Neurofeedback in psychotherapy – An interview with Gernot Wührer

BEE Medic: Good afternoon, Mr Wührer. Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us today. Could you please introduce yourself briefly and explain what your job involves?

Gernot Wührer: My name is Gernot Wührer, I am a certified psychologist and master educator. Since 2019, I have been working in my own practice in Munich as a neurofeedback and behavioural therapist with clients between the ages of 3 and 85. I also work as a freelance neurofeedback lecturer for BEE Medic.

BEE Medic: How did you become aware of neurofeedback and what convinced you to integrate it into your psychotherapeutic work?

Gernot Wührer: Before opening my practice in 2019, I worked as a social skills trainer for children, adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. I became aware of neurofeedback through the testimonials of some of my autistic clients and the positive changes I observed in them.

I began integrating it into my psychotherapeutic work when adult clients who originally came to me for neurofeedback started talking about their issues and stresses during the sessions or seeking psychological counselling. The sessions were very productive and the results so convincing that I eventually recommended neurofeedback as a complementary treatment to clients who had originally come to me for psychotherapy – which most of them gladly accepted.

It is not a given that lively conversation with facial expressions, head and eye movements is possible without any problems during a neurofeedback session. This is a special feature of ILF training (ILF stands for Infra Low Frequency) and is based on specially developed hardware and software from BEE Medic, which can reliably filter out disturbances caused by movements and muscle activity.
 

BEE Medic: Which specific complaints or patient groups benefit particularly from neurofeedback in your practice?

Gernot Wührer: Over half of my clients have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and they usually benefit greatly from it, as their brains are mostly stuck in a permanently overactive state. But neurofeedback can also be very helpful for clients with anxiety, traumatic experiences, cognitive problems or dementia. And let's not forget the group of preschool children with speech development disorders and ADHD issues. They come to me through a colleague who is a speech therapist and works mainly with Turkish children.

BEE Medic: How does neurofeedback differ from other therapeutic methods used in psychotherapy?

Gernot Wührer: Neurofeedback works directly in the brain and very quickly. As soon as the brain is shown a selected area of its own electrical activity, its self-regulatory ability improves: brain regions that are supposed to work together become more strongly networked and the arousal level of different brain areas is better adjusted to the situation.

This makes it easier for clients to implement behavioural or cognitive techniques in everyday life. ILF neurofeedback does not require any conscious effort or deliberate concentration, as the brain's learning process is automatic and unconscious.

BEE Medic: What advantages do you see in using neurofeedback in combination with talk therapy?

Gernot Wührer: Neurofeedback has an immediate effect. Clients enter a physically relaxed and mentally alert state, which facilitates both solution-oriented discussion of problems and the processing of negative experiences. Neurofeedback facilitates the creative process of finding new solutions to existing problems or negative thought patterns. The brain is activated and new neural connections and networks can be formed more easily.

BEE Medic: How do clients experience this combination and what feedback do you receive?

Gernot Wührer: Clients who use neurofeedback in combination with talk therapy and behavioural therapy find it pleasant and very helpful. They play relatively simple video games, which trigger the neurofeedback, and talk about their issues. This allows them to remain relaxed and focused and enter a flow state during the therapeutic work.

BEE Medic: Are there any specific cases or complaints where the combination of talk therapy and neurofeedback is particularly effective?

Gernot Wührer: I use this combination primarily with adolescents and adults.

We also have conversations with children, which definitely have a therapeutic effect, but adolescents and adults work more specifically on their issues and talk more consciously about stressful situations or experiences. This combination is particularly effective for clients who are struggling with severe symptoms, as their psychological distress and limitations usually decrease significantly within 5 to 7 sessions. The therapy time can be used effectively, as 50 minutes is essentially a double session.


BEE Medic: How has your therapeutic work changed since you integrated neurofeedback into your daily practice?

Gernot Wührer: Neurofeedback enables clients to achieve therapeutic progress more quickly and in a more relaxed manner. Even the treatment of deep-seated symptoms or problems becomes somewhat easier. This increases motivation during the sessions, and clients feel positive changes more quickly, which in turn has a beneficial effect on their motivation to continue with therapy. Neurofeedback is also a great asset for me as a therapist, as it brings a playful, light-hearted element to the therapy process.