I sought neurofeedback to tone down a very disruptive startle reflex, headaches, and constant anxiety after a major accident. Susan has been patient and supportive. She immediately stops something if my brain doesn't like it and tailors the stimulus level to a place where my nervous system can handle it. I also found the initial brain map report to be very validating. Susan was willing and able to check on something extra that wasn't normally included in the report. I have already recommended her to a friend. read more

I have been having two sessions a week regularly with Susan at the Optimum Brain Neurofeedback Center for several months. Personally, I can see how neurofeedback really helped me with different aspects of my life. Firstly, I feel like my brain is more receptive and faster in making logical connections, and reasoning. Also my memory improved which helped with my Masters studies. My brain feels more engaged and active, it's hard to explain, but almost like the opposite of feeling groggy. I also started to be capable of recognizing my emotions and what was right or wrong for myself. Neurofeedback is different from therapy, where you are guided from the therapist to draw conclusions about your behavior. Here your brain itself that allows you to perceive how you really feel and explore your emotions. I trusted the process and slowly I saw results. I decided to change my life because of the knowledge that I have gained. I wasn't happy with my situation, and I was able to see things clearly thanks to the effect that neurofeedback had on my brain. Susan was very professional, and she made me feel always comfortable and explained me every step of the process. Also she was always available for me, also when I asked her to write me a letter of recommendation for my graduate school! Therefore, I strongly suggest working with her, she offers 3 different types of neurofeedback, each of them have its own benefits. This is a great investment in yourself believe me!!!! read more

Ooof this is tough.... I've been a lifelong sufferer of complex trauma and PTSD. I've been in therapy all my life. Susan made more difference in like 5 months than 35 years of talk therapy. The process is simple. You sit in a comfy chair and watch a movie you'd like to see. Maybe it's "Frozen". Maybe it's "The Matrix". Whatever. Normal popular movies in a dark comfy room. The outcome is profound. My treatment has been a 5 month (I think) course. My results are: 1) I'm SO MUCH less angry than I have ever been in my life, and much less cynical. 2) my relationship with my partner is virtually conflict-free. 3) my friends enjoy my more positive demeanor. 4) outside opportunities keep pouring at me. 5) I'm a much sweeter, more open, and kind-hearted guy. Don't let yourself be fooled. I will still kick your ass in ways you haven't seen in the movies. But all the options that are open to me before any such thing happens have reshaped my life. Last thought: she told me how long it would take. She was roughly right. Neurofeedback is expensive because it is self pay, but I bet it's a lot cheaper than 20 years of copay for unhelpful talk therapy. Thank you Susan for being the model of productive care. read more

Working with Susan has done wonders for my son in school. I cannot begin to outline all of the positive results occurring from our neurofeedback sessions. Susan has exactly tailored her protocol for our situation and her expertise and knowledge have come through in the excellent results! Honestly thank you. read more

I'm so grateful to have done neurofeedback with Susan. Her clinic was recommended to me by my primary care MD for insomnia and PTSD following a horrific hit-and-run biking accident. Susan has exceptional bed side manor. She listens and takes her time focusing on your comfort and progress. I would definitely recommend making an appointment with her if you are looking for someone that wants to get to know you and truly help you. After less than eight weeks of sessions, I am sleeping well and PTSD symptoms are virtually gone. What really caught my attention were before-and-after brain maps Susan performed. They showed tangible evidence of much more balanced brain activity. In short, my mental health has never been better. Mark K read more

I've suffered from severe anxiety and insomnia for years. I was a PRO at not sleeping. I was the BEST at panic attacks. Then, a friend told me about Susan and neurofeedback. Watch movies while my brain fixes itself? I figured it was worth a try. I mean, I'd already tried talk therapy, mantras, meditation, drugs, supplements, a warm bath before bed, bribing a choir full of angels to sing me to sleep, you get the idea. All of these things helped but my results never lasted long. But, THIS? This actually works. And, the results are not just anecdotal - if you get a brain map, you can actually SEE your brain get better! Plus, Susan herself is a caring, calming presence. I haven't had a panic attack since I started neurofeedback and we're in the middle of a pandemic. I'm calmer in traffic. (Trader Joe's parking lot? No problem!) I don't freak out when things go wrong and, let's face it, things go wrong a lot these days. I'm even sleeping through the night most nights, which is priceless. Very grateful to Susan! Highly recommend her and neurofeedback to anyone who is suffering. read more

My experience with Susan was life saving and life altering (for the better) in a PROFOUND way! Having suffered abuse, multiple forms, for years and CPTSD, I was finding it hard to concentrate/focus on the many things I wanted to accomplish. I felt a window in my brain open after the first session, and since have expanded into the best version of myself, able to focus, my vision for my life has expanded, and I now have the ability to interact with the world as my most authentic, solid self, versus my coping mechanisms developed from the abuse/PTSD. Susan is very detail oriented, evidence based, intuitive, and personable. I have recommended several other clients to her as well and am so extremely grateful for my experience with her. The best investment in myself and my future I could've ever made! read more

I knew from my first phone call with Susan that she truly cared about helping me improve the quality of my life, and, having finished my NFB treatment, I can wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone! I imagine the best NFB practitioners have immense compassion for the plight of their patients. This is a genuine understanding that can only be bred from personal experience, and it ensures their patients are heard, attended to, and cared for with the best of their abilities. Susan Smiley is of this class. Before NFB, I tried many plant medicines, traditional therapies, and was an avid meditator. All of these practices gave me A LOT of insight about myself and the how trauma manifested in my mind/body, but unfortunately I always fell back into the same old reactive emotions and negative thought patterns hard-wired into my brain. With NFB, I watched as the these patterns slowly dissipated, week after week, as if literally turning down the volume of my negative thoughts until they disappeared. I must admit, it takes some getting used to living life in this new way, but I am eternally grateful for Susan and this profound healing practice that is lucky to have her. :) read more

I've seen Susan since last year for lingering issues from a botched procedure to help with my cPTSD, anxiety, brain function, and depression. It has been the single most effective treatment I have received that is both noninvasive and non-traumatizing. It has made a huge positive difference in my healing journey and highly recommend it for anyone suffering with similar issues. She's very professional, kind, and thorough. read more

***If you're seeing this review, thank the God in which you believe because you have just found your remedy!*** I was in the category of frighteningly hopeless, hapless cases. Without any work on my part but just showing up and watching a screen with a few sensors on my head, things have taken a 180-degree turn: Neurofeedback with Susan is literally LIFE-CHANGING! I was struggling with extreme insomnia and fatigue (to the point where I could hardly stay awake at work), devastating sleep eating issues [night eating syndrome (NES) + nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NS-RED)], weight problems, depression, staggering memory and concentration/focus issues, debilitating mood swings/emotional instability, early sobriety and all its complications, so on and so forth. I had problems across the board. All so severe I was having trouble justifying my continued existence...seriously. I heard about neurofeedback from a relative whose acquaintance had used it for weight loss and a mood disorder. I started on a whim with no expectations and little hope for my myriad conditions. Within only five sessions, I had started to feel the effects. No other words for it but UNBELIEVABLE!!! And I continue to improve day by day! The RESULTS: I am sleeping through the nights (or only waking about once versus 8-10 times/night), hardly ever sleep eating, and in 2.5 months I have lost over 30 pounds; I feel emotionally stable versus emotionally reactive; my depression has subsided altogether!; my focus is back and memory alive again and even enhanced; and I have had almost no cravings/difficulty staying sober even without meetings and any therapy whatsoever!!! My issues have gone from 10+'s to 1-3's max! I can't believe the stark difference between what was and what is in only a matter of two months (& changes I started feeling within just weeks!). I currently OWE MY LIFE to neurofeedback with Susan. She is so gifted and versed in her craft, passionate about and committed to positive changes in/remedial benefits to her clients, and truly so easy and amenable to work with in EVERY way! She will tailor a program for you and change your protocol according to your ever evolving symptoms and progression. Not everyone may need neurofeedback forever, but with these results I doubt I'll ever fully stop going. I'm at about 40 sessions now and am back to the person I was and even closer to the person I had ever hoped to be. Neurofeedback is not an inexpensive therapy, but it's a lot wiser an investment than the long run cost of: coffee/energy drinks, prescription and illicit drugs/alcohol, rehab, lost jobs and potential, and an overall lack of enjoyment in/even partially wasted life. You can't put a price tag on that last one. The rest add up to a whole lot more than a few to several rounds of neurofeedback. I have been on every medication and in almost every expensive therapy in & throughout my life - I've NEVER been able to effectively treat my maladies...UNTIL NOW. My long-time and world-renowned psychiatrist is so surprised by my particular results that she plans on integrating Susan's services into one of the largest mental and behavioral health programs to ever exist. BOTTOM LINE: NEUROFEEDBACK WITH SUSAN IS AN INVESTMENT IN YOURSELF AND YOUR LIFE THAT YOU WILL NOT REGRET. ONLY BE READY FOR ONE THING: YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TO TRANSFORM!!! read more

Isn't this therapy intriguing?! A non sensory non invasive non medical technology to heal a wounded brain!? There's a lot of real science and data and evidence and amazing stories with this technology. Did I mention that Susan received her Masters from Harvard in this modality? Yup, she knows her stuff and she's genuine, kind, and compassionate. I've hurt my head more than a few times, and I knew I could function better. Tiny tiny tiny pulses of electrical patterns from a cool machine to tiny electrodes that Susan places on the scalp. I know it sounds freaky! But there's no sensation at all, only Susan's gentle touch, some kind of conductive lotion, and the feeling of something lightly attached to the scalp. Listen, this is SO worth it. I thought I'd try a session and see how I'd feel. I know I was primed for good outcomes, but I'm wicked sensitive and experimental, so I was prepared for possibly feeling crappy, too. Well let me tell you: I was effortlessly more focused, sharper, I could flow with certainty. I felt more competent, and so I was more optimistic -- actually, I should say full of faith. Because I actually felt healed; that these sessions repaired my brain at a fundamental level that no amount of talking, firewalking, chemicals, or love, understanding, and acceptance could ever address. The word I'm hearing a lot this week is 'coherence', aligning and amplifying the frequencies of our hearts. I'm telling you, this technology will give your brain coherence. This kind of pleasure is rare, indeed! IMPORTANT: almost a year later, the benefits remain! read more

Sessions at Smiley Neurofeedback are more relaxing than a day at a spa, yet behind this special calming time, the neurofeedback therapy works its wonders! For years, I've had trouble with sleep, so I track my sleep with an app to track how my sleep is doing. Yes, I got better sleep after the neurofeedback, but I was surprised to look at my app and see that the neurofeedback made a measurable positive impact on my sleeping heart rate! Susan Smiley possesses an abundance of scientific knowledge and research from her top-level studies and relationships with experts, yet she explains things in a way that is simple to understand. She has that special healing gift. And, the results speak for themselves. The most difficult part was taking that first step to try neurofeedback because it still seems "new" but now and I look forward to initiating my family and friends into this impressive treatment process. read more

I came to see Susan after a few years of depression which progressed to the point where I knew I couldn't think clearly. After a few sessions, I felt relief from many negative thoughts. Then, further into the training, I felt more aware and motivated than I had in years, new ideas started flowing. Neurofeedback proved to be an essential part of my recovery. Susan has my confidence and gratitude. read more

I feel blessed to have found such an amazing, first class, exceptional neurofeedback center. Anyone interested in their health, and especially brain health, should seriously consider neurofeedback, it is a godsend healing modality, for optimizing the brain, regulating and modulating the brain, and overall brain performance. Worth every single penny. Best part is that the lady running it, (Susan), is an outstanding woman, who I feel very blessed to have met and got to known, whom I have a great deal of respect and appreciation for. Susan is definitely an expert in her field, very well read, up to date, holding great erudition in her field. Definitely the best choice to go with if in La, and looking for a place to do neurofeedback. Beyond grateful to have found this place. God Bless Susan for everything she does and the lady that she is. She truly cares, is really kind and thoughtful, really wants the best for her patients. She has helped me a lot, my anxiety/ocd was through the roofs before coming to see her, as well as my adhd, could barely focus, was haunted every hour by intrusive thoughts. After a couple sessions of treatment, it was astounding how much my symptoms were improving. I felt so much better, clear, sharp, less anxious. It was amazing. I consider neurofeedback , meditation on steroids. It's truly potent stuff. My family and I were amazed with the results and progress made through the duration of work with Susan. Truly amazing stuff. Ineffable truly. read more

I was looking for anything that might help after I got a traumatic brain injury. I suffered from anxiety, depression and disrupted sleep. A friend recommended I try IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback and I found Susan Smiley. Her calm professionalism gave me excellent results very quickly. My energy, focus, and sleep greatly improved after only a couple of treatments. Then my anxiety and depression improved after a few more. Susan Smiley is an incredibly skillful neurotherapist and has done a terrific job for me! read more

What a wonderful experience doing neurofeedback with Susan! I had previously done a series of sessions with another fantastic neurofeedback practitioner who has since moved away. It took me a while to start up again because I wanted to make sure I could really find someone I could fully trust! The brain is a sensitive thing, so of course you want to make sure it's in good hands. And I wanted to find someone who used the same system (Othmer Method) as the original doctor I had worked with, because it was so effective for me. This Neurofeedback system, is so gentle, yet so effective at addressing imbalances in the brain that cause one to function sub-optimally. I started neurofeedback to improve my sleep and got great results that continued to improve with every session. It's not just the system itself that is important, but also the experience, knowledge, and listening skills (Susan is fantastic in all 3 of these categories) of the practitioner so that he or she can adjust the program so that you can get the most out of it. It's not a simple one size fits all program where you just hit "Go," but rather one in which settings need to be fine tuned and perhaps adjusted along the way to customize the treatment for the individual. So I really appreciate the opportunity to be able to do this with Susan who is really great at taking into account the nature of the individual's situation and what stage of progression one is currently at. Not only did I see a total shift in my sleep quality, but I am also much more resilient when it comes to the stresses of daily life and running my startup business. Some days I would walk into Susan's office feeling a bit overwhelmed after a particularly stressful day and would walk out after the session feeling completely revitalized. I hadn't forgotten the things I needed to deal with, but they were no longer so overwhelming and I wasn't ruminating on things that I couldn't do anything about anyways. I love recommending this experience/process to the people I care about the most and I give neurofeedback at The Balanced Brain Neurofeedback Center my highest recommendation. read more

I visited Ms. Smiley for my extreme anxiety, terrible nightmares, and foggy depression not too long ago. MicrocurrentNeurofeedback has single-handedly improved my life in every aspect. It has taken ME to the next positive stage of my life, and can do the same for YOU! Microcurrent Neurofeedback changed my life. read more

Susan has completely changed my life. There aren't enough words to describe how much she's helped me. I've suffered from depression, anxiety, sleep problems and just overall esteem problems for many years, and I just couldn't bear the thought of more talk therapy or different meds. Just in time, a friend told me about neurofeedback and I was on the phone to Susan the next day. The results have been more than I could hope for. I'm so much more at peace with myself and with life. The noise in my head, while still there, is down to a very dull roar. I'm more happy, more resilient, more like I've always wanted to be. She is such a kind and warm and lovely person and I thank my lucky stars that I've found her. This probably rates as "most sappy" review but I'm OK with that. read more