If you’re not experienced or trained in mental health, the jargon can be confusing. It’s made worse when some terms get used inaccurately, so you think you know, but in fact you don’t!
At ZenWaves we want to work with you as an equal to improve your mental health. It’s easier if we start from the same place. So here’s a brief overview of the basics, including psychiatric terminology we may use in discussions with you.
Let’s start with understanding the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
This is often oversimplified to
‘Psychologists provide talk therapy, psychiatrists prescribe drugs’.
The truth is a little more complex. This table sets out the main differences.
Psychologists |
Psychiatrists |
|
At least 6 years of university education and supervised experience. |
Medical doctors with at least 11 years of training. They do a medical degree, then train as a general doctor for 1-2 years. They then complete at least 5 years specialist training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. |
|
Not medical doctors. Unable to prescribe any medication.
|
Medical doctors able to prescribe medications. As qualified psychiatrists, authorised in NSW to prescribe psychotropic / psychostimulant drugs. |
|
Study how the brain works – emotions, feelings and thoughts |
Thorough knowledge of brain anatomy, brain physiology, brain chemistry as well as knowledge of brain waves. |
|
Provide psychotherapy – talking treatments |
Provide mental health treatment which may include psychotherapy, medication and other medical treatments. |
In conventional psychiatry, the focus is on assessment of symptoms to reach a diagnosis, after which medication can be prescribed. Unfortunately, the same symptoms may have very different causes. This is one reason why ‘treatment resistance’ is relatively common.
Integrative psychiatry takes a different approach. This includes:
Integrative psychiatry does not replace conventional psychiatry. Rather, it takes the best parts of the conventional model and extends them to a more holistic, client-focused model.
At ZenWaves we offer integrative psychiatry services.
It’s well known that different people respond differently to the same psychiatric medication – even when they have the same symptoms. Treatment is often a case of trial and error until something works. This not only adds time and cost, but may also lead to side-effects and other negatives for the patient.
Precision psychiatry aims to reduce or eliminate that trial and error by identifying the best treatment for each individual before treatment starts.
The discipline of pharmaco-genetics looks at how your genes affect your reaction to specific medicines. Pharmacogenomic tests can assess whether a medication will be effective for you, or whether you are likely to have side effects.
In recent decades, QEEG research has shown that certain brain wave patterns respond well to particular classes of medication. The brain wave patterns predict effectiveness of medications even if the diagnostic label (depression, ADHD, OCD etc) is different. This investigation is called pharmaco-EEG.
Precision psychiatry is still an emerging area, but at ZenWaves we embrace its key principles: more personalised treatment plans which are more effective, more quickly, with fewer side effects.
Neurofeedback, also known as EEG Biofeedback or Brain Training, is a non-invasive treatment to improve brain function.
Before treatment begins, your brainwaves are measured using a qEEG. Your practitioner analyses results and sets goals for areas of the brain and brain wave elements to train.
During a training session, your brainwave activity is measured in real-time via sensors on your scalp. You watch a video and the quality is adjusted based on brainwave activity. The closer your brainwaves to the target, the better the video quality – a brighter picture, clearer sound and so on. In essence, you are rewarded when your brain functions better, so it learns to function better.
Neurofeedback requires multiple sessions to train your brain, but once this training is complete, the effects last without further treatment.
Research shows neurofeedback is effective for a range of conditions including ADHD, anxiety and PTSD.
Neurofeedback training is a core specialisation at ZenWaves. Results obtained with neurofeedback are highly dependent on the skills and experience of the practitioner. Our practitioners are accredited by BCIA, which means that they have gone through rigorous training in the field to ensure best results for clients.
qEEG stands for quantitative electroencephalography. Essentially, it means mapping the electrical activity of your brain (your brainwaves), then comparing your results to a large database of other EEGs from ‘normal’ individuals.
If some parts of your brain produce more or less of certain kinds of brainwave, the qEEG will identify this. The aim is to move beyond knowing you have symptoms to knowing what in your brain is causing those symptoms so you can get more effective treatment.
The information from a qEEG analysis can be used to:
