From Psychotherapy to Neuropsychology
I’ve always had a passion for helping others. My career in mental health started with a strong focus on psychotherapy. However, when I encountered clients who didn’t respond to traditional therapy, my curiosity drove me deeper into the field of neuropsychology and neurofeedback for better mental health.
My curiosity began when I began working with individuals who were active duty service members. I used all of the evidence based treatments such as EMDR, mindfulness, CBT, etc but at times no matter how much people were able to process some stayed in a constant state of fear or crisis.
I realized we were not just working with people who had experienced trauma and had bad memories but that the sympathetic arousal (the fight, flight, freeze response) people experience to be able to survive trauma didn’t aways go away. I was curious as to how to help people who were stuck in a state of trauma.
Then I heard about neurofeedback and it made fundamental sense to me. Address the physiology and people’s symptoms will get better. It worked!!! Since that time I have worked with many people, children and adults with many different types of symptoms and have seen lives become transformed.
A Life-Changing Experience: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Traumatic Brain Injury
In May 2022, life threw me a curveball—I suffered a moderate concussion. Despite undergoing various treatments, including neurofeedback and neuro-optometry, I battled fatigue, language expression, difficulty with memory and other cognitive issues. There was a period of time I was struggling so much that I had to step back from seeing clients so I could recover.
HBOT Therapy – A New Hope When Things Seemed Hopeless
Then, one morning, my husband walked into our bedroom and said, “I’ve been researching HBOT treatment all morning.” My husband is a healthcare professional with decades of experience in Manual Osteopathy. Considering how busy he is—he wakes up at 5:00 AM just to fit everything into his day—the fact that he had spent over two hours on this research really made me take notice.
He informed me that HBOT treatment had been shown to be effective in treating symptoms related to traumatic brain injury (TBI). “I really think you would benefit from HBOT treatment.” He had looked at several models and told me we needed to purchase a HBOT with a pressure of 1.3 ATA.
Because of his research he had already picked out which HBOT he wanted to purchase. I was so shocked by what he was telling me. I had heard HBOT helped people with TBI, I just didn’t know what that meant for me. I did a trial HBOT session and my energy and cognitive clarity came back to where I felt more like the pre TBI person I had been before.
The more we talked we realized it made sense to purchase a larger HBOT so I could offer treatment at my clinic. We wanted to help people struggling with similar issues. Since then, I’ve discovered that HBOT can help with many other conditions.
Understanding the Power of HBOT
HBOT emerged as a compelling treatment option that utilizes the power of pure oxygen to improve mental and physical well-being. With almost zero side effects, the treatment has a wide range of applications.
How It Works: Breathing Purified Air With Enhanced Oxygen Content
In an HBOT session, I breathe in purified air with enhanced oxygen content within a specially designed hyperbaric chamber. This chamber operates at increased air pressure – 1.3 times above the pressure at sea level, allowing my lungs to absorb more oxygen and deliver it to my tissues and organs, including my brain.
The Role of Oxygen and Blood Flow
One of the key mechanisms behind HBOT is the significant increase in blood oxygen levels. Oxygen plays a critical role in cell metabolism and healing, triggering the release of growth factors and stem cells.
Investing in an HBOT Chamber for Our HBOT Clinic
After extensive research and careful consideration, we decided to invest in an HBOT chamber for our clinic in Colorado Springs. HBOT is such a powerful tool that we realized it was the right thing to do. We recognized the immense potential HBOT had for treating traumatic brain injuries and a wide range of mental health conditions.
My Personal Transformation through HBOT Therapy
After undergoing HBOT treatment, I noticed an immediate increase in cognitive clarity and energy levels. While the benefits of HBOT therapy are usually incremental, I felt the positive effects quite early. My neuro-optometrist suggested that my previous treatments had “primed” my brain for this kind of improvement.
Broadening the Scope of Treatment
Impacted by my personal experience with HBOT, I consulted with experts in the hyperbaric medical society. Armed with this new knowledge, I started offering HBOT as part of the treatments at my clinic, Neuro Hope.
Beyond My Personal Journey
My experience opens up broader discussions about the role of HBOT in mental health, particularly in Colorado Springs where it’s relatively underexplored. While HBOT is often used for treating medical conditions like decompression sickness, I feel that its potential for mental health has largely gone unnoticed. There are many different symptoms and conditions HBOT is used off-label to help people feel better.
Filling a Treatment Gap
Through Neuro Hope, I aim to fill this crucial gap in mental health services in Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas. Given the growing evidence, it’s increasingly hard to ignore the benefits of HBOT, especially for those who find traditional methods ineffective.
A New Frontier: HBOT for Mental Health Care
Studies suggest that HBOT can improve symptoms related to mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, PTSD, symptoms related to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion. By promoting better blood flow and delivering higher concentrations of oxygen to the brain, HBOT is becoming a focal point in mental health treatments.
Living Proof of HBOT’s Transformative Power
I am not just a practitioner; I’m living proof of the transformative power of HBOT. My experience has underscored the need for a broader approach to mental health care—an approach I’m pioneering at Neuro Hope.
Final Thoughts
I look forward to helping you make your own transformations through the HBOT treatments offered at Neuro Hope. For me, hope is not just a word; it’s a path to a better life. If you are suffering from mental health issues, feel free to reach out to see if HBOT could help you too.