Meet Chelsea Maldonado, M.A., LPC, BCN – Clinical Neurofeedback Manager

What inspired you to become a neurofeedback clinician, and what drew you specifically to this field?  

Working at Cognitive Solutions Learning Center is what inspired me to become a clinician! I initially got hired as a neurofeedback technician, and I knew very little about neurofeedback at first. After being trained as a technician, I fell in love with the idea of being able to combine my studies of psychology and neuroscience. I love that I can provide a space where the client is heard through helping them process thoughts out loud, while also having quantitative data to support why they may be feeling this way. I believe that having a non-invasive and natural way of improving brain and mental health is so imperative to have as an intervention option!  

What training or certifications have been most influential in shaping your approach to neurofeedback? 

Once I knew that becoming a neurofeedback clinician was the right fit for me, I knew that I needed to return to school and receive my Master’s in Counseling to become licensed in the state of Illinois. This allowed me to develop the appropriate clinical skills and learn different therapeutic modalities to use in tandem with neurofeedback. Because neurofeedback protocols and therapeutic interventions are not a one size fits all, it was important for me to expand my knowledge and “toolbox” of skills and resources. Through this process, I was able to develop the “neurocounseling” portion of the neurofeedback treatment planning that we offer at Cognitive Solutions Learning Center. This has allowed me to be well versed not only in current technological advances, but it has also equipped me with the ability to help clients make positive changes that complement their more efficient brain wave patterns.  

 How has your understanding of the brain and neurofeedback evolved throughout your career? 

The brain is so complex, and that really fascinates me. Throughout my training, I often found myself leaving with more questions than answers, which is the nature of working with the brain. All variables within a person’s life need to be considered, and that has also reaffirmed the reasoning behind why one protocol may not be a “one size fits all.” I have learned that the treatment process can be non-linear, non-rigid, and collaborative. This allows for long term change and resilience, because clients are creating good habits and self-awareness along the way.   

What types of challenges or goals do you most often help clients work through? 

I help clients work through a lot of habit stacking and routine building. This is where they can see the most change within neurofeedback occur — they can do things they’ve been wanting to do with more ease and less symptoms.  

How do qEEGs (brain maps) help guide the protocols you develop? 

qEEGs allow me to detect the under-activation and overactivation of how a client’s brain waves are regulating. I am also able to see where this dysregulation occurs in different regions of the brain. This is how we get individual, localized training and treatment based on each client’s qEEGs.  

How do you integrate neurocounseling principles into your work with neurofeedback clients? 

Neurocounseling helps to create SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) goals to work toward in tandem with the neurofeedback protocols. A common question I will get asked is, “how do I know the neurofeedback is working?” In turn, I kindly turn the question back on the client and ask “What would look different if the neurofeedback was working? How would you know you’re improving? What would change?” These questions help clients identify where they want to see improvements, creating structure and tangible steps on how to get there. We then work collaboratively to create a plan on how to shift their routine to habit stack, task shift more efficiently, and overall get themselves to do something 1% better each day.   

What’s something about neurofeedback that most people don’t know or are surprised to learn? 

A lot of it is a subconscious process. Think about how when we ride a bike, we no longer think “right foot, left foot, etc.” Or, think about how when we brush our teeth, we just do it. Oftentimes, people think that they need to know exactly what’s happening in every minute of the treatment. Trust the process and know the brain is incredible! The brain thrives off repetition and patterns.   

Do you have a favorite book, podcast, or resource related to mental health or personal growth?  

I structure a lot of my neurocounseling sessions based on the recommendations of “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. The main point of the book is that making small changes over time will lead to long-term results. He goes into depth about the four laws of behavioral change, which are making things: 1. obvious 2. attractive. 3. easy and 4. satisfying. This is helpful in restructuring mindset and dynamics to create more tangible change, instead of trying to do the same thing over and over again with no luck.   

When you’re not working with clients, how do you like to recharge or spend your free time? 

I love doing yoga and going to other fitness classes! Getting fresh air with my dogs and finding different ways to keep my body moving brings me a lot of joy and serves as a great mental recharge. I also love reading thriller books and listening to true crime podcasts.