CONDITIONS | MY STRUGGLING KIDS

Neurofeedback for OCD in Children, Los Angeles & Pasadena

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a brain-based condition that causes people to have repetitive behaviors, intrusive thoughts, and obsessive thoughts that impact their ability to live their day-to-day lives.

At Vital Brain Health, we provide support that can help children improve their OCD symptoms and other related conditions. We can help your child without the need for excessive medication or invasive surgeries. When we provide support for OCD, we help kids learn strategies to retrain their brains and improve unwanted behaviors.

AT A GLANCE

Neurofeedback is a drug-free, non-invasive training that uses qEEG brain mapping and real-time feedback to help a child’s brain networks communicate more effectively. At Vital Brain Health, it supports children with OCD by helping them retrain their brains and improve the impulses and fears tied to obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

What is OCD in Children?

OCD is a brain-based condition that causes a child to develop intrusive and recurring thoughts and repetitive behaviors. Many of these behaviors revolve around fears that interrupt their ability to function as other children their age. The need to perform their compulsions to manage their fears often leaves OCD children inflexible in their routines and how they socialize.

At Vital Brain Health, we are dedicated to providing support for OCD with our excellent and innovative techniques. Our processes are backed by the latest in neuroscience and are used in individualized support plans.

If your child is struggling with OCD, schedule an appointment today. Our staff is ready to work with you to support your child.

What Symptoms are Associated with OCD?

Red branching network on black background, resembling interconnected lines and nodes.

Symptoms of OCD can vary in type and severity. Some obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms that benefit from an evaluation at Vital Brain Health include:

An extreme preoccupation with dirt and germs

Repeated intrusive "what-if" scenarios

Spending long periods touching things, counting, or thinking about numbers

Fixation on order or symmetry

An extreme need to know or remember seemingly trivial information

Excessive attention to detail

Following rigid rules

Because obsessive fears and everyday worry often overlap in kids, many parents reading this page also ask our clinicians whether neurofeedback helps a child with anxiety, and that article walks through the question in plain English.

If you are trying to plan ahead as a family, our guide to how long neurofeedback takes to work explains what to expect in the first weeks and months of training.

Common Risk Factors

Currently, the cause of OCD is unknown. Researchers have indicated that there are three possible links to OCD in children. The three current risk factors that may contribute to the development of OCD in children are:

Family History

Families with a history of OCD are more likely to see other members of the family develop the condition as they grow.

Infection

Current research suggests that strep throat may trigger severe and sudden onset of OCD in some children while increasing the severity of OCD in others.

Imbalance of Brain Chemicals

Some research suggests a link between low levels of serotonin and the development of OCD.

If you are trying to plan ahead as a family, our guide to how long neurofeedback takes to work explains what to expect in the first weeks and months of training.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can neurofeedback help with OCD?

Yes, we provide advanced support for children with OCD using Neurofeedback 3.0 integrated multi-modal training protocols specifically designed for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder and executive function challenges. Our approach helps optimize brain networks responsible for controlling the impulses and fears common in people with OCD. We serve both children and adults with OCD using research-based protocols that target the specific brain communication patterns to help them improve their ability to function.
How does neurofeedback work?

Neurofeedback works by helping your brain’s different “rooms” communicate more effectively through their shared frequency channels, like ensuring walkie-talkies are tuned to the same channel so they can work together. We use advanced EEG sensors to monitor how well your brain’s rooms are coordinating, then provide real-time visual feedback when they achieve optimal synchronization. As the rooms get rewarded for tuning to the same channel, they trigger new nerve connections that grow during sleep, allowing them to stay in tune longer and better the next time. This process harnesses neuroplasticity, your brain’s ability to rewire itself, creating lasting improvements in attention, emotional regulation, and cognitive performance.
What triggers OCD in a child?

A typical Neurofeedback 3.0 session at Vital Brain Health lasts 15-30 minutes and offers a uniquely engaging experience. In our office, you’ll relax in zero gravity chairs while your brain controls how clear your favorite shows appear on 70-inch TVs. For home training, you’ll use our custom cap with gold-plated sensors connected to your phone or tablet. Our extremely effective forms of neurofeedback require shorter sessions than weaker training methods, maximizing your results in minimal time.
How many neurofeedback sessions does OCD support in children usually take?

There is no one-size-fits-all number, because every child’s training is individualized from their qEEG brain map. Many training plans run in the range of 30 to 40 sessions over several months, and your child’s exact plan comes from the initial evaluation. Our team will walk you through the recommended plan, and why we chose it, before any training begins.
Is neurofeedback safe for children? Are there side effects?

There is no one-size-fits-all number, because every child’s training is individualized from their qEEG brain map. Many training plans run in the range of 30 to 40 sessions over several months, and your child’s exact plan comes from the initial evaluation. Our team will walk you through the recommended plan, and why we chose it, before any training begins.
Can my child do OCD support remotely?

Yes. Vital Brain Health runs nationwide remote programs with home training equipment and clinician oversight, so your child can train from your own living room while our team guides the plan. Many families outside the Pasadena area choose this option, and the training protocols are built from the same qEEG evaluation we use in the office.

Schedule a Consult

First Name

Last Name

Phone Number

I'm seeking support for...

How did you hear about us?

Is there anything we should know beforehand?

Please note, this form should only be used for general information. (Don't send any detailed or personal health information via this form.) All client-specific care questions should be addressed during your appointment.

If you are human, leave this field blank.

Not sure where to start?

Each path has its own 2-minute check—symptoms, severity, and whether we can help.

Or book a free consult—a 15-minute fit call, not a sales pitch.

REFERENCES

1. Enriquez-Geppert, Stefanie, et al. “The Morphology of Midcingulate Cortex Predicts Frontal-Midline Theta Neurofeedback Success.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 7, 2013, pp. 1-10.
2. Gruzelier, John H. “EEG-Neurofeedback for Optimising Performance. I: A Review of Cognitive and Affective Outcome in Healthy Participants.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 44, 2014, pp. 124-141.
3. Ros, Tomas, et al. “Consensus on the Reporting and Experimental Design of Clinical and Cognitive-Behavioural Neurofeedback Studies (CRED-nf Checklist).” Brain, vol. 143, no. 6, 2020, pp. 1674-1685.
4. Micoulaud-Franchi, Jean-Arthur, et al. “Electroencephalographic Neurofeedback: Level of Evidence in Mental and Brain Disorders and Suggestions for Good Clinical Practice.” Neurophysiologie Clinique, vol. 45, no. 6, 2015, pp. 423-433.
5. Escolano, Carlos, et al. “EEG-Based Upper-Alpha Neurofeedback Training Improves Working Memory Performance.” Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2014, pp. 2327-2330.
6. Vernon, David J. “Can Neurofeedback Training Enhance Performance? An Evaluation of the Evidence with Implications for Future Research.” Applied Psychology, vol. 54, no. 3, 2005, pp. 385-404.