Speaker: Sara Deveau, Neurofeedback Technician, Aroostook Brain Training
Who are you and who do you help?
Sara Deveau: My name is Sara Deveau and I've spent my career working with Children, primarily struggling learners, looking for ways to help them. This eventually led me to neurofeedback and opened it up. So now I'm working with people of all ages.
What problem were you trying to solve when you found NewMind, and what made you choose NewMind over anything else?
Sara Deveau: In my intervention work with Children, I was always looking for a way to help them. Oftentimes I had used every tool in my toolbox and still they were struggling learners and I would joke with colleagues that if I could just see what was happening in their brain, I would have a better sense of how I could help them be more successful. At the same time, someone I loved was struggling severely with anxiety and I again was looking for any way to help this person. And this quest led me to neurofeedback. I found a provider and saw the change in my loved one and knew that this was exactly what I had been looking for; a safe drug free solution for the symptoms of so many things. So I began to research more and this led me to NewMind. After looking at various companies, the reason I chose NewMind was because of, well, first of all, the flexibility of the format for learning. I could learn at my own pace at my own home and can continue to access the material and review it whenever I feel I need to. The staff there led me through, purchasing and learning about my equipment, answered all of my questions, and just made it a very seamless process for me. One of the other things that I really like about it is that I have access to people, a variety of experts in the field, listening to the discussions, participating in the list serve or on the lunch and learn, allow me to continue to learn and grow as a practitioner, so I appreciate that. And everyone has just been so helpful and answer all of your questions and review maps with you and just help you grow as a community.
What type of results or successes have you achieved with NewMind?
Sara Deveau: One of the most exciting things for me is to be able to offer people hope and see the changes that happen for them and the relief that they experience from the symptoms that they've had for quite some time. I had a parent that came to one of the sessions very excited because she had had multiple teachers approach her about her son and the changes that they had noticed in him and his engagement in learning and ability to function in the school day. And this had never happened before. She would typically see a teacher coming and be wondering what they were going to say. But they didn't know that he had been training. But the changes in him were noticeable at school and just seeing how excited that mom was really rewarding.
What benefits do you get from NewMind Lunch and Learns, and how have they helped you grow as a clinician?
Sara Deveau: I appreciate that I have the opportunity three times a week to continue my learning through the NewMind Lunch and Learns. Whether it is a theoretical discussion, looking at research, discussing the logistics of neurofeedback, or a map interpretation; it is always well worth my time and I always learn new things. It is a community of supportive, knowledgeable, and informed people who collectively share their knowledge and are happy to do so. It's a safe place to ask questions and the presenters that come in are always very knowledgeable and helpful and I appreciate that. If I can't attend the lunch and learn, I can look at the recording on the NewMind YouTube channel when I do have time or I can refer back to them at a later time. So the opportunities for continuing to learn are vast and readily accessible and I appreciate that.
How would you describe what NewMind is, to a colleague, and why would you recommend it to them?
Sara Deveau: NewMind really is on a mission to help grow the field of neurofeedback, and they make it easy for clinicians to help others improve their symptoms. They walk you through the process, step by step, how to use the equipment. They offer support and training. They provide a path for continuous growth and learning in this ever changing field.
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