Brainwave Optimization is a therapy some use for anxiety, weight loss, sleeplessness & more

CLARKSTON, Mich. (WXYZ) - Ever get stressed out, can't think straight, or have trouble sleeping? Maybe you deal with addiction, attention deficit disorder, or seizures.

Some say your brain may be out of balance.

Nearly 30,000 people in 16 countries are now doing a therapy called Brainwave Optimization with Real-time Balancing.

Country singing star Wynonna Judd says it has helped her lose 55 pounds.

Some local women are big believers in this, too.

One of them is Greta Emling of Oxford.

She said her son Brian underwent ten sessions of Brainwave Optimization during a painful illness.  His health concerns had led to depression and sleeplessness.

"After the third session [of Brainwave Optimization], he slept all night for the first time in two years," said Emling. "And at the end of ten sessions, we had our son back." she smiled.

Emling has now completed ten, one-hour sessions herself. 

She sustained a brain injury in 2006 after a golf ball hit her in the head near her temple.  Ever since then she had had trouble concentrating and sleeping.

What happened after brain training?

"Incredible ability to organize my thoughts," said Emling. "I don't know what it's really called, but to be able to think a week down the road or a month down the road."

She took her sessions at a center in southeast Michigan now providing this process— Attuned Mind Brain Training Center in Clarkston.

Brainwave Optimization is a non-invasive therapy which involves placing sensors on the head to read activity from different lobes of the brain.

The information is sent to a computer which turns that data into musical tones and then plays those tones back to the client through ear phones.

"So she is basically listening to her brain live," explained Julie Lamphier, Operational Manager at Attuned Mind. 

"It's like holding a mirror up to the brain so the brain can recognize any imbalances that have been created over time.  We believe they're called trauma imprints," she added.

"When the brain sees the trauma imprint is no longer necessary, it will go to work balancing and harmonizing itself," said Lamphier.

Sheri Reid Grant is the President and owner of Attuned Mind Brain Training Center. 

She opened the franchise on East Washington Street in Clarkston in April of 2009 after she said brain training successfully helped ease her anxiety.

"It profoundly shifted how—not only my sleep and depression—but how I view the world," said Grant.  "Really I was able to see things from a much more positive perspective than negative."

"We are an alternative therapy." she explained.

Alicia Smith asked Beaumont Hospital's Director of Neurosurgical Oncology and Epilepsy Surgery what he thought about the therapy.

Dr. Chaim B. Colen said, "Brainwave Optimization is essentially a type of biofeedback therapy that has been used for decades.  It is similar to the 'power of prayer' or yoga, which are also relaxation techniques that can improve mental function and reduce stress."

But his summary thought was "[It is] light in science. I'm a little skeptical."

Brain Optimization literature indicates in fine print that this is an alternative therapy not intended to treat, cure, heal, or diagnose any disease, mental illness or symptom.

Grant also said if a client has a traumatic incident in their life or if they experience a high level of stress after therapy, more sessions may be needed.

Ten sessions cost $1500.

Clients are encouraged to eat healthy foods during the process. They are also instructed not drink alcohol during the sessions or for three weeks afterward.

"My sleep improved dramatically after the first few sessions," said Emling.

She is a believer.

So is registered nurse and certified nutritionist Cindy Crandell.

"I started having shortness of breath really severe back in October and September," said Crandell.  "At night I wasn't sleeping at all."

After ten sessions in January of 2011, she improved.

"I'm off all my medication, I am sleeping 100-percent through the night, no trouble falling asleep, no trouble staying asleep. And I'm not having that shortness of breath all day long, and it's totally controlled," said Crandell.

Attuned Mind's parent company is Brain State Technologies . It was launched in 2001 by Lee Gerdes. 

Brain State Technologies web site says:

Whether you’re an athlete who wants to perform at a higher level, an artist who wants to be more creative, or someone facing a personal challenge trying to take back your life, Brain State Technologies® leading system for Brainwave Optimization with real-time balancing™ was created with you in mind.

The web site claims a balanced brain can address more than 20 concerns such as anger, chronic pain, and eating disorders.  It also includes the fine print disclaimer mentioned above.

If you would like more information about what Attuned Mind Brain Training Center offers, click on www.attunedmind.com.