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    What Former Clients Have to Say...

    The decision to pursue neurofeedback training or psychotherapy is an important one. It is helpful to hear what others have to say about their experience when making this decision. Below are some testimonials from former clients in my practice.

    “I came to see Dr. Machado for neurofeedback after years of struggling with anxiety, insomnia, and ‘brain fog’ following a head injury. I knew in our first few minutes together that Dr. Machado was an incredibly sensitive, intuitive practitioner. After our first neurofeedback session, I felt different – immediate results! – I couldn’t believe it. Over the course of about eight sessions, I felt like I was getting my life back. And as we continued, I kept feeling more and more like myself. People in my life are noticing the difference. It is so exciting and I am so grateful!”

    – Former Neurofeedback Client

    “I would highly recommend Sil Machado for anyone considering neurofeedback. We went to Sil because my 8 year old son was experiencing intense anxiety and behavioral issues exaggerated by his ADHD and a recent trauma. Prior to starting neurofeedback our son was having anxiety about many situations. Nightimes were intense, often filled with tears, fear and the need for us to stay in his room until he fell asleep. He had anxiety about any new activity, trip or unknown. In addition, his ADHD was on hyperdrive and there was a lot of acting out, anger and overall lack of self control, despite being prescribed medication. After seeing Sil once a week for about a month we started to see a shift in the intensity and frequency of the anxiety and extreme behaviors. We continued weekly appts for a few months, seeing continued progress and relief of anxiety and extreme ADHD behaviors. We completed our neurofeedback with my son’s anxiety virtually non existent and some typical ADHD behaviors tha were now easily managed by a very small/low dosage of medication. We are so appreciative of Sil’s work!”

    – Parent of Former Neurofeedback Client

    “I highly recommend Dr. Sil Machado and the neurofeedback he provides. I am the parent of two adopted children, each of whom arrived to my family with complex traumatic histories. Their ages upon joining our family were 5 and 10 years. Years of abuse and trauma affected their baseline moods, behaviors and ability to socially function, before I began to interact and love them. I would like to describe their respective changes. My daughter (after 14 sessions), now age 10, arrived with a high startle reflex (now gone), aggression that included homicidal behavior, causing her to be removed from FIVE previous families – as well as expelled from a group home she once lived in (now gone), an inability to focus and study so much that I believed she may have dyslexia (now reduced and manageable. She just received her first 100% on a math test, and an A in math on her report card!), and a several hours/even days recovery time following an emotional melt down (now gone). My son (after 17 sessions), now age 11, arrived with aggression that kept me from turning my back on him for years (significantly reduced. No more hurting the walls in our home, nor the inside of my car), an inability to overcome frustration when struggling and/or persistence was necessary, both in sports and schoolwork (he now writes reports with ease, and just signed up for the track team!), a recovery time of several hours/days following an emotional melt down (gone! Now he is able to recover within moments and allows hugs for comfort), and tantrums that were so highly aggressive that we had to clear the home of furniture and people until he was done (completely gone), and a sadness with lack of inner like/love that would cause any parent to have concern (now lighter, friendly, funny, and enjoyable).”

    – Parent of Former Neurofeedback Client

    “As a trauma survivor, I was anxious, depressed, and suicidal for years until neurofeedback with Dr. Machado. I was plagued with nightmares and rarely got a good night’s sleep. Within a few weeks of neurofeedback session, my suicidal thoughts stopped! I couldn’t believe it. And the strangest part was that I didn’t even notice it at first. It felt normal to feel good! About a month into sessions, my nightmares were gone. In fact, I began to have good dreams. I couldn’t believe it. I’m so grateful. I feel like I’ve gotten my life back.”

    – Former Neurofeedback Client

    “Before neurofeedback, my daughter’s anxiety was preventing her from doing many things. On bad days, she would even feel anxious being in a crowded store, and might need to leave. She had trouble with anxiety during driving. Neurofeedback “saved her life,” she said. The effect for her was dramatic, and rapid. Medications help and therapy help, but the neurofeedback gave her a significant boost in getting her anxiety ramped down. She is able to drive without feeling as though her anxiety will overwhelm her. Crowded stores don’t have the same effect on her. She feels more comfortable being in circumstances where she has to interact with strangers. I don’t know if she would have been able to work if she hadn’t have done the neurofeedback. Also, it is great that when she has felt herself slipping, she has been able to have a few tune-up sessions and again, she notices a huge improvement in her anxiety. When her anxiety is under control, she is not so moody and our interactions are more pleasant.”

    – Parent of Former Neurofeedback Client

    “I came to Dr. Sil after many many years of chronic stress, depression, irritability and anxiety. At one point, I was having daily panic attacks and had actually contemplated suicide. I was desperately working all the angles with meds, therapy, meditation, binaural beats, etc.

    I had a coworker who recommend Dr. Sil who said that he and neurofeedback had changed her life.

    Before I started with Dr. Sil, I was on a daily antidepressant, doing almost daily meditation to try to calm my panic and had done hours of talk therapy with little result. I’d spend many hours sleeping and the rest of the day on constant guard, with high level anxiety. 

    I was a bit skeptical at first but figured a handful of sessions wouldn’t hurt. After a number of sessions I started to notice that I’d still be anxious but I’d recover quickly, I was no longer sitting in panic and anxiety all day. I would still get irritated but it passed quickly. I would still get stressed but I no longer lived there. My once manic mental to-do list was now quiet and not weighing me down. I actually felt relaxed. I found genuine joy, something that I hadn’t felt in a long long time. I was even able to wean off of the antidepressant at the direction of my doctor.

    Neurofeedback is not a magic bullet as it takes time and commitment but after a number of sessions the results are very real and noticeable. The investment is well worth it. 

    It was so effective with me that I started both my HF ASD children on the treatment with very noticeable results. 

    I am very thankful to Dr. Sil. He also changed my life and for that I will be forever grateful.”

    – Former Neurofeedback Client

    More Testimonials

    “After years of traditional talk therapy, I was still having difficulty utilizing the skills I had learned to manage my anxiety and the negative “thought loops” that were impacting my ability to start and finish projects, navigate social interactions and relationships, and set and attain realistic goals. I started noticing the results of the treatments right away, as my average daily levels of anxiety steadily decreased…It was as though I now had a buffer between myself and the triggering thought or feeling that gave me the space to calmly and thoughtfully use the tools I learned in therapy. Over the course of the series of treatments, I also began to feel a genuine sense of grace and ease, which allowed me to notice that I’d been pretty much white-knuckling it throughout most of my life…This has been one of the best investments I’ve made in myself, and it continues to pay dividends!”

    Former Neurofeedback Client

    “A good friend of mine recommended Dr. Machado for neurofeedback. My 13 year old deals with anxiety and it was getting worse as he started puberty. I wanted to try a more holistic approach before looking at medication. Dr. Machado has a very gentle and respectful approach. Neurofeedback absolutely helped diminish his anxiety. I could also see that he was becoming more social, more engaging and more verbal. I’m extremely thankful!”

    Parent of a Former Neurofeedback Client

    “Sil has an immense set of skills. My takeaway from sessions with Sil is I learned that communication is key to a successful and healthy relationship. It’s a two-way street and is the building block of of a partnership. Sil’s ability to consistently keep dialog moving in a comforting, reassuring manner is why I am finally able to freely communicate with my partner – something I lacked. He has opened a door for me that had been closed since childhood and I am deeply grateful to him for helping me to strengthen my relationship with my partner.”

    Former Couples Therapy Client

    “Dr. Sil is an excellent psychologist. He helped me with my anxiety and depression which had become debilitating. I had seen many other therapists in the past, but never got to the “big issues” he helped me with. His office is comfortable and conveniently located. I’d recommend him highly.”

    Former Psychotherapy Client

    “Sil is a gifted therapist. There’s no other way to say it. His wisdom is far reaching, yet he is sensitive in how he offers insightful feedback. He helped me to look inward so that I could heal deep-seated shame and turn my life around. It is difficult to articulate what it was about our work together that was healing for me, but I feel it was definitely something in the space we co-created together that allowed my own health to unfold.”

    Former Psychotherapy Client

    “It is hard to put into words what I gained from therapy with Dr. Sil. When I came into therapy, I was struggling so much that I thought I needed to change and become someone else. Dr. Sil Machado helped me to realize that I had been living as someone else, and was not being myself – that was the problem. Psychotherapy brought me back to myself and words can’t describe how grateful I am.”

    Former Psychotherapy Client

    “Dr. Machado is a gifted and intuitive therapist. He is extremely knowledgeable, kind and clear. I worked with him for several years and gained incredible insights, perspective and knowledge. I would highly recommend Dr Machado to anyone looking to work hand and hand with a therapist. Besides creating such a welcoming and comfortable environment to meet in, I believe he has so many options and tools to help individuals unpack trauma, look deeply into their lives, development and access ways of approaching issues with a skillful and expertly handled approach. I carry lessons I have learnt from him daily and am changed due to his talent and commitment to excellence.”

    Former Psychotherapy Client

    “My experience working with Sil Machado was the best two years of my life. My therapy was gentle and yet profound, as I have real results that carry me each and every day. I’ve made changes in my self, that I was not even aware I held. I have hurdled over obstacles and am sailing nicely through my days. I can not recommend him enough. I thank him every day, and hold a place dear in my heart for him. He is the best!”

    Former Psychotherapy Client

    “I cannot praise Dr. Sil Machado and his neurofeedback too highly. I have my life back—the quality of my life has improved immeasurably since I received neurofeedback for post concussion symptoms suffered in a car collision over four years ago…By the time I came to Dr. Machado, I was near crazy from lack of sleep, confusion, brain fog, unreliable memory, thinking lapses, constant head pressure and frequent neck pain. I stammered and left sentences hanging in the air while I searched for words. After the first session with Dr. Machado, I drove home with a strange sort of calm. After 3 sessions I began to sleep! Great gobs of luscious, restful sleep! After 6 sessions my hands started to work better on the keyboard, I could tolerate a little more computer work. Depression was lifting and anxiety coming down! Thank you, Dr. Machado—for your kindness and compassion, your patient listening, and your skill with Neurofeedback!

    Former Neurofeedback Client

    “I’ve been suffering from PTSD for about 8 years.  After going to multiple therapists it got to a point where body and mind felt like they were operating independently of one another.  I would wake up with a pit of intense fear in my stomach for no apparent reason, I felt on edge and reactive a lot of the time, and I had obsessive negative thought patterns that felt impossible to let go.  I had trouble sleeping and was in almost a constant state of worry.  After neurofeedback treatments with Sil Machado, I feel like myself for the first time in years.  My anxiety and fear have virtually disappeared, I sleep better and just feel an overall sense of calm and well-being I was afraid I would never be able to feel again.  Now, if I’m in a situation that causes legitimate anxiety, I’m able to bounce back quickly and let it go.  I feel like I finally have my life back.  Thank you Sil!”

    Former Neurofeedback Client

    “My 13 year old was experiencing extreme anxiety before tests.  She understood the material, but because of anxiety, she was testing poorly and having emotional turmoil everytime she had to take a test.  Her anxiety shifted after her first session with Sil.  After seeing him a handful of times, she was no longer experiencing any debilitating anxiety. She actually started looking forward to taking tests.  Sil’s work is truly remarkable.  She saw him for several months.  She no longer experienced any anxiety around tests.”

    Parent of a Former Neurofeedback Client

    “Dr. Machado was able to help both my teenage children who were suffering from anxiety and depression after the long COVID lockdown. Both experienced marked improvement from the neurofeedback sessions and getting back into the world became much easier. Dr. Machado has a calm and healing presence and I don’t hesitate to recommend this therapy.”

    Parent of Neurofeedback Clients

    A Course of Neurofeedback in Graphs

    The graphs below provide a visual snapshot of what is possible with neurofeedback. The client was a male in his 20’s struggling with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and difficulties with focus and attention. 

    As you can see, over the course of 18 sessions, the frequency and severity of his symptoms dropped dramatically. At the time he concluded his course of neurofeedback, he reported that he was no longer depressed and anxious, and was no longer bothered by obsessive worries. Further, he was sleeping normally and was much better able to focus in school.

    “I believed that I wanted to be a poet, but deep down I just wanted to 
    be a poem.”   

    – Jaime Gil De Biedma