Transformative Neurotherapy Podcast

Dr. Heather Putney
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

Welcome to the Transformative Neurotherapy Podcast — Where Healing Happens Faster. Hosted by Dr. Heather Putney, Founder and Executive Director of Transformative Neurotherapy, this podcast is your go-to guide for unlocking the full potential of your brain. If you’ve ever felt like your mind is working against you — stuck in brain fog, overwhelmed by stress, or just not firing on all cylinders — you’re in the right place. Dr. Putney blends cutting-edge neuroscience with holistic wellness to help you achieve Brain Health, Mind Harmony, and Total Well-Being. Whether you're a high performer, executive, athlete, or simply someone ready to feel better, think clearer, and live more fully, this show delivers the insights and tools you need to thrive. Ready to get unstuck? Let’s get started. To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit:  https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org  Transformative Neurotherapy  570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397 

  1. 3D AGO

    How Neurotherapy Has Helped Nonverbal Autism Find A Voice

    “Nonverbal” doesn’t always mean “unable.” Sometimes it means a capable mind trapped behind motor planning, sensory overload, and a nervous system that can’t find stable footing. Heather Putney sits down with Dr. Nanda Sattva from the Brain Enhancement Center to share real client stories that make this distinction impossible to ignore and to explain why presuming competence can change the entire trajectory of a life. We talk through what advanced neurotherapy can look like in practice: early shifts in emotional regulation, gradual gains in intentional speech, and the steady strengthening that comes from consistent sessions over weeks and months. You’ll hear about a nonspeaking client who surprises everyone with a clear three-syllable word, then continues building communication and motor control as brain fog lifts and self-regulation grows. These aren’t “magic fixes,” but they are meaningful, measurable steps that add up. Another story goes straight to the heart: a young adult once treated as “low IQ” because of behaviors and self-injury begins to calm, sleep better, and relate socially, then starts spelling on a letterboard. The conversation expands into why many autism challenges can be motor and communication barriers rather than intellectual disability, and how tools like spelling to communicate can reveal real competence. We also touch on a young man with Down syndrome and autism who re-engages with his body and family, showing how nervous system regulation can restore confidence and participation. If these stories spark questions, share this with a parent or clinician who needs a new lens, then subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what “presume competence” means in your world. To learn more about Brain Enhancement Center, visit https://brainenhancementcenter.org/ To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit: https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org Transformative Neurotherapy 570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397

    17 min

  2. APR 1

    Unlocking Treatment For Nonverbal Autistic Clients Communicate

    If you’ve ever wondered how much is going on inside a “nonverbal” brain, this conversation may change the way you see autism forever. I’m joined by Dr. Nanda Sattva, director of neuroscience at the Brain Enhancement Center in Bellevue, to talk about what happens when communication is blocked not by a lack of intelligence, but by the brain’s ability to coordinate movement, regulation, and access to the right networks at the right time. We unpack a powerful reframe: profound autism often presents as a motor disturbance, including apraxia, where intention and action don’t reliably connect. That mismatch can make standard IQ and performance testing deeply misleading. Nanda shares a pivotal moment with a client who couldn’t speak but spelled clearly on a letterboard and device, introducing himself and revealing a mind that had been “there the whole time.” We also discuss how EEG-informed observations like excessive slow activity in motor regions can look like cortical disengagement, and why sensory sensitivity and emotional regulation challenges can shape everything from stimming to social connection. From there, we get practical about neurotherapy and neuromodulation. We explain a multimodal approach that may include light-based therapy, pulse electromagnetic field (PEMF), and cranioelectrical stimulation, using frequency as a language the brain understands to support neuroplasticity, blood flow, and more stable communication between regions. If you’re a parent, clinician, or curious listener looking for brain health tools and autism support options, you’ll leave with clearer words for what might be happening and what questions to ask next. Subscribe for the next conversation, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more families can find it. What’s one assumption about nonverbal autism you’re ready to rethink? To learn more about Brain Enhancement Center, visit https://brainenhancementcenter.org/ To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit: https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org Transformative Neurotherapy 570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397

    12 min

  3. MAR 27

    Real Neurofeedback Success Stories In Kids And Young Adults

    A kid is “obsessive” and keeps getting stomach aches, so the default label becomes anxiety or OCD. But what happens when the real driver is a seizure pattern in the insula, and the medication plan is accidentally pushing the brain in the wrong direction? That’s where this conversation gets practical fast. We’re joined by Cory Williams, Director of Neurodiagnostics and Neurofeedback at Nashville Child & Family Wellness Center, to share real-world case stories from the intersection of child psychiatry, medication management, EEG brain mapping, neurofeedback, and neuromodulation. We talk through how reading an EEG can change the entire treatment strategy, including when it’s critical to rule out rare but serious causes like a brain tumor. We also dig into the salience network, attention switching, and why symptoms that look “behavioral” can be rooted in unstable brain regulation. From there, we tackle a pattern families often find confusing: as neurotherapy works, medication needs can drop. Cory explains how improved brain efficiency can make a once-helpful stimulant dose feel like too much, triggering side effects like anxiety or insomnia, and why smart tapering can be the right move. You’ll also hear a powerful college turnaround story, plus a second grader’s reading leap using phase-amplitude coupling to strengthen brain connectivity in networks tied to recognition and memory. If you care about brain health, ADHD, anxiety, sleep, learning differences like dyslexia, or safe options for kids, this one will give you both hope and a clearer framework for next steps. Subscribe, share this with someone who feels stuck, and leave a review to help more families find brain-based support. To learn more about Nashville Child & Family Wellness Center, visit https://nashvillefamilywellness.com/ To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit: https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org Transformative Neurotherapy 570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397

    37 min

  4. MAR 20

    Seeing Psychiatry Through EEG and QEEG Brain Mapping

    Psychiatry can do amazing things, but there’s a glaring gap most families never hear about: we often treat brain-based symptoms without ever measuring brain function. We sit down with Cory Williams, Director of Neurodiagnostics and Neurofeedback at the Nashville Child & Family Wellness Center, to unpack how EEG and QEEG brain mapping can change the way clinicians think about diagnosis, medication choice, and outcomes for kids and adults. We get practical fast. Cory explains a simple but powerful lens for understanding brain data: is it a fast brain, a slow brain, or a sleepy brain? The surprise is that ADHD symptoms can show up in all three, which means the same label can hide very different underlying biology. That difference matters when you’re deciding whether to speed the system up, calm it down, or pause and investigate sleep issues before adding another prescription. Then we go deeper into a topic that can be missed in standard care: isolated epileptiform discharges on EEG. Even when they don’t equal a seizure disorder, they can track with mood swings, outbursts, focus crashes, and poor stress tolerance. We talk about why brain instability can make certain medications a bad fit, including how some antipsychotics may lower seizure threshold, and why mood stabilizers are sometimes a smarter match when EEG patterns point that way. We also cover what we do when meds help on paper but side effects take over, and how a biopsychosocial approach can guide next steps like therapy, environment changes, neurofeedback, and other neuromodulation options. If this helps you think differently about mental health treatment and brain health optimization, subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stuck in trial-and-error care, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. To learn more about Nashville Child & Family Wellness Center, visit https://nashvillefamilywellness.com/ To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit: https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org Transformative Neurotherapy 570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397

    18 min

  5. FEB 3

    Inflammation, The Brain, And How Neurotherapy Calms It

    How Does Neurotherapy Help With Inflammation? Brain fog isn’t just a feeling; it’s a measurable shift in how the brain organizes and processes information. We dig into the science and the practice of calming neuroinflammation—how red light therapy reduces inflammatory activity in targeted regions, why improving cerebral blood flow brings vital resources where healing happens, and how PEMF applied over the gut taps the gut-brain axis to settle the nervous system. Along the way, we break down EEG patterns that signal trouble, from weakened alpha power to slower theta peaks and compensatory beta surges that can feel like restless, anxious thinking. What makes this conversation different is the data. We walk through a compelling case where a child with ADHD and autism completed a gluten-free scan, then ate treats at school, and rescanned 48 hours later. The change? A slower theta peak, reduced alpha power, and less synchrony—plus a drop in accuracy and a slower reaction time on a go/no-go task. Nothing else changed. That tight window turned a vague hunch about diet into clear evidence that inflammation can derail cognitive performance fast. It’s the kind of insight that helps families and high performers make confident choices rather than guessing. We also connect the dots across common conditions: post-concussion recovery, long COVID brain fog, and chemo-related cognitive changes. Despite different origins, many share inflammatory signatures and respond to a layered approach—regional red light, blood flow optimization, and gut-brain interventions. By reading the brain’s rhythms and adapting protocols in real time, we help clients rebuild a solid alpha foundation, reduce excess slowing, and smooth out hyperarousal so focus, mood, and energy can stabilize. Curious whether inflammation is hijacking your focus or slowing your thoughts? Tune in to learn how targeted, measurable interventions can help you think clearer and feel steadier. If the episode resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find science-backed strategies that speed healing. To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit: https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org Transformative Neurotherapy 570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397

    12 min

  6. JAN 27

    Rewiring OCD: How Neurotherapy Calms Obsessions And Restores Mental Flexibility

    How Does Neurotherapy Help With OCD? Ever feel like your mind hits the same thought over and over, no matter how hard you try to let it go? We explore how neurotherapy helps a “locked-on” brain loosen its grip, reduce obsessive loops, and regain the ability to shift attention without getting swallowed by anxiety. Drawing on real clinical patterns and clear explanations, we walk through what OCD looks like in the brain and why training the cingulate cortex can change the day-to-day experience of obsessions and compulsions. We start by demystifying OCD as an anxiety-driven cycle: intrusive thoughts trigger distress, rituals offer brief relief, and the brain learns to repeat the loop. Then we translate the science into plain language. Profiles often show a blend of excess slow and fast brainwaves, pointing to instability rather than a single speed problem. That’s why people feel both foggy and wired. By mapping these signals, we tailor stimulation to calm overactive regions and support underactive ones. The goal isn’t to erase thoughts—it’s to reduce their pull so you can choose what to do next. From there, we show how alternating stimulation of the anterior and posterior cingulate builds the brain’s switching ability, much like strength training for attention. As flexibility returns, rituals shrink, triggers feel less explosive, and therapy tools like exposure and response prevention become more workable. We also address who tends to seek this care, why some hoarding profiles rarely present, and how one-third of addiction clients show an OCD-like pattern where compulsive use manages anxiety. Finally, we discuss timelines: younger, healthier brains often respond faster, while severe or metabolically taxed systems need longer, but severity is not destiny. If you’re looking for noninvasive, science-backed care that complements therapy and respects your time, this conversation offers a clear roadmap. Subscribe for more evidence-informed strategies, share with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find practical tools for OCD relief. To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit: https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org Transformative Neurotherapy 570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397

    12 min

  7. 12/30/2025

    Clearing the Haze: Understanding and Treating Brain Fog

    How Does Brain Fog Develop And How Can We Treat It? Brain fog can make simple tasks feel uphill, even when your test results look “normal.” We go straight at the gap between how your brain performs on paper and how it feels in real life, unpacking the real drivers of fog—sleep disruption, hormonal changes, inflammation, metabolic issues, chemo brain, long COVID, and chronic stress—and what actually helps. With Dr. Heather Putney’s clinical lens, we connect everyday symptoms like slower thinking and mental fatigue to the underlying network patterns that shape speed, attention, and focus. We explore why deep sleep is the brain’s rinse cycle and how late caffeine, screens, sleep apnea, and restless legs push you into a wired-but-tired state. You’ll hear how we triage sleep first with smart hygiene and referrals for studies, then layer in targeted neurotherapy to nudge the brain toward healthier rhythms. We break down chemo brain in plain language: stiffer resting-state activity, sluggish default mode network responses, and oxidative stress. Then we show how photobiomodulation increases ATP, improves blood flow, reduces inflammation, and supports neurogenesis, making cognition feel lighter and quicker. Hormones get real attention too—from pregnancy and postpartum shifts to perimenopause and menopause. Estrogen supports brain energy and memory regions, so its swings can dull recall and speed. We talk about coordinating with your doctors, checking thyroid and other metabolic markers, and using neuromodulation to send energy where it’s needed most. Finally, we answer a big question: does how long you’ve had brain fog determine recovery time? Not necessarily. Brain energy and responsiveness set the pace, and with the right inputs, even long-standing fog can lift. If you’re ready to feel clear, focused, and energized again, follow the show for more brain-forward tools, share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help others find us. Your brain is built to power you forward—let’s help it do its job. To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit: https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org Transformative Neurotherapy 570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397

    16 min

  8. 12/24/2025

    Brains in Balance: Neurotherapy and Learning Challenges

    How Does Neurotherapy Help With Learning Disabilities? What if learning could feel lighter because the brain itself runs better? We take you inside a practical, science-backed approach to dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning challenges, showing how targeted neurotherapy can speed up processing, improve communication between key regions, and make practice finally stick. We break down why traditional tutoring sometimes plateaus when the underlying networks are slow, and how pairing stimulation with real-time exercises turns a short window of heightened plasticity into measurable gains. You’ll hear about the “glow” period after each session, when blood flow, oxygenation, and neurogenesis are elevated, and why reading aloud, tackling math facts, or refining handwriting during that window can unlock faster progress. We also talk through what shapes response rates—sleep, metabolic health, toxicity, and coexisting anxiety—and how we adapt protocols with EEG insights to meet each person’s brain where it is. A standout success story brings it home: a bright elementary student with ADHD features and dyslexia moved from dread and meltdowns to grade-level reading and genuine enjoyment, once the temporoparietal decoding systems received focused training. Along the way, we outline the conditions we commonly support—dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, auditory and language processing disorders, sensory challenges, executive function issues, and memory difficulties—and map the care path from scan to symptom tracking to graduation. If you’re curious about brain-based learning, attention training, and evidence-informed strategies that complement tutoring, this conversation offers clear steps and hopeful momentum. Subscribe, share with someone who needs a lift, and leave a review to help more families find a path forward. To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit: https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org Transformative Neurotherapy 570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397

    12 min
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About

Welcome to the Transformative Neurotherapy Podcast — Where Healing Happens Faster. Hosted by Dr. Heather Putney, Founder and Executive Director of Transformative Neurotherapy, this podcast is your go-to guide for unlocking the full potential of your brain. If you’ve ever felt like your mind is working against you — stuck in brain fog, overwhelmed by stress, or just not firing on all cylinders — you’re in the right place. Dr. Putney blends cutting-edge neuroscience with holistic wellness to help you achieve Brain Health, Mind Harmony, and Total Well-Being. Whether you're a high performer, executive, athlete, or simply someone ready to feel better, think clearer, and live more fully, this show delivers the insights and tools you need to thrive. Ready to get unstuck? Let’s get started. To learn more about Transformative Neurotherapy visit:  https://www.TransformativeNeurotherapy.org  Transformative Neurotherapy  570 Lincoln Ave.  Bellevue, PA 15202  412-204-7397 

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