Where is this written down? That is the question I get at every one of my workshops. Many people entering the field are frustrated because there is no basic source to draw upon. Although books exist, they do not offer the kind of specific detail about doing neurofeedback that people are often seeking.

The Synapse Neurofeedback Center of Atlanta provides a comprehensive web course, but many do not have the time or desire to commit to such an onerous effort. They are professionals looking for the basic “how to” guide and they often are not interested in certification initially. At first neurofeedback appears to be a simple matter, but as they begin to really get involved many are quickly overwhelmed. Many clinicians are not trained in the interpretation of research and do not have the time to cruise libraries and the internet to collect the existing literature on the topic. When they discover this is the case, they are even more overwhelmed. They attend workshop after workshop and complain about how people speak over their heads or they look at their notes and wonder what they got from it all. Those of us who have been in the field for years often forget how confusing it was at first.

My purpose here is not to provide a comprehensive and complete course in neurofeedback. As I mentioned, that is already available. The goal with this publication is to provide the bare bones basics of how to do neurofeedback and “to do no harm.” To master neurofeedback takes many years of constant study and practice. It requires some understanding of electronics, neurophysiology, electrophysiology, neocortical dynamics, psychology, sociology, and even psychiatry. This is more of an introduction to the practice of neurofeedback and a companion volume to the webcourse.