Reboot Your Brain!

True North Counseling

LENS Neurofeedback, EMDR Therapy and "Talk therapy" are an effective combination for enhancing emotional and physical health!

Michael offers a holistic approach, treating the root cause of symptoms using brain-based interventions including LENS Neurofeedback and EMDR therapy. These combined interventions often reduce the harmful effects of chronic stress, unresolved emotional issues, environmental toxins and head injury which, untreated can result in chronic physical health issues, anxiety and depression.

Michael has 30 years of experience providing individual , family and couples therapy with adults, adolescents and children. He received his Masters of Clinical Social Work degree from Michigan State University. Michael has previous experience working in a variety of settings including mental health, home-based, university and K-12 schools.

Michael has 4 adult children and has been married for more than 30 years. Michael's hobbies include gardening, fishing, landscaping, hiking, travel, movies, history and art.

Michael specializes in trauma, anxiety/depression and relationship issues. Michael is particularly excited about the incorporation of LENS Neurofeedback with his clients for rapid improvement of emotional and physical symptoms! LENS has helped individuals with a wide variety of issues and has been particularly helpful for head injuries, mental fogginess, anxiety, depression and PTSD. Michael works primarily with adults. He also works with adolescents and children. They typically respond very quickly to LENS neurofeedback treatment.

Michael also provides family sessions for resolving parent-child conflict and marital /couples therapy. Michael offers EMDR therapy for adults, adolescents and children and has been using this modality with effective results with the majority of his clients since 2002.

Therapy and Relationships

Michael has found that most of his clients with relationship issues are being emotionally triggered by their significant others via verbal and nonverbal communication. These triggers often have roots in the past which amplify the wounding. When a childhood trauma remains unresolved, negative beliefs follow them into adulthood including for example, "I'm not good enough, I'm stupid, I'm not lovable, I can't protect myself... These beliefs typically lead to low self esteem resulting in the activation of defense mechanisms such as arguing, emotionally shutting down and avoidance behaviors. Avoidance behaviors, otherwise known as "self-medicating" may include an overindulgence in food, alcohol, work, recreation and sexual gratification which can lead to further conflict and alienation. When Michael does couples therapy, he requests that both individuals also engage in their own emotional work as well, either with himself or with the addition of a separate therapist as appropriate. Individual therapy including EMDR can help both partners work through past issues and negative beliefs resulting in less reactivity. With couples work, it is important that both the individuals and the relationship are going through a healing process. A common need for everyone is to be loved and respected. Couples and individuals benefit from the exploration of communication styles, personal boundaries, identity and identifying the unique ways in which each individual gives and receives love.

EMDR Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy has received international recognition as an effective form of psychotherapy for addressing the symptoms of trauma. Trauma comes in different forms including acute trauma from a car accident or sexual assault vs chronic emotional abuse. Either way, memories are often repressed or compartmentalized in the brain though they often "leak out" in the form of anger, anxiety and depression when an individual is reminded of past events. EMDR taps into the healing properties of REM sleep, though the client is fully awake. EMDR is a powerful and effective tool to get to the root of the symptoms while desensitizing the person so that the past event is not as vivid as it was before. An EMDR session typically involves watching a light on a computer screen which goes back and forth to activate changes in the brain in additition to other more tactile methods of bi-lateral stimulation. Enhancing coping skills may be necessary before consideration of EMDR therapy due to the potential intensity of emotions/images that may emerge during a session.

Why Psychotherapy and Neurofeedback?

Clients often enjoy validation in a safe therapeutic environment but it is also place for change which can be uncomfortable. When clients are stuck in regard to how they relate to daily stressful relationships and environments, stress hormones accumulate over time causing a state of Fight, Flight or Freeze. It is a survival response to perceived or real danger often associated with anxiety, anger and depression. The Fight response is often verbal though sometimes physical. Flight can manifest as avoiding people or situations and Freeze involves emotionally "checking out." Therapy is a place for evaluating the need for change whether it be external changes, internal ways of responding or interpreting life differently. When current situations have links to the past, symptoms associated with FFF for survival are often amplified. EMDR is one tool for desensitizing the emotional impact of the past. LENS neurofeedback, often has a calming affect on the body and tends to promote "unstuck" thinking in regards to thinking patterns. One client described the experience as a lessening of the effectiveness of their typical defense mechanisms." This allows for healthier coping skills to be learned and used, breaking the unhealthy cycle of the past.

LENS Neurofeedback

LENS (Low Energy Neurofeedback System) records EEG brain waves and sends this feedback to the brain in real time resulting in the brain "rebooting" or improving on itself similar to a computer recalibrating after restarting. Clients typically notice positive symptom change within 48 hours of treatment. LENS is unique from traditional neurofeedback in that it stimulates the brain to heal itself as opposed to brain training which may require double the sessions with lengthier applications. Many clients begin noticing changes with LENS during the first 1-3 sessions and are lasting. Due to the small amount of time needed (seconds to minutes), LENS is incorporated into the counseling session. Many clients have reported improved energy and motivation as well as feeling more relaxed following treatments. Many clients report improved sleep, less migraines/ headaches and a reduction of anxiety and depression. Chronic conditions including but not limited to Autism Spectum, ADHD and Chronic illnesses including Fibromyalgia, Parkinsons and MS have also shown improvements of functioning with the use of LENS. Other applications include addiction, anger, fatigue, memory, mental fog, OCD, pain, strokes, TBI/ Concussions and reducing the side effects of chemotherapy. Many clients have reported rapid improvements of symptoms while others notice more gradual change over time. Any central nervous system related issue may be positively remedied by the application of LENS Neurofeedback!

"It has been a pleasure to work with Michael Monsma. He shows genuine compassion for the individuals he works with. He is interested in making sure the body and the mind are healed. Thank you Michael for your contribution to our community!"