Who we help · Mood & emotional regulation

Mood & emotional regulation.

Anxiety, depression, and trauma-related stress can look very different from the outside, but they often share something in common underneath: patterns of arousal and frontal-cortex regulation that have shifted out of balance.

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Within this domain

Three areas we work with most often.

Each links to a deeper page covering what we see in the brain, what a typical pathway looks like, and the evidence base.

Mood & regulation

Anxiety

Beta excess · sensorimotor over-arousal

The most common presentation we see. We work with people who experience generalised anxiety, panic, social anxiety, and the body's chronic over-arousal that often sits underneath them.

Read about anxiety Mood & regulation

Depression

Frontal alpha asymmetry · low arousal

Persistent low mood, low motivation, and the cognitive heaviness that comes with depression — examined alongside the brain rhythms that often accompany them.

Read about depression Mood & regulation

PTSD

Hyperarousal · network connectivity

Trauma-informed brain work for people experiencing post-traumatic stress patterns — always alongside trauma-trained psychological care, not as a replacement.

Read about PTSD
What the brain shows

What a qEEG can reveal about mood and emotional regulation.

Mood is not a single thing in the brain. It's the downstream signature of how the prefrontal cortex, the limbic system, and the brain's arousal networks are talking to each other.

Frontal alpha asymmetry

One of the most-studied EEG markers in mood research is the balance of alpha activity between the left and right frontal cortices. People with depression often show greater right-frontal activity (less left-frontal alpha suppression), a pattern associated with avoidance and reduced approach motivation. Research dating back to Davidson and colleagues in the 1990s has reproduced this finding in multiple populations [1, 2].

Beta excess and over-arousal

Many people who present with anxiety show elevated high-beta activity across central and frontal sites — a marker of cortical over-arousal that mirrors the felt experience of being "wired and tired." This pattern often sits alongside elevated baseline heart rate and reduced heart-rate variability [3].

Network connectivity

More recent research has moved beyond single-channel findings and into how different brain regions are working together. In trauma-related conditions, we frequently see altered connectivity between the default-mode network (involved in self-referential thinking) and the salience network (involved in threat detection). This is why people with PTSD often describe being unable to stop scanning, even when nothing is actually wrong [4].

What this means for a clinical plan

None of these markers diagnose anything on their own. But put together with the conversation, the history, and what your other clinicians have observed, they help us build a personalised neurofeedback and biofeedback plan that targets the specific patterns showing up — rather than running everyone through the same protocol.

Our approach

Alongside your GP, your psychologist, your psychiatrist.

We are very clear about our place in mood care: we are an adjunct, not a replacement. The evidence-based first-line care for moderate-to-severe anxiety, depression, and PTSD is psychological therapy (typically CBT, ACT, EMDR, or trauma-focused therapy) with or without medication prescribed by a GP or psychiatrist.

What we add is a structured look at what the brain is doing, and a non-invasive, non-pharmacological way of training brain rhythms toward better self-regulation. For some people, that's a useful piece of a bigger plan.

We routinely:

  • Recommend GP review if a person hasn't had one recently
  • Refer to APS-registered psychologists for evidence-based psychological therapy
  • Coordinate with treating psychiatrists when a person is on medication
  • Refer trauma-related presentations to trauma-trained therapists before, alongside, or instead of starting with us
  • Step out of the way when our work isn't the right fit
Care pathway

What a typical pathway looks like.

No two people get the same plan, but most journeys move through these stages.

  1. Stage 1 · Online

    Brain Health Assessment

    A 14-network online assessment with a personalised 30-day plan and 30 days of patient-portal access. From $47 (Foundation Member).

  2. Stage 2 · In-clinic

    qEEG Brain Map Deep Dive

    A 19-channel qEEG, ERP testing, and a 1-hour clinical review with Dr Ash. You leave with a structured picture of what your brain is doing.

  3. Stage 3 · Programme

    Core Integration Programme (10 weeks)

    20 sessions of swLORETA neurofeedback plus biofeedback, sequenced for the patterns your map shows. Reassessment at the end. Three months of Tier 2 included.

  4. Stage 4 · Maintenance

    Ongoing care or step-down

    Some people continue with periodic reassessment and top-up sessions. Others step down into the membership tier or graduate out of clinical care entirely. The plan is always yours.

See full pricing
Evidence & research

What the literature says — and where it's quiet.

A short reading list. We hold ourselves to acceptable-evidence standards as defined in AHPRA's advertising guidelines, which means we cite peer-reviewed research and acknowledge where the evidence is mixed or limited.

  1. Davidson, R.J. (1998). Affective style and affective disorders: perspectives from affective neuroscience. Cognition and Emotion, 12(3), 307–330.
  2. Thibodeau, R., Jorgensen, R.S., & Kim, S. (2006). Depression, anxiety, and resting frontal EEG asymmetry: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115(4), 715–729.
  3. Hammond, D.C. (2011). What is neurofeedback: An update. Journal of Neurotherapy, 15(4), 305–336.
  4. van der Kolk, B.A., et al. (2016). A randomized controlled study of neurofeedback for chronic PTSD. PLoS ONE, 11(12).
  5. Trambaiolli, L.R., et al. (2021). Neurofeedback and the aging brain: A systematic review of training protocols for dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 13.

Citations above are illustrative for the prototype build. Final references will be reviewed and updated by Dr Ash and the content team before publication.

FAQ

Common questions about mood & regulation.

Should I stop my antidepressant if I start neurofeedback?

No. Medication decisions are between you and the prescribing GP or psychiatrist — never us. We work alongside whatever pharmacological care you're on, and we'll happily communicate with your prescriber if you'd like us to.

I'm already seeing a psychologist. Is this in conflict with that?

Not at all — most of the people we see are working with a psychologist concurrently, and many were referred to us by one. The two work on different layers: psychological therapy on the meaning, narrative, and behaviour; brain-rhythm training on the underlying regulation.

How long before something changes?

Honest answer: it varies, and we don't promise outcomes. Most people doing the 10-week Core Integration Programme begin to notice shifts in regulation, sleep, or energy somewhere between weeks 4 and 8. Reassessment at the end gives us a clear before-and-after on the brain measures themselves.

Is qEEG safe during pregnancy?

Yes — qEEG is a passive recording. It does not emit any energy into the body. Some neurofeedback protocols are deferred during pregnancy as a conservative precaution; we'll discuss this individually if it applies.

What if I'm in crisis right now?

Please contact your GP, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or in an emergency call 000. We are not a crisis service. Our work is best suited to people who have stable primary care in place and are looking for an additional, evidence-led layer.

Ready to look under the label?

Book in, or start with the online Assessment.

Both pathways start with a clear, structured look at the brain patterns underneath what you've been navigating.

Book a consultation See pricing

Scope of practice. Dr Ash Connell (Chiropractor) is registered with AHPRA. Clinical services at The Healthy Brain Clinic are delivered under additional certifications in qEEG, neurofeedback, and biofeedback. We work alongside — not instead of — your GP, psychologist, or psychiatrist, and we refer when clinically appropriate.

If you need urgent support, contact your GP, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or in an emergency call 000.

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