What to wear
Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. The qEEG cap goes on the top of your head, so high-collared tops or jewellery near the ears can get in the way. Hair tied loosely is fine.
Your first visit
What to expect on the day.
A clear, honest walkthrough of what happens before, during, and after your first appointment — so you can prepare well and arrive without the usual first-visit uncertainty.
AHPRA-registered clinician-led
Clinical-grade qEEG hardware
Co-care with your GP & psychologist
Geelong · Camperdown · Australia-wide
60min
initial qEEG
19
channels recorded
Same day
practitioner debrief
14
networks examined
Before your appointment
How to prepare.
A few small things you do in the days and hours before your visit make a real difference to the quality of the recording and the conversation.
Forms (please complete before you arrive)
- Lifestyle & Background Questionnaire — covers your daily habits, sleep, mood, and mental-health history. Tells us where to look first.
- Brain Region Localization Form — helps identify the brain regions most worth examining, based on your symptom pattern.
Both forms are sent by email after you book. Completing them before arrival lets us spend the session on your story rather than admin.
In the days before
- Skip over-the-counter supplements for 3–4 days prior. Brain-active supplements (magnesium, melatonin, herbal nootropics) can affect baseline EEG. Prescription medications continue as normal — see the medication note below.
- Wash your hair the night before — shampoo only, no conditioner, no leave-in products. Arrive with clean, dry hair.
- Get a full 8 hours of sleep the night before, ideally to bed by 10:30 pm for adults. We need to record your typical brain — not a sleep-deprived one.
On the day of your appointment
- No caffeine or stimulants. No coffee, tea, energy drinks, or pre-workout supplements on the day of your appointment. (Yes, we know. It's just one morning.)
- Eat a balanced meal with protein within 2 hours of your appointment. Hungry brains and well-fed brains record very differently.
- Stay hydrated. Water is fine right up to the appointment.
- Arrive 15 minutes early. Gives you time to settle, finish any final form questions, and let your nervous system relax before we start.
- Reschedule if you're feeling unwell. Cold, flu, fever, migraine, anything acute — call reception, we'll move the appointment without penalty.
A note about medications
If you're on medication that affects brain function (stimulants, SSRIs, benzodiazepines, anti-epileptics, sleep medication, etc.), don't change anything without speaking to your prescribing doctor first. For short-acting medication (e.g. stimulants taken in the morning), your prescriber may suggest the appointment is timed around your dose. For long-acting medication, we record on your normal regimen — that's actually what we want to see. Call reception with any questions before adjusting anything.
What to bring & wear
A short, practical list.
What to bring
A list of any current medications and supplements, recent pathology results if you have them, and any prior brain imaging or EEG reports. None of this is mandatory — it just sharpens the conversation.
What we provide
Towels for cleaning the conductive gel out of your hair after the recording, water, tissues, and a private restroom if you'd like to freshen up before leaving.
Plan some downtime after
The session is mentally light — no driving restriction — but most people prefer to go home rather than back to high-load work. The conversation often surfaces things worth sitting with for an hour.
During the appointment
The hour, step by step.
First appointments run 45–60 minutes depending on whether you're doing the qEEG on the day. Here's the actual flow.
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Greeting and consultation room
Reception greets you, confirms your details, and walks you through to a quiet consulting room. Restroom access if you need it. We take a few minutes to settle in and review your intake form together — there are usually one or two things worth clarifying before we start.
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EEG cap fitting & qEEG brain mapping
If today is your qEEG day, we measure your head, fit a soft elastic cap with 19 silver electrodes positioned at standardised sites, and apply a small amount of conductive gel at each electrode (this washes out easily — we provide towels). The cap is comfortable, similar to a swim cap. The recording itself is 20 minutes total.
During the recording you'll be asked to:
- Sit quietly with your eyes closed (5 minutes)
- Sit quietly with your eyes open (5 minutes)
- Complete a structured cognitive task on a screen (10 minutes)
Nothing is being put into your brain. The cap is recording your brain's own electrical activity — same principle as an ECG, but for the cortex rather than the heart.
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Biofeedback & autonomic measurements
A small finger sensor records your heart rate, skin conductance, temperature, and breathing pattern. We may include a short stress test — a simple arithmetic task or word challenge — to see how your autonomic system responds to cognitive load. Tells us how well your nervous system recovers between effortful moments.
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Cap off, gel cleaned up
The cap comes off in under a minute. Towels and a private space to clean up if you'd like — the gel is water-soluble and rinses out easily at home.
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Initial review & next steps
Dr Ash reviews the session findings with you and gives an overview of what stood out — what's clearly within normative range, what's worth examining further, and what the next step looks like. The full written report follows your review appointment in Week 2.
After your first appointment
The review appointment is where the picture lands.
We don't run standalone qEEG appointments. The first appointment is the data-collection session; the second appointment, in Week 2, is the review — where Dr Ash sits with you, walks through the full processed report on screen, and explains what each finding means in plain language.
By the end of the review appointment, you'll have:
- A clear picture of your brain's current functional patterns, plotted against age-matched norms
- A formulation that integrates the qEEG with your intake and questionnaires
- A personalised program structure for the remaining 10 weeks (if you proceed)
- Your first neurofeedback or biofeedback session, started in the same review appointment
- Daily Diary access through the patient portal — the engine starts that day
Stand-alone appointments (third-party referrers)
If your appointment is by referral from a third-party clinician (psychologist, psychiatrist, paediatrician, neurologist) and they need raw qEEG data only, we can run the data-collection appointment as a stand-alone — they receive the raw recording and reports, and your follow-up sits with them. For all other patients, the review appointment is part of the package.
If you proceed
The 12-week program.
If the picture warrants ongoing care, our standard in-clinic pathway is a 12-week program designed to get the brain working in the right direction.
The 12-week program is a starting point — it's designed to get your brain working in the right direction. At Week 12 we evaluate together: some patients continue to improve on their own from there; others benefit from longer ongoing care. If you continue, the price stays at $220 per weekly swLORETA neurofeedback session for as long as the work is making measurable progress.
No referral required. Claimable through some health funds, Medicare Care Plans, and self-managed NDIS — call reception to confirm cover for your specific situation.
FAQ
First-visit questions we get asked most.
Will the qEEG hurt?
No. The cap is comfortable. The conductive gel is room-temperature and rinses out with water. Nothing is being put into your brain — we are only recording the electrical activity it's producing on its own.
Do I need a GP referral?
No referral is required. You're welcome to book directly. We'll encourage you to stay connected with your GP and any other treating clinicians, and we coordinate with them where it's helpful.
Can I claim through Medicare or my health fund?
Some health funds cover sessions through their extras (chiropractic). Medicare Care Plans and self-managed NDIS plans may apply for some patients. Cover varies by fund and plan — call reception with your specific details and we'll confirm before you commit.
What if I forget the no-caffeine rule?
Tell us when you arrive. If you've had your usual coffee, the recording will reflect a slightly more activated baseline — we factor that in. If you've had significantly more than normal, we may suggest rescheduling so the recording reflects your typical brain rather than a stimulated one.
Can I bring a support person?
Yes — we welcome a partner, parent, or support person at any appointment, particularly the review when there's a lot of information to take in. Just tell reception when you book so we can plan the room.
What if I'm anxious about the cap or the recording?
It's a common concern. The cap is light and removable at any moment. Patients are welcome to take breaks, stop, or reschedule if anything feels uncomfortable. We've fitted caps on hundreds of nervous first-timers — the typical experience is "much less of a thing than I was expecting."
Scope & safety
We work alongside — not in place of — primary medical and psychological care. We do not diagnose neurological or psychiatric conditions from EEG, and we do not prescribe or alter medication. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 000 or Lifeline 13 11 14.