Zachary Mitchell, M.A. received conventional Christ-centered education in psychotherapy and went into conventional Christ-centered holistic psychotherapy in 2007. Not satisfied with just the status quo, however, he soon began researching alternative therapies. His goal: to raise his competence and effectiveness levels for even better results with his clients.
When he heard about neurofeedback and how it frequently enhances the benefits of psychotherapy, Zach took an introductory course in California in 2016. He learned enough to start offering neurofeedback to his clients, both adults and children, but knew he had only scratched the surface.
When he learned about Mike Cohen’s online Neurofeedback 201 course, Zach jumped at the chance to take it. He wanted to receive advanced training in such areas as interpreting the EEG and devising ideal protocols and to gain a different perspective from a different trainer. He also liked the fact that he could take the course without traveling.
“Neurofeedback made more sense to me after I took the Neurofeedback 201 course,” said Zach, who is in private practice in Midland, Texas. “The fact that the course was recorded was priceless. I’ve gone over the course many times and learned something new every time.”
He added that “one of the best things” he got out of the course was learning how to read the spectral. “You can get lost in all the amplitudes and frequencies, but the spectral never lies, regardless of what the numbers say,” he explained.
“For example, when you use the spectral it’s easy to spot if a client has too much theta, because the pink will go through the roof. Being able to read the spectral takes the guesswork out of planning protocols, especially if you use the arousal model. With better protocols, you get better results.
“Since taking the course I’m more competent in assessment, problem-solving and in coming up with protocols,”continued Zach, who has provided neurofeedback to about 200 clients so far. “Also, I no longer view clients as having a label, but instead I focus on their symptomology.”
A few months after taking Neurofeedback 201 Zach enrolled in Mike’s alpha-theta online course. He counsels a large number of addicts and had read that alpha-theta training is helpful in significantly reducing relapse rates. He found that course a bit more challenging and is continuing his studies before offering alpha-theta training broadly to his clients. He believes it would have been easier to grasp if he had had more experience and training before taking the course.
In the meantime he’s going full steam ahead with standard neurofeedback therapy. Seventy-five percent of his clients do a combination of neurofeedback and psychotherapy (the other 25% opt for psychotherapy alone).
“When I first meet with clients I encourage them to give neurofeedback a shot,” explained Zach, who is one of just two neurofeedback practitioners in a 200-mile radius. “It’s the best model I know of to rapidly improve their quality of life and create positive change. They usually do 20-30 minutes of neurofeedback first, followed by 20 minutes of psychotherapy.
“It’s made a huge difference in my clientele. They are more open to the psychotherapy aspects and more willing to be vulnerable.”
As to Mike’s teaching style he said: “I appreciate how Mike thinks outside the box. He is never condescending when you ask a question. He’s cool with showing the human side of himself. It helps to be able to connect with him, especially when there’s material that’s hard to grasp.”
Learn more about Zachary Mitchell at: www.wtxneurosolutions.com.