Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.
illian Wendelin, a licensed therapist, knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself battling her own mental health challenges and ADHD — until she and her husband stumbled upon neurofeedback.
The therapy, still relatively uncommon, involves connecting patients to an electroencephalogram (EEG) machine that monitors and interacts with their brainwaves in real time. The goal, as Wendelin describes it, is simple but profound: to “teach the brain to do something different.”
“It’s a super gentle, noninvasive way to teach your brain how to function better,” she said. “So, the same way that we give our dog a treat when it sits, our brain can get positive reinforcement.… It’s just basically like weird sounds, and then there’s fractal images on the screen that will change. And so we get positive and negative reinforcement.”
Inspired by her own experience, Wendelin began offering neurofeedback to her clients. A talk therapist of nearly a decade, she’s a believer in the practice — but also its limits. For some people, she emphasizes, talk therapy simply isn’t enough.
That conviction led her to act. In late 2020, she founded Integrative Wellness Clinic of Nevada, a mental health practice specializing in neurofeedback.
Now, five years later, the clinic is growing: a second location in Henderson is in the works, joining its original office in Centennial Hills.
About a year ago, Wendelin said she noticed a pattern of interested patients calling and lamenting the commute for treatment. The need for a location in Henderson became clear, she said.
“We just started to see the need in the community that people really did want this, and people are starting to learn what it is,” Wendelin said.
Robyn Rohde, director of the new Henderson location on Water Street, initially learned about neurofeedback after being referred to Wendelin.
“And I said, ‘Oh, I’ll try it, you know I’m kind of desperate to feel better,’ ” Rohde said.“And so I did it … and it was life changing. And that’s when I said, ‘I want to train, and I want to learn how to do this and provide it in Henderson.’ ”
Neurofeedback is “a software that trains the brain to operate optimally, so that we reduce the things that are detracting from our quality of life,” said Rohde, a clinical professional counselor intern who recently earned a master’s degree in clinical mental health from UNLV.
Treatment at Integrative Wellness Clinic of Nevada begins with a consultation, followed by an assessment to determine any issues present and the protocol they need — based on certain symptoms like ADHD or depression.
Patients come to at least two one-hour sessions a week for, on average, around 20 to 25 sessions, Rohde said.
When asked about the cost of neurofeedback treatment, Wendelin said the clinic does not accept insurance, and cash pay prices depend on the needs of the client and what machine is recommended. Financing can be discussed when patients call for a consultation, she said.
According to Mendi, an at-home neurofeedback device company, in-clinic neurofeedback typically costs around $150 per session, meaning treatment can ultimately be in the thousands.
Wendelin compared neurofeedback to exercise for the brain, and the positive reinforcement like encouragement or advice from a trainer.
“I can think about all the clients that, really, their life is totally different now,” she said. “Their ability to be calm with their kids, their ability to complete what they need to at their job, people getting promotions — people leaving abusive relationships because their brain isn’t stuck in this fight-or-flight kind of feeling. It’s amazing.”
She emphasized there is no sort of shock or pain therapy involved, and that side effects are minimal and temporary, like a passing headache or fatigue.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why I love it too, before doing something kind of more extreme in terms of someone’s mental health, is because this can’t hurt you, right?” Wendelin said.
Biofeedback is minimal risk because it is noninvasive, according to Cleveland Clinic. While it is generally safe, however, it may not be right for everyone, and Mayo Clinic encourages prospective patients to talk with their health care provider before doing it.
Experts have questioned the validity of neurofeedback’s outcomes, and whether they outweigh its financial costs, time commitment and potential side effects.
Variations in protocol may limit the ability to study neurofeedback’s benefits, per a 2022 post on American Family Physician, and studies on the subject are generally small and lacking in research on the adverse effects of neurofeedback.
Wendelin counters that neurofeedback has a fairly large research base, including randomized trials and meta-analyses, with stronger evidence for some conditions than others asthe field continues to refine which protocols work best for which populations.
“In terms of safety, neurofeedback is very low risk, with most reported side effects being mild and temporary — things like fatigue, headache or feeling a bit spacey after a session, which resolve within a few days,” she said in an email to the Sun. “And in a personal note, after being in the mental health field for 14 years, I just have never seen anything work better.”
The 2025 State of Mental Health in America report by Mental Health America ranked Nevada last among states in the U.S. for mental health and well-being.
“I’m a big fan of — if it works, it works,” Rohde said. “Go to talk therapy, go to (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), go to brainspot. And there’s all these different modalities out there, and Nevada just needs more of all of them.”
Rohde and her colleagues didn’t learn about neurofeedback in their education or training programs, and she said the Henderson clinic will make the practice more accessible.
“When I realized how effective it was and that nobody knew about it — I’m thinking this needs to change,” she said. “Because it helps whole families. We’ve had people have all their kids go through it, and then they themselves go through it. It’s very, very impactful. So we’re trying to spread the word and be as accessible as possible so that more people can get in.”