All of our patients are individuals with different problems, personalities, and situations. Because we have a broad range of clinicians and treatment modalities, we have the ability to personalize a treatment plan that fits our patients and don’t need to force our patients to fit a specific treatment.
In order to address our patients’ issues, we follow a stepwise process:
The Mind Therapy Method
Step 1: Getting to the Roots
We prefer to begin with a comprehensive evaluation in order to decide on the best treatment plan. This generally begins with a thorough psychiatric evaluation. In some cases, the evaluation may suggest pursuing further evaluation through neuropsychological testing, EEG testing, laboratory testing, or a nutritional evaluation.
Step 2: Repair
Once we understand the problem and what is causing it, we can then try to repair the problem, preferably by addressing its root causes, whether that cause is biochemical, nutritional, situational, environmental, neurological, or psychological. For some, an uncomplicated medication treatment might be sufficient. For some, group therapy and a meditation class might be ideal. By having a full range of services available, we can tailor treatment as needed.
Step 3: Maintenance and Mental Wellness
Sometimes a psychiatric problem resolves after treatment never to return. Sometimes the vicissitudes of life add stress the causes an occasional exacerbation. An ongoing focus on a healthy mind and body can be beneficial and for some people some form of maintenance treatment can be critical.
Integrated Medicine
At MindTherapy Clinic we treat the whole person (Body, Mind, and Spirit) rather than one aspect of a person in isolation.
Body
While we focus our attention to your brain, your brain is not an organ functioning on its own. Your body’s health and functioning can greatly affect your brain. The reverse is also true. That is why we also pay close attention to your nutritional status and your physical health.
Mind
A person can’t just be reduced to a bunch of neurochemicals or electrical patterns. A person is a complex mix of thoughts, memories, feelings, and behaviors, which we call the mind. We can directly address the mind through a variety of different types of psychotherapy. Ultimately, our goal is to help our patients recognize that they have the power to affect change.
Spirit
We realize that Western medicine and psychology don’t have all the answers and we value some of the psychological and spiritual insights developed in other parts of the world. A variety of meditative practices, such as chi kung, yoga, and meditation itself, can greatly help people find a state of calm, balance, well-being, and happiness.
Psychiatry - Evolving Science
Psychiatry is a rapidly evolving science. New research constantly leads to new and promising medications, new diagnostic procedures, and better approaches to difficult problems. Our goal is to keep abreast of this research so that we can continue to improve our care. One thing that distinguishes us is our use of innovative technology.
Psychiatric medication treatment has largely been a process of educated guesses unlike other areas of medicine where diagnosis and treatment are based upon physical and laboratory findings. However, new technologies now provide a more objective basis for treatment.
EEG
Electroencephalograms or EEGs measure the electrical activity or the “brainwaves” of the brain. They are a sort of electrical brain scan, somewhat like other imaging technologies, such as fMRI, SPECT, and PET scans, primarily used in research.
rEEG
Referenced-EEG or rEEG, a technology developed by CNS Response, provides the first clinically useful method of guiding medication treatment based upon identified brain abnormalities. The technology is based upon data collected from 7,000 patients over many years, treated with some 17,000 different medications. Because treatment is based upon selecting medications demonstrated to address specific brain abnormalities rather than on a group of symptoms, rEEG appears useful in treating a broad range of psychiatric diagnoses. Studies to date of rEEG have consistently shown effectiveness rates of greater than 65% in treatment unresponsive patients, a much higher rate than prior approaches.
Quantitative EEG
Different brainwave patterns reflect different mental states such as drowsiness, relaxation, and active attention. Abnormal brainwave patterns may reflect underlying psychiatric problems. Quantitative EEG is a method to analyze one’s brainwave patterns and identify abnormalities and localize them to specific areas of the brain.
Quantitative EEG is not used to diagnose in isolation but can assist clinicians in diagnosing patients undergoing proper clinical evaluation. In particular, quantitative EEG appears useful in distinguishing different physical subtypes within diagnoses, which may be responsive to different treatments. In one recent study of 159 children, one particular EEG abnormality correctly identified those children diagnosed with ADHD 87% of the time and correctly identified those without ADHD 94% of the time, which was much better than the rates found in using parent and teacher rating scales. Those diagnosed with ADHD had different brain abnormalities that would not be responsive to the same treatment.
Neurofeedback
Once we identify abnormality in the brain with quantitative EEG the question is what to do about it. Medications are frequently the answer. Another solution employs EEG as a treatment modality. Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback or neurotherapy, attempts to normalize abnormal brainwave patterns using EEGs as a biofeedback tool. In repeated sessions, one receives positive visual and auditory cues as brainwave abnormalities achieve more normal patterns. Basically, neurofeedback is a way of retraining one’s brain.
There are a growing number of research studies indicating the effectiveness of neurofeedback, primarily in ADHD, but also in seizures, traumatic brain injury, anxiety and depression. In a recent issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America the editors concluded: “EEG biofeedback meets the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry criteria for clinical guidelines (CG) for treatment of ADHD, seizure disorders, anxiety (OCD, GAD, PTSD, phobias), depression, reading disabilities, and addictive disorders.”
