Re: Ready for Something Better?

[Guest guest]

Dear Tamera:

I certainly appreciate your interest in a new forum, but have some cautions. For close to twenty years I have been lamenting the lack of consensus in the neurotherapy field. Instead, we have people going off in various directions, all claiming they have the answer. While it is quite conceivable that there may be more than one way to treat a given person, I am reluctant to think that there are no universal principles.

I personally think that ISNR is more of an interest organization than a competency organization. While that is changing some, there is no clear set of guidelines so there is consistency in methods, equipment, treatments and problems.

Good luck on your endeavor.

Hal Schaus

Ready for Something Better?

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

How would you feel about an inclusive organization that provides a sense of community and support for ALL neurofeedback practitioners, with neurofeedback and other, related forms of brain training as its ONLY agenda? Would you want to be a part of an international group that shares information on topics such as equipment, training protocols, how to go about training in sticky situations, books and book reviews, journal articles, events in associated fields, and wisdom from leaders in the field? Would you like it to be non-partisan, non-sectarian, and supportive of someone like you?

I am considering spearheading a movement to create such an organization, not to reinvent what already exists, but to build something purposeful and beneficial that would create a healthy space in which neurofeedback can grow, all while avoiding the mistakes that have led other organizations astray.

Why do I want to do this? Well, it seems to me that the two existing professional organizations for neurofeedback in the US are not representing all their members well and, indeed, limiting rather than expanding the field of neurofeedback. I believe that current efforts to grab power and control hurt everyone, especially those who remain silent or feel silenced as this occurs, and I believe that this is true across the occupational and career spectrum--and across the spectrum of purpose for training.

However, it makes no sense to put effort into creating such a group if there is no one who has an interest in joining. So...please let me know what you think! Would you want to be a part of such an organization? How would you want it to look? What would the primary benefit you'd want to receive be? Are you so excited by the idea that you'd like to help?

Please share your thoughts with me, either on list or off. I'm hoping for a vibrant discussion and candid thoughts.

Thanks!

Tamera