Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma: Calming the Fear-Driven Brain

by Sebern F. Fisher, Bessel van der Kolk M.D. (Foreword by)

Overview

The celebrated text on working with the circuitry of the brain to restore emotional health—with a new preface from the author.

The brain’s circuitry reveals much about its role in our emotional stability and resilience. Neurofeedback allows clinicians to guide their clients as they learn to transform these brain-wave patterns. In this revolutionary book, experienced clinician Sebern Fisher demonstrates neurofeedback’s profound ability to help treat one of the most intractable mental health concerns of our time: severe childhood abuse, neglect, or abandonment, otherwise known as developmental trauma.

A mix of fundamental theory, nuts-and-bolts practice, and compelling case studies, this book delivers an accessible look at the mind and brain in developmental trauma, what a “trauma identity” looks like, and how neurofeedback can be used to retrain the brain, thereby fostering a healthier, more stable state of mind.

Now celebrating a decade of publication, Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma remains a cornerstone text in the field, and a new preface from the author grounds the book in the most current neurofeedback modalities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781324082170
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	01/07/2025
Edition description:	10th Anniversary Edition
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Sebern F. Fisher, MA, is a psychotherapist and neurofeedback practitioner in private practice who specializes in attachment issues. She trains professionals nationally and internationally on neurofeedback, neurofeedback and attachment disorder, and the integration of neurofeedback with psychotherapy. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

"[A] major breakthrough in the treatment of developmental trauma . . . . [A] must-read for clinicians . . . . [A] must-read for individuals whose lives have been hijacked by the 'fear-driven brain' . . . [P]rovides a clear defined presentation of what developmental trauma is and how neurofeedback helps to form new neural connections, soothing regulation and emotional stability. . . . I can say, as a trauma therapist, who uses neurofeedback as one of many treatment modalities, Sebern Fishers’ methods are tried and true. I use these methods and find them extremely effective."

Dr. Diane Brain Health Psychology Today

"This is the year, or perhaps the century, of the brain. What more can we ask than to have someone tell us how to change the brain in ways that improve our lives. In this book Sebern Fisher does just that. Over the many years of our many discussions about what works and what doesn’t work in treating mental health problems, she has made a convincing argument that neurofeedback as a direct approach to changing behavioral patterns of the brain is an approach worth putting your money on. A truly wonderful, clinically insightful book."

Marsha M. Linehan

"The writing is excellent. [Sebern Fisher] helps explain why and how developmental trauma devastates and also why and how it is different than single-incident trauma or traditional post-traumatic stress. . . . She has taken on the mountain – the human brain – and helped us scale it and understand the dragon of fear that resides within for those of us with developmental trauma. . . . Because of her work – I know there’s higher for me to climb."

Heal Write Now

"This book illustrates the masterful use of neurofeedback in psychotherapy for developmental trauma disorders. A must-read for all clinicians involved in the treatment of trauma spectrum disorders!"

Ruth Lanius

"This is a truly groundbreaking book. Sebern Fisher combines a mastery of neurofeedback with a real knack for applying neuroscience to do nothing less than lay the groundwork for a new, powerful, mind-brain approach to the most serious cases of developmentally-based psychological trauma. Even if you don’t practice neurofeedback, the treasure of precious clinical insights it offers so deepen an appreciation of the brain-mind interaction, that you can’t help but be changed by this book."

Norman Doidge