The Ergomax practice, based in Wolfern, Austria, specializes in occupational therapy for infants, children, and adolescents. The team consists of four occupational therapists and a teacher. In addition to occupational therapy assessments and individual therapy, the practice also offers group therapy focusing on various areas.
 

Supplemented by neurofeedback
A special feature of the practice is the use of ILF neurofeedback. This method has been successfully integrated into occupational therapy and optimally complements the existing range of services. “The method helps our children improve their self-regulation depending on their individual therapy goals,” explains Maximilian Berghammer MSc, practice manager and occupational therapist at Ergomax.

At Ergomax, neurofeedback is generally used for children aged four and above – depending on their stage of development and the indication, it can also be used at an earlier age. The focus is on treating schoolchildren, but treatment can also begin at the age of four to five if there is a clear indication. For younger children under the age of four, the team usually works with classic occupational therapy. Alternatively, neurofeedback can also be used as a supplement and in an age-appropriate manner – in these cases without visual stimuli (e.g., screens), but exclusively with auditory and tactile feedback.

The most common indications treated in practice include attention and concentration disorders, emotional regulation problems, sleep disorders, impulse control difficulties, perception and stimulus processing disorders, learning difficulties, and challenges associated with autism spectrum disorders.
 

Proven collaboration with BEE Medic
The team has been using BEE Medic devices for several years to implement neurofeedback therapy. According to Maximilian Berghammer, these devices are characterized by reliability, intuitive usability, and high quality. The personal support provided by the BEE Medic team—for example, with technical questions, further training, or individual advice—is also seen as a great help in everyday practice.

The decision to use neurofeedback, and the ILF method in particular, has significantly expanded the therapeutic spectrum of the practice. Integration into the practice ran smoothly from the start – both in terms of organization and acceptance by families and occupational therapists.
 

Positive feedback
Feedback from parents has been overwhelmingly positive: many report that after just a few sessions, their children are calmer and more balanced, sleep better, find it easier to concentrate, and are better able to cope with stimuli or frustration. Educators also frequently notice positive changes in behavior, attention, and social interaction.

In addition to these subjective observations, progress can also be measured using standardized methods such as the QIK test. “From our point of view, it is particularly remarkable how neurofeedback treatment can also be used to measure standardized progress in performance,” summarizes Maximilian Berghammer.
 

About Ergomax – Practice for pediatric occupational therapy

Infants, children, and adolescents are the focus of the Ergomax practice. A central component of the work of the five-person team is targeted therapy for everyday skills and self-regulation – including through play, movement, and perception activities. The practice takes a holistic, child-centered approach and attaches great importance to treating families with respect. The aim is to help children develop their potential and gain independence with joy, competence, and empathy.

Here you will find further information and contact details:

Ergomax – Practice for Pediatric Occupational Therapy
INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND TEENAGERS are the focus at Ergomax.
🌐 www.ergomax.at
📧 [email protected]
📞 0699 15087812

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  patient groups do you mainly work with in your practice?

Gernot Wührer: While over half of my clients have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, I also work with those experiencing anxiety, trauma, cognitive impairment or dementia. Not to mention the group of pre-school children with speech development disorders and ADHD. They are referred to me by a speech and language therapist who mainly works with Turkish children. In my daily work, I like to use neurofeedback as a supportive tool.

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.