The standard approach to ADHD is medication and therapy. For a lot of people, that combination works well enough. For others, something is still missing, and that is usually what brings someone here.
Neurofeedback for ADHD works at the level of the brain itself, helping it learn to regulate attention, impulse control, and focus on its own. At the Center for Neurocognitive Excellence (DCNE), we offer the industry Gold Standard QEEG-guided neurofeedback therapy for adults and children living with ADHD in Washington, DC. We also welcome clients from Maryland and Virginia.
ADHD: When the Standard Approach Stops Working
Medication and therapy are the default for a reason. For many people they help. But some things are still out of your control.
What happens when:
• There is a medication shortage and you cannot get your prescription
• The side effects make it hard to eat, sleep, or function
• You change prescribers and they want to start from scratch
• Your therapist goes on vacation and you have no support
• You move to DC. Your new prescriber wants a new report
• You are doing everything right and something is still not working
At DCNE, Neurofeedback for ADHD gives you an option that does not depend on any of those things. It works with your brain directly, so the results stay with you regardless of what changes around you.
What Is Neurofeedback for ADHD?
Neurofeedback is a clinically tested and validated form of ADHD treatment that works alongside therapy and medication, or on its own, depending on what you need. Unlike medication, the results do not stop when the prescription runs out.
Your brain is not broken. It is running the wrong pattern
With ADHD, the brain typically produces too much slow-wave activity, the kind linked to zoning out, and not enough of the faster waves that drive focus and follow-through. The intention is there. The brainwave activity is not.
Neurofeedback shifts that pattern in real time
Sensors read your brain's electrical activity as it happens. When your brain moves toward focus and regulation, the program rewards it. When it drifts, the feedback stops. No shocks, no discomfort. Your brain learns through repetition and response.
The results stay with you after the sessions end
Medication works while it is in your system and stops when it is not. Neurofeedback changes the underlying pattern. That is what our clients mean when they say the gains stick.
How Neurofeedback for ADHD Works at DCNE
Our neurofeedback process starts with a QEEG, a quantitative electroencephalogram that maps your brain's actual electrical activity. For someone with ADHD, that map tells us exactly where the dysregulation is happening and which areas need support. Without it, there is no way to know whether the therapy is actually working. Most practices do not know how to do this, or skip it altogether. We consider it the foundation of neurofeedback therapy.
Your QEEG Brain Map
The QEEG takes about 45-minutes from start to finish. It is a non-invasive session. A cap with 19 sensors records your brain's natural activity with eyes open and closed. From that data, we build your Brain Map.
After your QEEG, DCNE's Director, Schuyler Cunningham, LICSW, BCN, can sit down with you to walk through what the map shows and connect it directly to the ADHD symptoms - and any other symptoms - you have been living with. Most clients tell us it is the first time their experience finally made sense on paper.
A QEEG cannot be used to make a mental health diagnosis, but it can support and further explain a diagnosis.
New to the concept? Learn more about what a QEEG is and how it works.
Your Neurofeedback Sessions
The neurofeedback sessions that follow the QEEG are usually 45 to 60 minutes. Most sessions involve watching something you enjoy while the feedback runs quietly in the background. It is the most relaxed many of our clients feel all week.
We encourage coming in twice a week because it makes the whole process faster and people tend to get better results. That said, the number of sessions you need gets determined as we go. That is why you’re involved every step of the way.
DCNE uses Alpha/Theta amplitude training, the most validated protocol for ADHD, alongside z-score neurofeedback and infra-slow fluctuation (ISF) neurofeedback. These give us a wider range of tools to meet your specific needs.
The protocol that is right for you is determined by your map, not a default setting.
You Are Part of the Process
Neurofeedback involves a lot of new territory, brain maps, protocols, and data that is specific to you. That is exactly why you are involved at every stage. Throughout your neurofeedback training, we may send a series of emails explaining what is happening and why. We also want to hear from you about how it is going, because you are the most important part of this equation.
Most people complete their training in 30 to 40 sessions, though the exact number is always determined by your brain map and your goals, not a fixed package. When you finish, we take a follow-up QEEG showing you exactly how your brain has changed, by comparing it to your pre-neurofeedback QEEG results, so the progress is not something you have to take our word for. You can see it yourself.
Who Is a Good Fit for Neurofeedback for ADHD?
You may be a good fit for neurofeedback for ADHD if:
• Living with ADHD and finding medication alone is not enough, or comes with side effects that are hard to sustain
• Tired of depending on stimulants through shortages, prescriber changes, or the afternoon crash
• Looking for lasting results rather than daily symptom management
• Ready for an approach that goes deeper than talk therapy on its own
• Parents of children with ADHD who want a non-medication option grounded in clinical data
• Adults who suspect ADHD but want to understand what is actually happening in their brain before choosing a path forward
Not seeing yourself in the list? Neurofeedback for ADHD may still be worth exploring. Here is what your first call looks like so you can decide for yourself.
ADHD and Neurofeedback: Why DCNE
Board Certified
Schuyler Cunningham, MSW, LICSW, BCN, is one of only five Board Certified Neurofeedback providers in Washington, DC, credentialed by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) at the time of this posting.
QEEG-Guided Care
Every neurofeedback plan at DCNE is built from your brain map, not a generic protocol. Without that data, there is no way to know what your brain actually needs. That is why this is considered the Gold Standard in neurofeedback treatment.
Research Background
Before founding DCNE, Schuyler conducted research at the National Institutes of Health, bringing a depth of clinical knowledge that is uncommon in this field.
Published Author
He has published on neurofeedback in the Social Workers' Desk Reference Guide (Oxford University Press) and co-authored ADHD and Neurofeedback Explained.
We built neurofeedback into our practice because our clients asked for it. They came in on medication that was not working, or not working consistently, and wanted something that addressed the actual problem. We have seen it work and we know why it works. Your brain does not fit in a box. Neither should your treatment.
Neurofeedback for ADHD. Frequently Asked Questions.
Begin Neurofeedback for ADHD in Washington, DC
You do not have to figure this out alone. Your first conversation is free. Schedule online, text 202-998-ADHD (2343), or email [email protected]. Same-week appointments are typically available.
Beyond neurofeedback for ADHD at DCNE
ADHD rarely travels alone. We built DCNE as a complete care model because treating one piece while ignoring the others only gets you so far.
A comprehensive evaluation that clarifies your diagnosis and gives you something concrete to work from.
Thorough assessments for children and adolescents, with results that explain what is actually happening.
Clinical therapy built around ADHD. Not a generic hour of "uh-huh, tell me more."
For the trauma and shame that often come with a lifetime of unmanaged ADHD.
ADHD and anxiety overlap more than most people realize.
Same story. We work with the full picture.
It is a complete package to get you where you want to be. See the change you wish to be.
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