Capital District Neurofeedback

02/22/2026

Breaking the Self-Sabotage Cycle: Why we don't do what's good for us

n this episode, we explore four critical reasons we avoid what's best for us: our brain's reward-seeking nature, the unreliability of feelings as decision-makers, the powerful autopilot of habitual behaviors, and the motivation trap that keeps us waiting for inspiration that never comes. More importantly, we offer five practical, science-backed strategies to break free from this cycle: honoring intentions over feelings, making first steps tiny, stacking new habits onto existing routines, expecting discomfort as a normal part of growth, and celebrating actions rather than outcomes.

Real change doesn't happen through dramatic gestures or perfect days—it emerges from those ordinary moments when you choose growth over comfort, especially when you don't feel like it. If you've struggled with following through on what you know is good for you, this episode provides the psychological insights and practical tools to finally break that cycle and create lasting change. And if you feel your brain itself might be part of what's holding you back, learn how neurofeedback training can help both adults and children get unstuck by improving focus, regulation, and follow-through naturally.

Listen to the episode here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2460266/episodes/17631133

02/22/2026

WHY "UNDERSTANDING" CHRONIC STRESS ISN'T THE SAME AS FIXING IT.

It is common to hear the phrase: "I know exactly why I feel this way, but I still feel the same." This isn't a failure of willpower or therapy—it is often a "Bottom-Up" biological challenge.

In this video, Dr. Randy Cale breaks down the sobering research:

Why 20-40% of those who try talk therapy, may leave it behind before seeing results.

Why insight alone rarely changes a dysregulated nervous system.

The difference between "managing" symptoms and "regulating" the brain.

When talking about a problem hasn't changed the physiological "charge" behind it, understanding the Biological Mechanism is the first step toward relief.

02/22/2026

Why Panic Attacks Are So Difficult To Control

Persistent panic attacks are often linked to dysregulation in the brain's left frontal region, with QEEG mapping showing 4-6 times more slow wave activity than normal. This "under arousal" prevents the frontal lobe from managing emotions properly, explaining why traditional treatments like breathing techniques and cognitive strategies often fail.

• Panic attack physiology includes changes in breathing and CO2 levels, triggering massive adrenaline release
• Dysregulated frontal lobes show excessive slow wave activity, creating "under arousal" that prevents proper emotion regulation
• Traditional treatments often fail because they don't address the underlying brain dysregulation
• Neurofeedback gradually retrains the brain, helping the frontal lobe regain its regulatory capabilities
• Most clients seek neurofeedback after medications, therapy, and self-help approaches have failed

Listen to the whole episode here

Persistent panic attacks are often linked to dysregulation in the brain's left frontal region, with QEEG mapping showing 4-6 times more slow wave activity than normal. This "under arousal" prevents the frontal lobe from managing emotions properly,...

02/22/2026

The Fragile Young Adult

We were just chatting with a local co-op farmer, and we heard what many of you have experienced. Good folks… just can’t take the slightest criticism… so I am dancing on eggshells all the time.”

Employers across the country are facing a challenge that can no longer be ignored. Many young adults, bright and capable on paper, are walking away from jobs after the smallest conflict or constructive feedback. They are defensive when corrected, quick to quit when uncomfortable, and often return home, claiming the workplace was “toxic” when it was simply holding them accountable.

Parents are witnessing the same pattern. Sons and daughters in their twenties retreat to the comfort of home when life becomes even modestly difficult. These are not cases of cruelty or exploitation. They are the predictable result of raising a generation shielded from discomfort, denied the lessons of failure, and offered constant reassurance in place of honest feedback. Read the whole article below:

https://capitaldistrictneurofeedback.com/the-fragile-young-adult/

02/20/2026

What is Neurofeedback anyway?

https://capitaldistrictneurofeedback.com/faqs/what-is-neurofeedback-anyway/

02/20/2026

Why Talk Mental Health Therapy Isn’t The Right Tool For Every Brain

When Therapy Doesn’t Work — Or Never Felt Right to Try!
Many people quietly arrive at the same conclusion after months or years of genuine effort: therapy didn’t work for me. Others never begin at all-not because they are afraid of mental health care, but because they instinctively sense that talking about their problems won’t change how they actually feel. These reactions are often mislabeled as resistance or avoidance, yet clinical data and long-term outcomes tell a more nuanced story. A sizable group of people do not experience lasting change with talk therapy alone, and an even larger group senses this before they ever schedule the first appointment.

Psychotherapy can be extremely helpful for certain challenges, particularly those rooted in life transitions, relational patterns, grief, and meaning-making. But the cultural assumption that therapy works for nearly everyone if they simply “stay the course does not match the research. Large reviews consistently show that 20–40% of clients drop out of therapy early, and some analyses suggest dropout rates approaching 50%, depending on diagnosis, setting, and therapist factors. Most people do not leave because they lack motivation; they leave because they do not feel meaningfully better.

Just as important is the population that never enters therapy in the first place. Surveys and qualitative studies show that many adults avoid therapy not due to stigma, but because they already understand their story well enough to know that insight has not translated into relief. These individuals are often self-reflective, psychologically minded, and motivated—but their distress feels automatic, bodily, and resistant to reasoning. For them, the question isn’t “Why do I feel this way?” but “Why doesn’t my system calm down, even when I understand everything?”

How Common Is It for Therapy Not to Work?
Read the whole article here:
https://capitaldistrictneurofeedback.com/talk-therapy-is-not-right-for-me/

02/20/2026

The Family Pet: Yes, No and How?
Many of us grew up with pets, and enjoy the relationship and feelings that a pet can bring to the home. Now, as adults, we may have brought a pet into the family, or perhaps are considering a family pet. If you are wavering about the benefits of a family pet, let’s go over a few proven facts.

The Value of Having a Family Pet
While the studies in the area are not necessarily the tightest in design, the results are consistent and tend to follow our personal intuition as pet owners. Here are some of the repeated findings:

Read the whole article at the link below:
https://capitaldistrictneurofeedback.com/the-family-pet-yes-no-and-how/

02/19/2026

Studies: Wait... Depression Is NOT Caused by Low Serotonin?

02/19/2026

Neuroshifts Episode: Why Your Child's Counseling Might NOT Be Working

Listen to that episode here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2460266/episodes/17672161

02/18/2026

Stuck In Rut? What You Can Do About It Today
What do you do when you're stuck in a pattern? I get asked this a lot. You're stuck, you're in a rut, you feel lousy, you're sitting at home watching too much TV, too much time on the phone, you haven't been out doing stuff. What do you do? Well, there's some complicated, long answers, but let me give the short answer in this episode of Neuroshift.

What do you do when you're stuck in a pattern? I get asked this a lot. You're stuck, you're in a rut, you feel lousy, you're sitting at home watching too much TV, too much time on the phone, you haven't been out doing stuff. What do you do? Well, ...

02/18/2026

False Hope Arises Again
I just got off the phone with someone asking about what we do in our Clinic, and described intense struggles with ADHD, and it’s impact on work, home and relationships. Nothing has worked for her yet. She said all the right things – “Yes…okay… I see” – but not the kind of “yes” that screams, “I’m ready to change my life!” More like the “yes” you give your dentist when they ask if you’ve been flossing.

Spoiler alert: She’s not going to change. At least, not yet.

But here’s the kicker – it’s not just her. It’s me. It’s you. It’s everyone with a pulse and a Netflix password. We chase good information like it’s on sale at Target, and then, poof-by bedtime, it’s gone. You watched that inspiring TED Talk, nodded thoughtfully, and maybe even told your spouse about it. But today? You couldn’t recall it if I offered you ten bucks.

Why? Because False Hope is Normal.

Read the whole article at the link below:
https://capitaldistrictneurofeedback.com/false-hope-arises-again/

02/16/2026

Calming Symptoms of PTSD with Neurofeedback

After experiencing a traumatic event, most people go through a healing period and then move on with normal life but for some, the experience is simply too great. For these individuals, a condition known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD develops. With this comes an overwhelming sense of fear, anxiousness, sadness, and disconnect, which if not properly treated can lead to suicidal and even homicidal thoughts.

For someone with PTSD, it seems as if life will never return to normal. It is this very sense of hopeless that causes symptoms to worsen, thereby causing a person to spiral out of control to an even greater degree. For someone with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, quick and appropriate treatment is vital but unfortunately, even with an aggressive treatment plan, some people still struggle to conquer the devastation of this mental health disorder.

Read the whole article at the link below:

We can eliminate symptoms associated with PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Here's how: