?
•    they are an opportunity to hear case presentations on assessing and treating clients from specific populations or using certain clinical paradigms; and
•    they are your chance to present your own client case to a group of clinicians, and get an expert's opinion on how best to proceed.

The leader for these sessions will be Linda Walker, MHR, LPC.  Linda is an experienced clinician with extensive knowledge of biofeedback who also has superb teaching skills. These attributes, combined with her easy going manner, make her one of our highest rated online instructors. Linda has previously taught online classes on Heart Rate Variability, Tinnitus and Neurofeedback, and Z-Scores and she presented two in-person workshops at the BFE's Rome meeting this past spring. Whether you're new to the field or have been using biofeedback for a while, we invite you to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

Anxiety Grand Rounds
Time: 11am - 12pm eastern time (Canada/US), corresponding to 17:00-18:00 in Germany/France/Italy
Dates: Tuesday November 17th, December 1st, December 15th

The first session on November 17th will focus on Linda Walker presenting several cases of evaluation and training of clients with anxiety-based issues. Examples of both biofeedback and neurofeedback will reviewed as intervention options.
The second and third sessions, on December 1st and 15th, will be opportunities for attending clinicians to present their client cases to Linda, in order to get an expert opinion. Linda will provide her interpretation of the assessment data and suggestions on what type of intervention that would provide the greatest benefit to the clinician's client.
Please note that submitted cases should focus on anxiety-based sources.
Click here to register.

Z-Scores Grand Rounds
Time: 12pm - 1pm eastern time (Canada/US), corresponding to 18:00-19:00 in Germany/France/Italy
Dates: Thursday November  19th, December 3rd, December 17th

The first session on November 19th will focus on Linda Walker presenting several cases of evaluation and training of clients with the use Z-Scores. Z-Scores is the normative-based neurofeedback training based on Dr. Robert Thatcher's Neuroguide Database.
The second and third sessions, on December 3rd and 17th, will be opportunities for attending clinicians to present their client cases to Linda, in order to get an expert opinion. Linda will provide her interpretation of the Z-Score assessment data and suggestions on how to proceed with neurofeedback training for the particular circumstance.
Click here to register.

About Linda Walker, MHR, LPC
Linda Walker is a licensed professional counselor and school counselor who holds a master's degree

in Human Relations and Counseling from the University of Oklahoma and post graduate certificates in substance abuse and school counseling from Western Michigan University.

In her private practice working with a general population, Linda integrates a variety of methods with an extensive focus on biofeedback, neuorfeedback and QEEG. In addition, she teaches biofeedback and neurofeedback at Western Michigan University and serves as president of the Midwest Society of Behavioral Medicine and Biofeedback.

..........................................................................................................
If any of you are interested in attending either of these series, please use the links above or below to register. Due to the nature of case conferences, there is limited room for attendees so please join as soon as possible.
Anxiety Grand Rounds
Z-Scores Grand Rounds

BFE 18th Annual Meeting in Rome

As spring comes to a start, we at the BFE mark the end of our annual BFE Meeting which this year was held in Rome, Italy. Months of preparation came to fruition with clinicians and clinical leaders from all over Europe and the world converging over 5-days to learn about the latest methods and practices in biofeedback. We are extremely pleased with the results of the event, and we would like to thank all attendees, workshop presenters, scientific day speakers, and poster presenters for making the conference a success. Below, Jon Bale, the BFE's research manager, shares his perceptions of the Rome conference, as well as what the event means for the BFE's online education and software for the next year.

The BFE conference is always such a hurricane of events, with rarely a moment to sit down. There are so many interesting workshops and scientific presentations to check out, as well as people for me to engage  to learn about the exciting work they are doing in the field. Aside from the little hiccups that accompany all live, multi-day events, I'm extremely proud of everyone that helped coordinate the event and grateful to all of those who attended. It has always been a goal of ours to provide clinicians of all skill levels and students the opportunity to learn directly from the expert in their fields, and I definitely believe that standard was maintained this year.

My conversation with attendees left me with several positive, stand-out impressions of  the meeting. Amongst these highlights are:

Linda Walker, MHR, LPC presented two workshops, one on "Pratical Tips for Getting the Most out of Biofeedback"and the other on "Z-Score Neurofeedback: Tips and Methods for Effective Integration in Practice". Her name has long been cemented as the BFE's most popular online instructor, and it was confirmed by participants that her hands-on approach to learning, with calm and clear explanations, made her a winner here as well.

Mari K. Swingle, Ph.D., daughter of well-known psychologist and author Dr. Paul Swingle,  presented three times during scientific day on the neurofeedback assessment and training of digital technology and internet addictions. Due to the fascinating (and even frightening) nature of this topic of internet addiction, i-technology and youth, the BFE has invited her to present a webinar on this timely topic. Keep your eyes open for that. (You might say to yourself: "Yes, but Dr. Swingle already has spoken on that...". Well, from whom did you think he learned this?)

Biofeedback and sports fans received quite the treat: 2-days from Dr. Lindsay Thornton, 2-days from Dr. Penny Werthner, and a scientific day presentation where heavy hitters of the field Dr. Bruno Demichelis and Tim Harkness of Chelsea F.C. converged for a talk on the "Unique Peak Performance Database". Attendees of the scientific day got to witness quite the passionate discussion.

 Those that are interested in sleep issues will be happy to hear that the BFE has asked Lothar Niepoth, head of the German Biofeedback Society, to present his 1-day workshop on "Biofeedback in the Treatment of Insomnia" as full online class.

Dr. Steven Baskin received quite glowing reviews for his 2-day workshop on "Biobehavioral Considerations in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Headache Disorders". Participants enjoyed his hands-on approach and ease of interaction. If the BFE is lucky, we may also be able to share some video of his workshop.

Who doesn't love a conference room that's reminiscent of some type of United Nations round-table discussion? Attendees of Drs. Lynda and Michael Thompson's workshop certainly enjoyed it.

Although I was left a bit exhausted by the end of the conference I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to meet with and learn from, I look forward to the next meeting and I hope to reencounter the many new colleagues and friends made this year. From my all my online work during the year, I very much enjoy finally putting faces to the voices with whom I teach and speak to.

The BFE would like to thank everyone who attended our Rome meeting. We hope that the conference provided you with the opportunity to make new friends, connect with colleagues and share knowledge and expertise with participants from around the world. We were fortunate to welcome workshop presenters who are leaders in their respective fields, along with a diverse group of speakers and poster presenters who addressed a wide variety of biofeedback topics as part of the scientific program.

We would also like to thank our host, the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, for providing a location for our meeting. Special thanks go out to our sponsors – without their support the conference would not be possible.

It is indeed a pleasure when so many members of the biofeedback community come together to share ideas. Thank you again for being a part of BFE 2015.

Gearing Up for ISNR: Linda Walker and Troubled Youth

Several representatives from the BFE will be on hand at the upcoming ISNR Conference - September 14-18, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ. Among them will be Linda Walker, MHR, LPC, BCIA-EEG.

At the Thought Technology Ltd.
Silver Sponsor Booths 11 & 20



Linda Walker holds a master’s degree in Human Relations and Counseling from the University of Oklahoma and post graduate certificates in substance abuse and school counseling from Western Michigan University. She is licensed as a professional counselor and a school counselor in Michigan. In addition, she specializes in EMDR and substance use issues. Linda is certified in EEG biofeedback from the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. She is currently in private practice in Michigan.

Nokomis Challenge Center

For over 12 years, Linda has worked with troubled youth and their families, most notably at Nokomis Challenge Center, a state training school for juvenile offenders in Michigan. At Nokomis, Linda was dedicated to developing and implementing the agency’s neurofeedback program. She served as an instructor and treatment group leader in the experiential wilderness therapy program. I recently spoke to Linda about her approach in working with this this population group. Here are some excerpts from that conversation:

When you say troubled youth, who exactly are you identifying as troubled youth?
Troubled youth are those adolescents and pre-adolescents who have either come to the attention of police or courts because of their behavior or delinquent acts within the community, or because of instability within the home. Those youth who have not dropped out of school or been expelled frequently have difficulty within the educational setting and are often functioning in special classrooms or settings. To make matters worse, their lives are often marked with trauma from abuse, loss or family chaos. Poverty and lack of family presence is common.

How do you assess these youth and direct treatment for them using new technologies?

It’s clear that adolescent problems and needs vary across a wide spectrum. Assessment of a teenager needs to pinpoint areas of need and identify strengths to determine appropriate candidates for neurofeedback and biofeedback, and guide the therapist in appropriate treatment modalities. Further, proper assessment and parsimonious treatment plans supported by evidence-based methods are critical to success in treating adolescents not only because of their educational and psychiatric challenges, but also because of their ever-changing emotional and physical growth.

Through the use of Quantitative Electroencephalogram (QEEG), we are able to recognize and assess patterns of brain activity that appear to typify common disorders, such as ADHD, depression, learning disabilities and anxiety. For those youth who need medications we provide referenced QEEG (rEEG) to assist our psychiatrist in pinpointing which drugs would benefit are clients most effectively within treatment.

We can also use more traditional testing instruments such as Test Of Variables of Attention (TOVA) to help identify issues of attention or the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) to clarify psychiatric or behavioral issues. Observations from treatment team members and in-depth client interviews round out the assessment process. These methods and instruments help clarify what we observe in the QEEG.

What are the treatment and training goals for this population?

Based upon the assessment, appropriate treatment protocols are then directed for the individual youth. Both the youth and treatment team are involved in this process. For example, a youth's goals could be to reduce the following: controlling anger, depression or anxiety; being more focused; or performing mentally and physically at a peak level. The treatment team parental goals might include better recognition of boundaries (not getting into everything), less impulsivity, reducing off-focus, off-task behavior, developing social skills, improving empathy for others, better understanding of the effect of behavior on others or addressing substance abuse issues. Parental or familial goals might include helping the youth return home, having fewer contacts with the police or courts, staying in school and following house rules.

Clearly neurofeedback alone will not accomplish all of these goals. No one therapy can. But neurofeedback can play a key role in resolving underlying mood and cognitive functioning issues that exacerbate the behavioral problems of troubled youth. The training goals are tailored for each individual client. The areas of concern that the client describes and the assessment of the QEEG give us the direction of what areas of the brain to concentrate training on. The duration of the sessions can be tailored and monitored for success for each individual client. By using coaching and motivational techniques, we strive to create an environment that encourages success and progress. We use biofeedback, neurofeedback, and z-score training to accomplishing these goals.

We hope you will stop by to meet Linda Walker and learn more about the neurofeedback education offered in our Learn From the Best program. Not attending ISNR but want to learn more? We offer software, interactive online learning and home study programs. 

TROUBLED YOUTH ONLINE CLASS RECORDINGS
Linda has just wrapped up recording of her Troubled Youth online class. The session recordings are available in the BFE Online Shop.

TROUBLED YOUTH SOFTWARE SUITE
Also available from the BFE is the Troubled Youth software suite that includes display screens based on Linda's work. This suite is compatible with the Biograph Infiniti software and is available as a download from our online shop.
...