Neurotherapy and Traumatic Brain Injury

Holistic Practitioner Spotlight with Dr. Marvin Berman,  Neurotherapy Researcher and Clinician

We are speaking with Dr. Marvin Berman. PhD and Certified Bioenergetic Therapist on how he treats his patients – focusing on neurotherapy and biofeedback.  He is the founder of “Quietmind”,  studying non invasive, non drug treatment modalities and how they can be integrated into public health and education.

Tell Us a Story About  a Patient with Traumatic Brain Injury and How You Helped

Stanley was 17 when he fell off a trampoline and hit his head. He was unconscious for several minutes experiencing a sustained loss of oxygen resulting in traumatic brain injury. In the time following his accident, Stan was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome (PCS). His symptoms included chronic headaches, anxiety, loss of balance and fatigue. This high school student’s ability to learn, engage socially and communicate effectively were severely impaired. The prescribed medications and bed rest had not worked to allow much recovery and his chronic headaches and fatigue were unremitting for 3 years.

Stan was referred to me by his neurologist for neurotherapy treatment to help alleviate his PCS from the traumatic brain injury. His weekly sessions for the next 14 months involved combinations of the following:

• Brainwave (EEG) biofeedback, monitoring his brain activity and  comparing it to a database of normal EEG measurements for men his age.
• Transcranial (through the skull) and intraocular (through the eyes) infrared light therapy also known as photobiomodulation. For this we used a device developed in the UK that delivers high levels of 1065-1075nm infrared light to his brain.
• Respiration training
• Body-centered psychotherapy

With the treatment model we employed for traumatic brain injury, Stan’s sleep improved which gave him the ability to work. About 6 months into treatment, he was able to process information more efficiently which resulted in having the ability to read again without difficulty.

Since completing treatment four years ago, Stan has graduated from college, has been in a positive loving relationship for a number of years, reports  excellent coordination and is headache-free.

Why and When Did You Choose the Holistic Path?

My childhood years were spent between two worlds; blue collar North Jersey and weekends in NYC with my educator upper middle class paternal grandparents. I appreciated both worlds, taking from each their value that supported me in being successful. My graduate training taught me that group dynamics determine individual behavior so I learned to look for what was missing in how things worked, especially systems of care or service delivery and became an expert in consulting with groups and companies seeking to improve their performance.

My interest in the mind-body question led to training in Bioenergetic Analysis, a neo-Reichian psychoanalytic therapy that focuses on how the body expresses our inner conflicts and traumas. I found neurofeedback and neurotherapy to be a non-invasive, non-drug method for helping to heal tissue-level pathology as well as brain network connectivity. These modalities (having great success with traumatic brain injury and PCS) have rounded out my current approach to care and is the focus of my ongoing clinical research.

What Lessons Have Your Work and Personal Experiences Taught You?

I think most important are that:

1. The body tells the story of our lives through self expression – how we breathe, move, and and interpret sound. Clinicians and clients need to learn to read the body to better know how we need to heal.
2. The neuron is an electro-chemical system that can be modified by changing either the chemistry or electrical stimulation.
3. We contract in fear and expand into love and joy. This is observable at the cellular level to the entire body.

What Would You Like Your Patients to Know About Your Services that They May Not be Aware of?

The therapeutic process central to the outcome is that clients must engage with their healing process from the start by investing time and energy into getting what they want from treatment. They also need to construct a way to measure progress that is rooted in their real life experiences.

The treatment we are providing continues to work after one stops coming. Through treatment, they’ve essentially increased the efficiency of their brain which then continues to improve its own capacity for functioning efficiently.

Any Additional Comments

We continue to support optimal health and well being through optimal delivery of energy such as electrical, ultrasound, pulsed magnetic fields, and light. Light alters brain activity. It has been shown to reverse neuro-degeneration and repair trauma. Combining photobiomodulation, psychotherapy, functional medicine and neurofeedback greatly enhances our functioning and prevents future deterioration.

Biography

Dr. Marvin Berman was trained as an individual and group psychotherapist. His professional focus has been to identify and fill gaps in human service delivery systems. He received his PhD in organizational psychology and adult development from Temple University and is a Certified Bioenergetic Therapist focusing on body/mind integration adding a focus on neurophysiology and biofeedback. Dr. Berman founded “Quietmind” in 2000 to study integration of noninvasive, non-drug treatment modalities into public health and education.

Dr. Marvin Berman, PhD, CBT (Certified Bio-Energetic Therapist)
Neurotherapy Researcher and Clinician
Quiet Mind Foundation
140 Yorktown Plaza
Elkins Park, PA 19027

Visit Dr. Berman’s Website

For more practitioners like Dr. Berman, vist our Holistic Health Directory