How much does NF cost?
Please check with your practitioner for their costs as they can vary, but most people can expect to typically pay between $120-$160 for each session of neurofeedback. This cost does not include any additional cognitive tests or academic assessments that may be required. Always enquire with your practitioner about a personalised fee schedule for assessments and neurofeedback sessions.
Are sessions eligible for Medicare Rebates?
Neurofeedback sessions are not currently claimable by Medicare. Please be wary of any practitioner who does bill your sessions as a psychological consultation if a psychological consultation is not conducted (30+ or 50+ min) as this may constitute insurance fraud and should be reported immediately to Medicare.
Am I covered by my Private Health Insurance?
Please consult your private health insurance to check your personal coverage.
Who is qualified to administer Neurofeedback?
Practitioners who are certified by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance are licensed to administer neurofeedback. Neurofeedback can be done by any medical or allied health practitioners. It is typical done by psychologists in Australia and some psychiatrists. Some chiropractors are also starting to do neurofeedback. It is important that all health professionals work within their field and treat ONLY disorders they are qualified to treat. There has been some discord in Australia with health professionals treating outside their domain of expertise. For example, if you are looking to have a psychological or psychiatric disorder treated this should only be conducted by a mental health professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist (ie. a chiropractor in this instance should not be treating psychological disorders if they haven’t also got some qualifications and registration in mental health).
Are there any side effects of Neurofeedback?
There are no reported long-term adverse effects of neurofeedback. However, brain training is considered to be similar to physical exercise. As a result, patients may experience fatigue or mental exhaustion. Sometimes issues can arise through over-activating or under-activating the brain. However these issues usually only occur at the beginning of training, and training will then be adapted to completely remove all side effects. Given its non-invasive nature, neurofeedback does not have the same negative side effects as medication. If you do experience side effects immediately inform your practitioner. If the issues are ongoing and the practitioner does not change training to stop the side effects, you should immediately see your doctor and cease training until a solution can be found.
Please note that if you have a physical brain injury or head trauma, you are more likely to be sensitive to neurofeedback and nausea, dizziness or light sensitivity may be experienced. In these cases NF needs to be applied gently in short periods until the patient can tolerate longer and more intense sessions.